Pats Pulpit
The New England Patriots won a slugfest on Sunday in Foxborough against the visiting Houston Texans. It was a game that saw eight total turnovers, including a pick-six by Marcus Jones, his sixth non-offensive TD since the 2022 season, which is best mark in the NFL during that span.
With Jones and the defense leading the way, the Patriots beat the Texans 28-16 and punched their ticket to the AFC Championship Game for the first time since the 2018 season. Let’s get into our lessons learned from the divisional round battle at a snowy Gillette Stadium.
For the second week in a row, the Patriots were stuck in a defensive battle. The offenses both struggled, but turnovers ultimately proved to be a major difference: New England was able to force five of them, including the aforementioned touchdown by Marcus Jones. The Patriots only turned the ball over three times, and they were ultimately able to do enough against a spirited opponent.
The Texans defense, of course, got the headlines all week. Ultimately, however, the Patriots defense was the more dominant unit on Sunday and the main reason that they won this game and are moving onto the AFC Championship.
“It was a group effort,” said head coach Mike Vrabel of his defense after the game. “We talked about it being a group effort. Whether that’s understanding the call, understanding where each guy fits.”
Drake Maye had a rough game against Houston’s defense, fumbling the ball four times and losing two of them. (He also threw an interception, but it was on a Hail Mary, so I don’t really blame him for that one.)
His pocket awareness wasn’t great, and he missed some opportunities, like the deep passes to Kyle Williams where he had a step on cornerback Kamari Lassiter. As much as he struggled under the Texans’ relentless pressure — he was sacked five times on the day and never really was able to operate from a clean pocket — he became the only quarterback to throw for three touchdowns against this defense in 2025.
The matchup was difficult, he didn’t play like the MVP on Sunday, and he has to be better next week. But Maye did enough to win on Sunday, and that’s all that really matters.
Patriots first-round draft pick Will Campbell has been solid for most of the season, but he had a rough game against one of the best edge rushers in the league, Will Anderson Jr. The Patriots seemed unwilling to give him help for most of the game, and Anderson was able to get in and sack Maye three times and also forcing a pair of fumbles.
There were some questions about Campbell going into the season, and, though he’s been good most of the year, those questions loomed large on Sunday. He is still a rookie who missed substantial time with a knee injury this...
