The New England Patriots picked up a 16-3 win over the Los Angeles Chargers in their wild-card round matchup last weekend, and in a surprise development, it was the defense that led the way for head coach Mike Vrabel‘s team. Perhaps the biggest game from this group belonged to K’Lavon Chaisson.

The former first-round pick picked up two of New England’s six sacks in this one, with the latter resulting in a fumble that the Pats were able to recover. To see Chaisson’s breakout campaign continue into the postseason is a very encouraging sign for the Patriots.

All season long,...

Drake Maye will encounter a monumental test when the New England Patriots face the Houston Texans in the AFC Divisional Round.

After winning his playoff debut, Maye must combat a lethal defense that finished the regular season first in yards allowed and dominated the Pittsburgh Steelers in the opening round. A star defender who faced Maye in October implored the 23-year-old to play the game of his life.

New Orleans Saints defensive lineman Cam Jordan declared Thursday on ESPN’s “Get Up” that the Patriots need a huge performance from Maye to advance beyond the second round.

“You know what he...

The New England Patriots will take on the Houston Texans on Sunday with a trip to the AFC Championship Game on the line.

After defeating the Los Angeles Chargers, the Patriots signed former Houston Texans defensive end Darrell Taylor to their practice squad. According to Ian Rapoport, he could be elevated for the upcoming game. However, the corresponding move to signing Taylor was releasing Elijah Mitchell on Wednesday.

Mitchell signed with the Patriots’ practice squad on Dec. 23. He did not appear in a game for the Patriots. He started the season with the Kansas City Chiefs, but played in...

Now that we’re full-on into the playoffs, it’s time to stop looking in the rearview with our Secret Superstars series, and start looking forward to the next game with postseason X-Factors. The principle is the same — using game tape and metrics to uncover those hidden gems for every team who are primed to bring their best when their franchises need it the most.

*The New England Patriots have a lot on the ball as they prepare to face the Houston Texans at Gillette Stadium this Sunday in the divisional round of the playoffs (3 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC), but there...

New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel has high praise for the Houston Texans’ defense.

The Patriots are set to host Houston on Sunday afternoon in the divisional round in an intriguing game. Heading into the game, Vrabel was asked if Houston is the best defense they will face, and he didn’t hesitate to say yes.

“Yeah, of course,” Vrabel said on Wednesday. “I mean, they have great talent, great scheme, they play hard and I respect how hard they play. They’re not only talented, but they have a play demeanor that I can appreciate.”

Houston allowed just 17.35 points...

Several NFL teams will hope to follow the New England Patriots and ride a new head coach to colossal improvement in 2026. One team could be well-positioned to make a similar leap.

The New York Giants are finalizing a deal to hire John Harbaugh as their new head coach, as first reported late Wednesday night by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Although not yet official, the Giants teased an announcement by posting a smirking face emoji on social media Thursday morning.

Harbaugh’s arrival could yield considerable excitement around Big Blue next season. An AFC executive likened his hiring to the Patriots landing...

The New England Patriots drafted Will Campbell with the fourth overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft, and he has been a great addition to the team.

Campbell allowed a strip-sack in the third quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers. He allowed five sacks in the regular season, and some critics are calling him out online. However, Campbell sent a message to the critics.

“Honestly, I don’t give a (expletive) what anyone says,” Campbell said on Wednesday, according to MassLive’s Chris Mason. “It’s easy to type behind a Twitter account that is fake. I hold myself to the highest expectation...

The Houston Texans have a “pick your poison”-type of defense. The unit led by first-team All-Pros Will Anderson Jr. and Derek Stingley Jr. is good in the front and in the backend, stout against the run and devastating against the pass.

It is as complete a defense as any in football right now, and the toughest New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye has faced in his young career. So, how do Maye and company go about finding success against it? For the 23-year-old, it all starts by staying on track.

“I think for us, offensively, just try to stay ahead...

TEAM TALK

• Patriots-Texans Divisional Round Injury Report.
• Broadcast Info: How to watch/listen to Patriots vs. Texans.
• Transcripts: Mike Vrabel (plus 15 min. video) – Drake Maye (plus 9 min. video)
• Press Conferences: Will Campbell, Stefon Diggs, Marcus Jones, and Austin Hooper.
• Throwback: Patriots vs. Texans 2012 AFC divisional round highlights. (3 min. video)
• Patriots Unfiltered: Texans preview, Vrabel presser/reaction, Teams news/update. (2 hours)
• Patriots Catch-22: Up/down vs. Chargers, areas to improve, Texans preview. (2 hours)

LOCAL LINKS

• Nick Goss posts his Patriots-Texans tale of the tape: Keys to victory, prediction and more....

While his departure from Buffalo a year earlier was messy, Stefon Diggs leaving the Houston Texans for the New England Patriots during the 2025 offseason was devoid of any drama.

Leading into this week’s divisional playoff meeting between his current and former team, controversy is therefore not on the menu for Diggs. As he told reporters at his Gillette Stadium locker on Wednesday, he had an enjoyable stint in Houston, even though his 2024 season was cut short by injury.

“It was cool. I had a great time,” Diggs said. “I have a lot of respect for those guys over...

The New England Patriots made an intriguing move to their practice squad ahead of their divisional round playoff game against the Houston Texans.

New England signed veteran defensive end Darrell Taylor to the practice squad and released running back Elijah Mitchell from the practice squad on Wednesday. Taylor had spent the regular season with the Texans before being released on Monday.

Although Taylor is on the practice squad, it is an intriguing signing, and Vrabel said he’s someone the team wanted to sign in the offseason.

“Well, we had had conversations with him in free agency,” Vrabel said on Wednesday....

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye knows the Houston Texans’ defense will be a tough challenge for him and the offense.

The Patriots are set to host the Texans in the divisional round on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET in an intriguing game. Houston is led by its defense, which allowed just 17.35 points per game and 277.23 yards, which ranked second and first in the NFL, respectively.

Ahead of Maye’s second playoff game against the Texans, he had plenty of praise for the defense. However, the Patriots quarterback is confident in himself and the offense that they will be...