Houston and New England set off the early afternoon portion of the two divisional Sunday matchups. The Texans are playing on a short week, having eliminated the Steelers on Monday night, 30-7. New England is coming off a dominant 16-3 victory over the Chargers last week and the first playoff win of the Mike Vrabel Patriots era. These franchises have met twice before in the postseason, also in the divisional round, and the Patriots won both.
That saying about defense traveling was true for the Texans in the wild-card round because it carried Houston. Quarterback C.J. Stroud didn’t have one of his better outings against Pittsburgh, putting the ball on the ground five times and losing two. He was also picked off once and sacked three times. Still, the offense was bailed out by the defense and rookie running back Woody Marks, rushing for 112 yards and a touchdown. If Stroud can’t get it under control (and he’ll have to do it without star wideout Nico Collins), Houston could be in for a third consecutive divisional-round exit.
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The Patriots are back in the postseason for the first time since 2021 and already have their first playoff win since the 2018-19 season. New England’s defense had a strong showing in the wild-card win over the Chargers, brutalizing Justin Herbert, sacking him six times and holding him to 159 passing yards. Offensively, the Pats will need to clean up a bit against a Texans defense that gets to the quarterback often.
Texans-Patriots start time: 3 p.m. ET
Location: Gillette Stadium | Foxborough, Mass.
TV channel, live stream: ESPN, ABC, NFL+
Follow along with Yahoo Sports for live updates, highlights and more as the Houston Texans and New England Patriots face off in the divisional round.
Live10 updatesSun, January 18, 2026 at 12:02 PM PST
Ian Casselberry
Sun, January 18, 2026 at 12:18 PM PST
Ian Casselberry
After two consecutive 2-yard losses, Drake Maye hits on two straight passes to get the Patriots in the end zone.
On third-and-14, Maye connected with Stefon Diggs on a 13-yard gain. Coach Mike Vrabel opted to go for it on fourth -and-1 from the Houston 28-yard line. And Mayes followed up by hitting DeMario Douglas at the 21, who then ran in for the score.
Sun, January 18, 2026 at 12:14 PM PST
Ian Casselberry
Rhamondre Stevenson bounces and bursts to the right for 20 yards on second-and-1 for a first down. That moves New England to the Houston 37-yard line.
Sun, January 18, 2026 at 12:10 PM PST
Ian Casselberry
C.J. Stroud misses Christian Kirk on third-and-7 and Houston also fails to get a first down on its opening series.
Tommy Townsend punts 44 yards to Marcus Jones, who runs an 18-yard return. The Patriots take over at their 34-yard line.
Sun, January 18, 2026 at 12:07 PM PST
Ian Casselberry
New England punts after not getting a first down on its opening possession. The Texans will begin on their 26-yard line after a 44-yard punt from Bryce Baringer.
Sun, January 18, 2026 at 12:04 PM PST
Ian Casselberry
Houston won the coin toss and deferred to the second half. New England’s offense will take the field to open this divisional playoff game.
Sun, January 18, 2026 at 12:01 PM PST
Ian Casselberry
Patriots QB Drake Maye was an MVP candidate throughout the season, ranking fourth among NFL starters with 4,394 yards and third with 31 TD passes.
Texans QB C.J. Stroud was not in MVP consideration, passing for 3,041 yards (19th) and 19 TDs (21st).
Sun, January 18, 2026 at 11:45 AM PST
Kate Magdziuk
Get those TVs set! The Houston Texans and New England Patriots kick off live from Gillette Stadium at 3 p.m. ET, airing live on ESPN, ABC and NFL+.
Sun, January 18, 2026 at 11:36 AM PST
Ian Casselberry
Houston’s defense allowed the fewest yards in the NFL this season, averaging 277.3 yards per game (4,713 total). The Texans also allowed the fewest points per game in the AFC at 17.4. (Only the Seahawks allowed fewer at 17.2.)
The Patriots ranked eighth in total defense, allowing 295.2 per game (5,013 total). Their 18.8 points per game allowed was the fourth-best in the NFL.
However, New England had one of the most productive offenses in the league, ranking third with 379.4 yards per game (6,449 yards total). Its 4,258 passing yards placed fourth, while its 2,191 yards ranked sixth.
The Texans ranked 18th in offense, gaining 327 yards per game (5,559 yards total). Their 3,707 yards passing were 14th among NFL teams, but they ranked 22nd in rushing with 1,852 yards.
Sun, January 18, 2026 at 10:33 AM PST
Kate Magdziuk
With less than 90 minutes remaining until the Houston Texans and New England Patriots kick off in the divisional round, each team has announced its inactives for gameday.
Here’s a look:
Texans inactivesPatriots inactives
QB Tommy DeVito (Emergency 3rd QB)