The Houston Texans had a championship-level defense. There should be little doubt about that.
At one point not long ago, C.J. Stroud looked like a future Super Bowl-winning quarterback. His rookie season is one of the best ever. Houston has to wonder if that's ever coming back.
This season's Texans had a good shot to go to the first AFC championship game in their franchise's history, and maybe to Super Bowl LX as well. In a divisional round matchup at the New England Patriots, Houston's defense made plays. The Texans needed the offense, directed by Stroud, to be decent. It wasn't.
The Patriots are moving on to the AFC championship game after a 28-16 victory in Foxborough. Their defense forced Stroud and Houston into numerous mistakes, withStroud throwing four interceptions including a pick 6,and while the offense wasn't great, it was good enough for the Patriots to win 28-16. Drake Maye had three touchdowns and continues to add to what has been a phenomenal second NFL season. Maye has become what the Texans thought they had in Stroud a couple years ago.
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The Patriots will face a Broncos team thatwill have to start Jarrett Stidham, who hasn't thrown a regular-season pass in two seasons, at quarterback. Bo Nix's ankle injury doesn't make the Patriots a lock to win the AFC next week, but their prospects are much better than they were going into the weekend.
"The news is heartbreaking,"Maye said afterwardabout Nix's injury.
That could have been the Texans. It seemed like a wasted opportunity for Houston, with arguably the best defense in the NFL. Quarterbacks too often get overly blamed for losses. It's hard to not put plenty of what happened Sunday at Stroud's feet. That's not ideal with the Texans having to make a decision on whether to make a long-term commitment to Stroud, which will cost them a small fortune.
"I feel like I let people down, and that hurts,"Stroud said.
Patriots pounce on Texans' turnover woes
One way to negate the advantage of having a great defense is to have the offense give away the ball, and give away points too.
The Texans had a mistake-filled first half. The costliest error came when Stroud was under pressure from outside linebacker K'Lavon Chaisson and threw blindly to the middle of the field as he was hit. The ball was popped up in the air, Patriots cornerback Marcus Jones picked it off and he returned it 26 yards for a touchdown. It's easier to score on the Texans when their defense isn't on the field.
The Patriots also put together some offense. Drake Maye hit DeMario Douglas for a 28-yard touchdown a little more than five minutes into the game to get the scoring started. Later in the half, Stefon Diggs had a great touchdown catch in the end zone and New England led 21-10.
While the offense was having some success against the Texans, New England's defense was the one creating havoc. Stroud threw four interceptions in the first half. One, which went off Xavier Hutchinson's hands over the middle, wasn't the QB's fault. The rest were.
It was a horrific half for Stroud and the Texans' offense. Stroud completed just 10-of-26 passes and had the four turnovers.
Despite the struggles, Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans said he never considered benching Stroud.
"C.J. is our guy,"he said.
In addition to the turnovers, Houston had a Woody Marks touchdown taken off the board due to an illegal shift penalty and had to settle for a field goal. The Texans didn't have wideout Nico Collins, who was out with a concussion, and they lost tight end Dalton Schultz early onto a calf injury.Those two losses obviously hurt, but it didn't fully explain how bad Houston's offense was in the first half.
Texans now must decide what to do with C.J. Stroud
The Texans have lost in the divisional round in each of Stroud's three seasons. Before Stroud and head coach DeMeco Ryans arrived, the Texans were perhaps the worst organization in the NFL. Making the divisional round three seasons in a row after that isn't terrible. But it is getting frustrating.
Stroud has regressed, and there's a fair argument to be had whether that's on him or the Texans for not putting more talent around him. But the results haven't been great for two seasons.
Stroud is eligible for a massive extension. The going rate for quarterbacks getting that extension starts somewhere near the $50 million per year range. The Texans probably will pay that. But it's also hard to feel confident about it anymore. That rookie season keeps sliding further in the past.
The Texans had chances to win an ugly game that had eight combined turnovers in the first 40 minutes, which was the most in a playoff game since the end of the 2015 season. Ryans electing to kick a field goal on fourth-and-2 at New England's 7-yard line was a bad decision, but part of it had to be lack of confidence in Stroud making a play. Houston's defense kept the Texans in the game before New England's offense made its first huge play of the second half, early in the fourth quarter. Kayshon Boutte had a great one-handed catch in the end zone for a 28-16 lead.
Given how the Texans' offense had played, it seemed like that touchdown would be enough to carry New England to a win.
The Patriots move on knowing they're one win against a backup quarterback from a Super Bowl. The Texans have to wonder what's next for them. This was perhaps their best shot to make the first Super Bowl in team history. Instead, they fell to 0-7 all time in the divisional round and have some uncomfortable questions about their quarterback and what has happened since his historic rookie season.
Drake Maye kneels down twice to run out the clock and clinch a 28-16 divisional playoff win for the Patriots.
