Jan 19, 2026
3 min read
Thanks to the defensive performance - which tied the postseason record with four interceptions - the Patriots advance to next Sunday's AFC Championship Game against the Broncos.
FOXBOROUGH, Mass.-- The New England Patriots had respect for the Houston Texans' No. 1 defense.1 going into Sunday's divisional playoff game.At the same time, New England believed that its defense deserved the same respect.
"They are really good for a reason, but our guys are proud people," Patriots Coach Mike Vrabel said by five forced turners.zi are also in the top five for a reason. "
The big defensive performance, which tied a franchise postseason record with four interceptions, helped the Patriots advance to next Sunday's AFC Championship game against the host Denver Broncos (3 p.m. ET, CBS).
It's the Patriots' 16th trip to the conference championship game and New England's first since eight straight from 2011-2018 - when Bill Belichick was the coach and Tom Brady was the quarterback.This season's team, which has had one of the most surprising turnarounds in the NFL after back-to-back four-win seasons, is led by Vrabel and quarterback Derrick Maye.
But on Sunday against the Texans, when Maye had five sacks and lost two fumbles, the Patriots relied primarily on defense.
"Our quarterbacks played great," said May, who went 16-of-27 for 179 yards with 3 touchdowns and 1 interception in the Hail Mary late in the half. Battle of the elements. We knew they were going to be a good defense. Our defense helped us all night.''
Reflecting on how the Patriots' defense was overlooked in the game, Jaylin Hawkins was celebrating with Vrabel in the tunnel after the game, asking, "Who's the best defense?"
"It definitely boosted the whole defense. Nobody talked about our defense all year. We'll see what they say today," said defensive tackle Milton Williams, who won a Super Bowl last year with the Philadelphia Eagles and was instrumental in the Patriots' resurgence.
"Every week, we try to come out and dominate, knowing that they have a great defense, but in our mind, it's our defense and their defense, see who can make more plays, add more turnovers, stop the run and get the ball back to our offense."
One of the reasons that led to the success of the patriots defense was to make the Texans single-size-fits-all.In the first half, New England Limited Houston to 8 rushing yards on 12 carries.This has allowed the patriots to print the quarrelback CJ Stroud frequently, and forced him to four interceptions before half.
The Texans gained 48 yards on 22 carries (a 2.2-yard average), and Stroud completed 20 of 47 passes for 212 yards with 1 score and 4 picks.Cornerback Carlton Davis III had two interceptions, cornerback Marcus Jones had a 26-yard sixth carry, set up by a pass from ferocious fullback K'Lavon Chesson and rookie safety Craig Woodson caught the next possession.Meanwhile, cornerback Christian Gonzalez forced a fumble by Markswood on third down.21-13.
"They play well together," Vrabel said.“I feel like they complement each other and our turnover is created by more than one guy.There are great efforts."
Vrabel named playcaller Zach Kuhr's role this season as coordinator Terrell Williams, who is focused on recovering from prostate cancer.
"We take advantage of our opportunities and that's what's going to happen in the playoffs," Vrabel said."I think we changed the look a little bit; give our guys credit for being able to cover. We talked about that, and certainly touching the quarterback is a big part of winning in this league."
Now, the unit looks to continue that momentum in the AFC Championship Game against the Broncos, who will begin filling in for quarterback Jarrett Stidham in place of the injured Nix.New England opened as a 4.5-point favorite on the road, according to DraftKings Sportsbook.
The Patriots gave up just one touchdown in two playoff games, making them the first team to give up one or fewer touchdowns in two games in a postseason since the 2006 Indianapolis Colts, who went on to win the Super Bowl.
"We have a great defense," Patriots defensive end Christian Barmore said."When we play as a team, it's hard to beat. We've got to keep doing what we've got to do. Focus on Denver. We're all going to play as a team."
