Texans at Patriots in AFC divisional round after defensive showings

Cbssports reports the Houston Texans visit the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough on Sunday, Jan. 18 at 3 p.m. ET in the AFC divisional round.

Both teams advanced from the wild-card round on the backs of strong defensive performances: Houston held Pittsburgh to six points, scored two defensive touchdowns and allowed just two third-down conversions on 14 attempts, while New England held the Chargers to three points, sacked Justin Herbert six times and allowed one third-down conversion on 10. The matchup will pit young quarterbacks C.J. Stroud and Drake Maye against formidable fronts — Houston finished second in the league with a 42.5% pressure rate.

Key concerns include New England’s struggling left-side offensive line (rookies Will Campbell and Jared Wilson each gave up multiple pressures and sacks) and Stroud’s ball security, after an interception and five fumbles (two lost) in the Texans’ win over Pittsburgh. It appears the Texans may be without No. 1 receiver Nico Collins after he left with a concussion, while it looks like the Patriots will have corner Christian Gonzalez. The prediction in the piece projects New England to advance, Patriots 24, Texans 20, with the spread at Patriots -3 (over/under 40.5); TV: ESPN/ABC, stream: fubo.

Key Topics

Sports, Houston Texans, New England Patriots, C.j. Stroud, Drake Maye, Gillette Stadium