The New England Patriots’ divisional round playoff game against the Houston Texans was a tightly-contested battle, and it led to some casualties on both sides. Several players were injured during the contest, with multiple Patriots among those to go down.

With the AFC Championship Game against the Denver Broncos on the horizon, let’s assess the damage after rewatching the Patriots’ 28-16 win.

Patriots injury analysis: NFL divisional playoffs

LB Robert Spillane: The Patriots’ defensive leader took a trip to the blue medical tent on the sideline after the Texans’ second series and was announced as questionable to return with...

The performance of their wide receiver group has been one of the pleasant surprises of the New England Patriots’ 2025 season, and in the divisional playoff round it looked good once again. Kayshon Boutte and Stefon Diggs again led the way, with the former catching three passes for 75 yards and a touchdown and the latter hauling in four passes for 40 yards and a score.

Pending Mack Hollins’ return from injured reserve, Boutte and Diggs were the clear top duo on the depth chart against the Houston Texans. They were not the only wideouts to make their impact felt,...

The Buffalo Bills stole headlines Monday morning with the team’s shocking decision to fire longtime head coach Sean McDermott after playoff appearances in eight of nine seasons.

The Bills became the tenth team to fire their head coach this cycle, and by showing up late to the party, Buffalo has already missed out on the opportunity to interview premier candidates like John Harbaugh and Kevin Stefansky.

All four coaches hired so far share one thing in common: prior head coaching experience.

This is part of the reason why former New England Patriots Super Bowl-winning assistant Brian Daboll has emerged as...

The Buffalo Bills made a significant decision on Monday, parting ways with head coach Sean McDermott after nine seasons.

Buffalo is likely the best head-coaching job on the open market, as whoever lands the position will work with quarterback Josh Allen.

Many people have been throwing around the names of big-time head coaches for the role, but WFAN host Chris McMonigle believes former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick should be considered.

“This is the kind of spot I think Bill Belichick makes sense,” McMonigle said on Monday during “The Craig Carton Show”. “If he takes the job, he...

The Patriots could have two more games remaining in their season, but it’s never too early to start thinking about potential players New England could bring in to bolster its roster for next season.

New England welcomed the Houston Texans to town on Sunday, featuring standout pass rushers Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter. In light of this, the Patriots may want to consider drafting their own marquee pass rusher in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.

CBS Sports NFL writer Josh Edwards released a mock draft on Monday, predicting that the Patriots will select Texas A&M pass...

The New England Patriots defeated the Houston Texans on Sunday to advance to the AFC Championship Game, and Morgan Moses had a stellar game.

Moses is in his 12th NFL season and his first season with the Patriots. At age-34, he has started every game this season, and played great against the Los Angeles Chargers in the Wild Card Round. However, he was named Offensive Player of the Week by Pro Football Focus for his game against the Texans.

“In a weekend that was relatively quiet for skill position players, Moses stood out with an excellent performance at right tackle...

The New England Patriots have been one of the best teams in the NFL this season, and Drake Maye is a huge reason why.

Maye figures to be a finalist for MVP, alongside Matthew Stafford of the Los Angeles Rams. Stafford seems to have the edge over Maye for the league MVP Award, as he was already named a First-Team All-Pro by the Associated Press.

It’s rare that a First-Team All-Pro player does not also win MVP. Stafford is continuing to rack up the accolades in his stellar season and was named to the [Professional Football Writers of America All-NFL...

D’Ernest Johnson and Leonard Taylor III reverted to the New England Patriots’ practice squad on Monday after serving as standard elevations for the AFC divisional round.

The running back and defensive tackle both had a hand in what became a 28-16 win over the Houston Texans at Gillette Stadium.

Johnson, 29, played five snaps on special teams and posted kickoff returns of 22 and 25 yards. The 5-foot-11, 205-pound running back had been waived to open a spot on the 53-man roster last week before rejoining the practice squad. He continued to round out an active depth chart led by...

While New England was celebrating the Patriots’ 28-16 divisional playoff win over the Houston Texans, news about one of the team’s assistant coaches were reported.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, tight ends coach/passing game coordinator Thomas Brown is expected to interview for the Los Angeles Chargers’ vacant offensive coordinator position. Coincidentally, the job became available in large part due to L.A. scoring only three points in a wild card loss to the Patriots.

For Brown, 39, this is the second interview opportunity this hiring cycle. Previously, the Arizona Cardinals requested to interview him for their head coaching job.

A...

As NESN writer Colin Keane put it, “It’s become customary for the media to take credit away from the Patriots all season long.”

This was once again the case after the New England Patriots dismantled the Houston Texans on Sunday afternoon to earn a trip to the AFC Championship Game.

“If you’re Houston, you win that game with 31 other quarterbacks,” ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky said on Monday morning’s “Get Up” in a now-viral clip with more than one million views.

The former NFL quarterback then went on to say it’s “unfortunate” that Houston’s defense will not be playing in the...

The New England Patriots will face yet another elite defense when they play the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship Game. Mike Vrabel indicated that it could be the toughest challenge Drake Maye and Co. have seen thus far.

Despite just opposing a Houston Texans defense that finished the regular season first in points allowed, Vrabel touted Denver’s unit as New England’s biggest obstacle thus far during Monday’s press conference.

“It will be the best defense that we’ve played to date because it’s the next one,” Vrabel said. “I mean, that’s just how this goes.”

The head coach expanded on...

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Pittsburgh Steelers are scheduled to meet this week with former New England Patriots defensive coordinator Brian Flores about Pittsburgh’s head coaching vacancy, following Mike Tomlin‘s decision to step down.

Flores has built a respected NFL coaching career marked by defensive innovation and steady progress. He began with the Patriots from 2008 to 2018, rising from special teams assistant to linebackers coach under Bill Belichick, contributing to multiple Super Bowl-winning staffs.

Flores earned his first head coaching role with the Miami Dolphins (2019–2021), posting a 24-25 record while transforming their defense from league-worst to consistent...