The New England Patriots started the on-field preparation for their upcoming divisional playoff game against the Houston Texans on Wednesday, and one of their most important players was part of the proceedings.

Wearing a red non-contact jersey, starting cornerback Christian Gonzalez was present during the short media window at the start of the session. While his participation status has yet to be determined, his presence on the practice field is itself a positive sign: it suggests that he already is in the fourth of five stages of the NFL concussion protocol.

Gonzalez, 23, left the Patriots’ victory over the Los...

Darrell Taylor will go from the No. 5 seed to the No. 2 seed in the AFC.

The New England Patriots have added the former Houston Texans defensive end to the practice squad, as first reported Wednesday by NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport.

Taylor, 28, cleared waivers and became a free agent the afternoon prior. Ahead is the chance to prepare for his previous club in the divisional round of the playoffs.

Selected in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft at No. 48 overall, Taylor stands 69 games into his run off the edges. The 6-foot-4, 255-pound Tennessee Volunteers...

Time will tell whether Christian Gonzalez plays for the Patriots this Sunday, but the star cornerback took a step in the right direction on Wednesday.

Gonzalez suffered a concussion during New England’s wild-card win over the Los Angeles Chargers last Sunday. His status for the divisional-round matchup against the Houston Texans remains up in the air.

However, Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel began Wednesday’s news conference by revealing he expected Gonzalez to participate in practice.

“I do anticipate him being out there,” Vrabel told reporters.

Gonzalez later was spotted wearing a red non-contact jersey during the media-access portion of practice....

The New England Patriots host the Houston Texans on Sunday in the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs.

The Texans have a ferocious defense, and Drake Maye and company will have their hands full. However, the offense led by C.J. Stroud is no joke. The Patriots’ defense looked great last week and will be looking to play well again. However, the team is bringing in some more help.

According to Ian Rapoport, the Patriots are signing defensive end Darrell Taylor to the practice squad, with a “strong possibility” of elevating him for the playoffs. He was waived by the Texans...

TEAM TALK

• Game Preview, Patriots vs. Texans: Series history, tale of the tape, what to watch for; More.
• From the NFL: Patriots RB TreVeyon Henderson nominated for Pepsi Zero Sugar Rookie of the Year.
• Mic’d Up: Mike Vrabel and Drake Maye lead Patriots to playoff victory vs. Chargers. (14 min. video)
• Vrabel Xs and Os: Mike Vrabel breaks down film of key moments from win vs. Chargers. (4 min. video)
• Sights & Sounds: Patriots defense records six sacks in Wild Card playoff win vs. Chargers. (4 min. video)
• Patriots Unfiltered: Chargers recap, necessary fixes,...

The New England Patriots have finally gotten off the schneid. After not winning a playoff game in their last seven seasons, they beat the Los Angeles Chargers last Sunday night to punch their ticket to the AFC divisional round.

There, the Houston Texans await. For quarterback Drake Maye and the rest of the Patriots, this will be the toughest test yet. While Houston’s defense is not known for its firepower, it doesn’t need to be: the team’s defense is arguably the best in the league and a unit very much capable of winning games on its own.

Will that happen...

While the narrative itself is overblown, the New England Patriots offense did indeed not go up against a murder’s row of opponents in the regular season. Sunday’s wild card game against the Los Angeles Chargers was different, though: the team’s defense entered the playoffs as one of the best in the NFL, and it showed.

L.A. failed to win, in large part because of the Patriots themselves playing some inspired defensive football. Nonetheless, the team performed well on that side of the ball and held Drake Maye and company to their lowest scoring output since Week 3.

How did the...

The AFC divisional round’s connections do not end with executive vice president and general manager Nick Caserio.

Nor do they end with a coaching staff featuring Nick Caley, Cole Popovich, Jerry Schuplinski and even Ben McDaniels. Not with the scouting, personnel and development likes of D.J. Debick, Steve Cargile, Shane Vereen and André Davis, either.

Between the active rosters, practice squads and reserve lists, 10 players in the fold for Sunday have been both Houston Texans and New England Patriots during their careers.

Here’s a look through that list of past and present names ahead of the 3 p.m. ET...

The New England Patriots were one of the worst teams in football each of the last two seasons. Fortunes can change quickly in the NFL, however, and on Sunday, the team of first-year head coach Mike Vrabel will compete for a spot in the AFC Championship Game.

Between them and the conference title game, however, stands the team with the longest win streak in the league. The Houston Texans have not lost a game in over two months, and are fresh off a 30-6 dismantling of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Let’s take a closer look at them.

Texans key stats ----------------...

The New England Patriots and Houston Texans will not be the only teams on the field for Sunday’s divisional playoff game at Gillette Stadium. The third one, those wearing black and white stripes, will be led by referee Shawn Smith, as was announced by the NFL.

Officiating website Football Zebras had to say the following about Smith:

Shawn Smith is the referee, who is in his 11th season and 8th as referee. This is Smith’s 10th postseason assignment, including 5 Wild Card Playoffs, 3 Divisional Playoffs and 2 Conference Championships.

Since becoming a referee in 2018, Smith has called...

After a crazy Wild Card Weekend, only eight teams remain in the NFL playoff field. Fortunately for the New England Patriots, they are one of them.

The Patriots had the second-largest margin of victory of last weekend’s six postseason games with their 16-3 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. It wasn’t pretty, but New England got the job done, earning its first playoff win in seven years.

It was also a big step for many of the Patriots’ young stars, including NFL MVP candidate Drake Maye. Now they have some postseason experience under their belts and have proven they can...

The New England Patriots will face a stiff test in their divisional round matchup with the Houston Texans on Sunday.

It’s safe to say the feeling is mutual on both sides, though…

Drake Maye will have the attention of the folks down at NRG Stadium.

“He can sling the ball, can escape the pocket. Does a great job throwing the deep ball,” Houston head coach DeMeco Ryans said, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston. “Very aggressive at trying to take their shots. High-powered offense. His ability to escape the pocket is what we have to be aware of this...