Ian Casselberry
Xavier Hutchinson drops 4th-down pass for Texans
The Texans got a first down on a 13-yard pass from CJ. Stroud to Woody Marks. But on fourth-and-4, a deep pass to Xavier Hutchinson is dropped and the Patriots take over with 1:03 left in the game.
Ian Casselberry
Patriots punt to Texans with 1:54 remaining
New England could not get a first down after the 2-minute warning with Drake Maye missing Austin Hooper on a third-and-10 pass.
Following a 41-yard punt by Bryce Baringer and 8-yard return from Brendan Schooler, the Texans take over at their 28-yard line with 1:45 left in the game.
Ian Casselberry
2-minute warning
New England goes to the 2-minute warning with a third-and-10 after Rhamondre Stevenson runs for no gain at the Patriots' 39-yard line.
Ian Casselberry
Texans out of timeouts with under 4 minutes to play
Houston calls its last timeout with 3:55 remaining in the fourth quarter. That came after Rhamondre Stevenson gave the Patriots a first down with a 2-yard run on second-and-1.
Ian Casselberry
Patriots defense holds, sacks C.J. Stroud
The Texans needed to put a drive together and get some points with less than six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. But Khyiris Tonga sacked C.J. Stroud on third-and-10 for an 8-yard loss.
Houston probably needed to go for it on fourth down, but at fourth-and-18 from its 21-yard line, coach DeMeco Ryans opts to punt and give New England the ball back with four minutes left in the game.
Ian Casselberry
Patriots punt, but burn 6 minutes off clock
Following a 14-yard pass to Stefon Diggs, the Patriots can't get another first down. However, they ran 10 plays for 44 yards and took 5:58 off the clock.
The Texans get the ball back at their 14-yard line after a 38-yard Bryce Baringer punt with 5:48 remaining in the game.
Ian Casselberry
Rhamondre Stevenson gains 25 yards on 4 rushes
Backed up near their end zone, the Patriots have grinded out some runs to get some distance from the goal line while also burning time off the clock.
Rhamondre Stevenson carried the ball four consecutive times, gaining 25 yards. TreVeyon Henderson followed with a 6-yard run that advanced the ball out to the New England 35-yard line.
Ian Casselberry
Tommy Townsend 69-yard punt pins Patriots at 4-yard line
Following two incompletions by C.J. Stroud, Tommy Townsend booms a 69-yard punt that Ja'Marcus Ingram downs at the New England 4-yard line.
Absolute ROCKET of a punt from Tommy Townsend and a big-time play on special-teams 🚀 pic.twitter.com/bb5fMsFzQv
Maybe that was incidental contact. But ESPN replays showed that Charles Woods also should have been called for a penalty on the other side of the field for pulling on Christian Kirk's shirt. No flag was thrown, however.
Charles Woods clearly holding Xavier Hutchinson.
This wasn't called a flag, and it should have definitely been.
The play is being reviewed, but it appeared that Boutte had control of the ball as he fell to the turf.
Prior to the touchdown, New England got a big gain with a pass interference call on Derek Stingley Jr. resulting in 17 yards. That penalty came while covering Boutte, as well.
Ian Casselberry
3rd quarter ends: Patriots 21, Texans 16
The third quarter ends with Houston's Danielle Hunter sacking Drake Maye. The Patriots will start the fourth with a 2nd-and-10 from their 43-yard line.
Beats a double team, gets a sack, forces a fumble.
Despite snowy conditions in Foxborough, Texans kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn kicks a 51-yard field goal to cut the Patriots' lead to 21-16 with 1:32 left in the third quarter.
Ka'imi Fairbairn cuts the lead to five with this 51-yard FG 🎯
Carlton Davis III flagged again for pass interference
Carlton Davis III has two interceptions, but was flagged for the second time in this game for pass interference on a third-and-7 throw to Jayden Higgins.
Riley moss did this exact hold last night and it wasn't called now it's pass interference on the patriots lmao pic.twitter.com/eH3DkC0oyh
The 21-yard penalty give Houston the ball at the New England 35-yard line.
Ian Casselberry
Houston defense holds, force Patriots punt
The Patriots couldn't get a first down after recovering Woody Marks' fumble. Bryce Baringer punts 44 yards from his own 15-yard line and the Texans take over at their 41-yard line.
Ian Casselberry
Texans give it back with their own fumble
The Texans drove into the red zone on four plays following Drake Maye's fumble on a strip-sack by Will Anderson.
But on second-and-8 from the New England 17, Christian Gonzalez forces a fumble from Woody Marks and Craig Woodson recovers.
FUMBLE! The @Patriots take the ball back for the FIFTH time.
C.J. Stroud will be criticized for his four interceptions, but Drake Maye has fumbled four times. This one was recovered by the Texans' Azeez Al-Shaair after Will Anderson sacked Maye.
