Gillette Stadium, Massachusetts:
It was a magical rise for the Houston Texans, after a dismal start with a 0-3 record. The team stormed back during the 2025 season with ten (10) consecutive wins and made it to the AFC Divisional Championship where they have been six (6) times before in their franchise history without a win, so this year was no different, the Houston Texans lost a winnable game against the New England Patriots 28-16.
The storyline that no one was talking about was the fact that the two head coaches had each played for their teams as talented defensive players.
The story of the day was the performance of C.J. Stroud. This season he had some difficulties, but the last two (2) weeks had been a complete meltdown. Coach Ryans should have benched him in the second half, or at the very least rested him for a few series of downs and allowed Davis Mills to attempt to get the sluggish offense unit down the field. Stroud needed some assistance because he looked awful throwing four (4) interceptions and getting sacked three (3) times. He never looked comfortable all day long. He finished his season with twenty (20) completions on forty-seven (47) attempts with two hundred and twelve (212) yards. The Texans’ running game was completely shut down with only thirty-one (31) yards on eighteen (18) carries between running back Marks and Chubb. The star wide receiver Nico Collins was out due to a concussion, and his inactive status was felt. There were a few dropped balls. Tight end Dalton Schultz had to leave the game due to a calf injury. Christian Kirk did catch a ten (10) yard touchdown pass in the second quarter, yet the next Texans’ possession Stroud threw an interception that was taken in for a Patriots’ touchdown. It was painful to watch the wheels come off this much improved team.
Texans defensive standouts were Azeez Al-Shaair who had four (4) solo tackles and five (5) assists, defensive back Kamari Lassiter with four (4) solo tackles and one (1) assist, Henry To-to-o with four (4) solo tackles and four (4) assists along with Danielle Hunter who had two (2) sacks and Jalen Pitre with four (4) solo tackles. Will Anderson, Jr. played an outstanding game with three (3) sacks and three (3) solo tackles. Backup defensive back Ja’Marcus Ingram made an interception in the end zone to stop the hemorrhaging for the Texans. The special teams did what they could when they had the chance. Place Kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn went three for three (3) for (3) in field goals with his longest, a fifty-one (51) yarder.
When you review the game, it was only a handful of plays that set winners from losers. One glaring challenge for the Texans was four (4) trips to the red zone with only one (1) touchdown. The Houston Texans need to regroup this off season and break this team down strategically, flushing any emotion to any one player. They need to fill in the gaps with consistent talent and with players that have a winning attitude. The team is now 0-7 in playoff championships, and that is unacceptable. The solutions are there if the team has the courage to discover them. It was heartfelt loss to a group of guys who gave us glimpses of hope, but it turned out to be a mirage baked in disappointment.
The New England Patriots will face the Denver Broncos this Sunday for the AFC Championship along with the Los Angeles Rams who will go up against the Settle Seahawks for the later game, so read all about the teams in your hometown paper.