Khyiris Tonga has missed the team’s last three games with a foot injury. But, the Patriots defensive lineman is on the path towards returning for this weekend’s divisional-round playoff game against Houston.

“I’m optimistic,” Tonga said Thursday. “Still meeting with trainers every day, but I feel good.”

Returning to the practice field on Wednesday in a limited capacity, Tonga was upgraded to a full participant on Thursday — another indication his return is near.

“It feels so good being around my teammates again,” Tonga said. “It sucked to watch them ball out and not be able to be there, but...

The Houston Texans might be in for a rude awakening come Sunday’s divisional round playoff game against the New England Patriots. Used to the cozy confines of their domed home arena, it appears that they will be subjected to some challenging conditions at Gillette Stadium.

According to a forecast shared on NFL Weather, temperatures in Foxborough will be in the low 30s throughout the contest, with a wind chill as low as 24°F. In addition, snowfall is likely for much if not all of the afternoon.

The National Weather Service predicts a “chance of snow” mainly after 1 p.m. ET,...

The New England Patriots will likely be looking to strengthen their defensive line in the offseason, and The Athletic’s Dane Brugler has an ideal fit for them.

Brugler released his first NFL mock draft since the conclusion of the regular season, predicting that the Patriots will select Miami pass rusher Akheem Mesidor at pick 30.

“Yes, Mesidor is older (he’ll turn 25 in April), but he won’t need a ramp-up period as a rookie — Mike Vrabel could wind him up and cut him loose on Day 1,” Brugler wrote on Thursday. “New England ranked in the bottom third of...

Patriots quarterback Drake Maye has been quick to correct mistakes this season.

In his playoff debut, the mistakes included Maye losing a fumble — while putting another ball on the ground — despite a 16-3 win. As the attention has turned to correcting those for round two, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is confident that his quarterback will bounce back.

“There’s a lot we’ve talked about this all year, the balance of, we love that he ran for 66 yards and handled the ball in those situations and converted on third and short and all the rest of it. I’ve tried...

The New England Patriots are set to face a tough challenge this Sunday against one of the top defenses in the NFL, the Houston Texans.

While the Texans boast a formidable defense, Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte isn’t worried at all; he has full confidence in quarterback Drake Maye.

“I think with him at quarterback, anything is possible,” Boutte said on Thursday.

Pro Football Focus ranked Houston’s defense at No. 3 overall for the regular season, but Boutte doesn’t seem concerned.

“I wouldn’t say one of the toughest,” Boutte said when reporters asked if he thought the Texans [were one...

The New England Patriots and Houston Texans will look to bring themselves one step closer to ultimate glory in their divisional round matchup on Sunday.

How?

I’ve put together the keys to victory for both sides:

NE: WIN THE ONE-ON-ONE MATCHUPS

The Texans’ defensive style is legitimately fascinating, as they ranked first in total defensive EPA (-130.69) and points allowed per game (16.7) while also ranking dead last in blitz rate (21.6%) and simulated pressure rate (29.7%) — all while playing more man-coverage (67.9%) and single-high coverage (74.8%) than anyone in 2025.

Kamari Lassiter, Jalen Pitre, Danielle Hunter, Derek...

The Patriots are poised to be in a strong position to acquire a top-tier talent this offseason, following a successful season with young quarterback Drake Maye. New England could bring in another top receiver to support him further.

One player who might be on the Patriots’ radar is A.J. Brown, the wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles. Brown is coming off a rollercoaster season, and ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter believes that New England could be a genuine landing spot for him.

“I can see Brown playing in New England next year under head coach Mike Vrabel,” Schefter said Wednesday...

Fans in Foxboro last Sunday reminded the NFL that Gillette Stadium remains one of the few genuine home-field advantages in the league. The next challenger that stands in the New England Patriots’ path is the Houston Texans, and they might end up getting more than they bargained for when they make the nearly 2,000-mile trip north.

Meteorologist Noah Bergen of Fox35 Orlando shared a now-viral post on X that shows that New England could be hit with some nasty weather on Sunday.

“Wow! Remarkable trend continues,” Bergen said. “Chances Patriots Texans game ends up as a snow game are rising...

The story of the New England Patriots cannot be told without offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. He has been on the coaching staff for every single one of the franchise’s six Super Bowl wins.

His prolonged success has landed him other jobs around the league, but he once again returned to New England this offseason for his third stint with the Patriots in pursuit of number seven.

That pursuit now takes a unique turn as he is set to welcome his brother, Ben McDaniels, to Foxboro this Sunday in a divisional round playoff clash.

Ben is the younger brother of Josh...

The New England Patriots got great news on Thursday when Pro Bowl cornerback Christian Gonzalez was a full participant in practice.

The Houston Texans on the other hand, could be without Nico Collins for Sunday’s AFC Divisional Round matchup, as the Pro Bowl wide receiver missed his second straight practice due to a concussion.

Collins isn’t the only member of the Texans offense that is in danger of missing the playoff battle, as starting offensive tackle Trent Brown sat out his second consecutive session with an ankle injury.

“Houston #Texans Thursday Injury Report for the Divisional Round at the New...

The New England Patriots cruised to a 16-3 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers in the wild-card round of the playoffs, setting the stage for a tough divisional round matchup against the Houston Texans. With this game drawing near, the Pats revealed their uniform combo for this game.

Against the Chargers, the Patriots didn’t play their best game on offense, as Drake Maye struggled to consistently hit his targets, while also committing a pair of turnovers. Luckily for him, the defense did have its best game of the season, as it completely shut down Justin Herbert and Los Angeles’ offense...

The New England Patriots continued work on the Houston Texans with perfect attendance.

Offensive tackles Morgan Moses and Thayer Munford Jr. returned for Thursday’s practice after knee ailments kept both sidelined to begin the week.

Elsewhere in Foxborough, running back Terrell Jennings and cornerback Christian Gonzalez shed red non-contact jerseys while phasing through the NFL’s concussion protocol. Both joined a growing list of full participants that also included defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga on the heels of missing three games due to a foot issue.

Here’s the second injury report ahead of Sunday’s 3 p.m. ET divisional round at Gillette Stadium....