The New England Patriots beat the Houston Texans 28-16 at Gillette Stadium on January 18, 2026, in a divisional playoff game defined by turnovers, tough weather, and opportunistic defense. Drake Maye threw three touchdown passes for New England, while C.J. Stroud struggled under pressure and was intercepted multiple times in the first half. The Patriots will travel to Denver next Sunday for the AFC Championship, while the Texans’ season ended amid questions about ball security and execution.

Game at a glance

The opening minutes set the tone, with sloppy exchanges, heavy pass rushes and a steady fall of snow and rain. New England converted big defensive plays into points, including a pick six that swung momentum. Houston managed to fight back with one sustained drive and a touchdown to Christian Kirk, but the Texans never overcame repeated mistakes in the red zone and on the scoreboard.

Key facts

• Final score, Patriots 28, Texans 16.
• Combined turnovers, 8 — the most in a playoff game since 2015.
• Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, 3 touchdown passes, finished 16 of 27 for 179 yards, with an interception and multiple fumbles in slick conditions.
• Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud, 20 of 47 for 212 yards, threw multiple first half interceptions and saw his postseason turnover total spike.
• Game date and place, January 18, 2026, Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts.

"Everybody’s stepping up, we’re using everybody, everybody’s making plays," said the Patriots coach after the game, summarizing New England’s collective effort.

Turning points and decisive plays

The matchup revolved around a handful of sequences where possession and field position flipped the script:

• Early, costly turnovers: A sequence of strip-sacks, fumbles and interceptions in the first half produced quick points and repeatedly put Houston behind the chains.
• Marcus Jones pick six: A defensive score returned momentum to New England and directly changed the scoreboard differential.
• Special catch to seal it: Late in the fourth quarter, a one-handed diving touchdown reception widened the gap and extinguished Houston’s chances.

Momentum map

• First quarter, miscues led to quick scoring swings, with New England capitalizing on Houston errors.
• Second quarter, Patriots extended their lead with efficient red zone execution.
• Third quarter, both teams exchanged conservative possessions, as weather and pressure dictated strategy.
• Fourth quarter, Patriots closed the door with a decisive scoring drive and a late defensive stop.

Statistical comparison

Note: The table shows regular season records and postgame totals to give both contexts, regular season performance and where the teams stood after the divisional result.

Coaches, strategy and contrasting approaches

Mike Vrabel’s Patriots leaned on pressure up front, rotating pass rushers and inviting a physical, field-position battle in the cold. New England’s defensive game plan emphasized confusion for the Texans’ passing game and aggressive special teams play. The Patriots offense, despite giving the ball away, found chunk plays and relied on timely throws by Maye.

DeMeco Ryans’ Texans remain defensively stout across the season, but this game exposed vulnerabilities in protecting the football and dealing with an unpredictable environment. Houston’s defensive unit made plays earlier in the postseason, but offensive miscues and injuries compounded problems on the road.

Injuries and roster notes

• Texans lost tight end Dalton Schultz in the first quarter with a calf issue, and other offensive linemen were hampered by injuries during the game.
• Patriots had multiple players nicked up as well, including a temporary exit for a linebacker who returned, and concerns about ball security for their rookie quarterback.

These concerns will shape both teams’ offseason assessments, with Houston focusing on turnover prevention and New England balancing the risk reward of creative quarterback play.

What this means next

For the Patriots, the win sends them to the AFC Championship in Denver next Sunday. It is a statement that a team can combine opportunistic defense with enough offensive spark to survive a messy, weather affected game. For the Texans, the loss raises immediate questions about playoff experience, quarterback handling under duress, and the team’s ability to close out high leverage moments on the road.

Multiple viewpoints

• Patriots supporters will point to the defense, the special teams and the resilience of a team that reversed course from earlier seasons, and will argue that the Patriots proved they can win in January.
• Texans faithful will emphasize the season-long defensive excellence that got Houston to the postseason, but they will also acknowledge that turnovers and untimely penalties are the reasons the season ended early.
• Neutral analysts will underline that turnovers often decide playoff games, and that both passing games showed flashes but also clear weaknesses to be addressed.

Simple technical note, turnover differential and game outcome

A quick illustration of how turnover differential correlates with win probability, in code form, for readers who like a numbers check:

```

Hypothetical example, not game specific

base_win_prob = 0.5
turnover_diff = takeaways - giveaways

Each +1 turnover differential adds approx 10 percentage points to win probability

adjusted_win_prob = base_win_prob + 0.10 * turnover_diff
```

Use the snippet as a conceptual tool, turnovers materially swing win probability, and this game is a textbook example.

Bottom line

New England advanced by forcing mistakes and converting them into points, while Houston ran into the classic playoff trap of self-inflicted errors. The Patriots move on, and the Texans finish a season that stretched expectations but fell short of a deeper playoff run. Both franchises can draw lessons from this divisional battle, and the coming weeks will be about repairs, evaluation and, for the Patriots, preparation for a road trip to Denver and a date with the conference title.

If you want a deeper statistical breakdown, play-by-play highlights, or a timeline of every turnover and scoring drive, I can pull the box score and build a minute-by-minute analysis.