Story by
10 takeaways as Patriots beat Texans, head to AFC Championship
- Story by
- 10 takeaways as Patriots beat Texans, head to AFC Championship
FOXBOROUGH – The stakes were already high with a trip to the AFC Championship game on the line. And then, the Denver Broncos ’ starting quarterback, Bo Nix , suffered a broken ankle in his team’s divisional round win over the Buffalo Bills on Saturday night.
The injury put the spotlight on the Patriots and Houston Texans ’ matchup inside Gillette Stadium as the winner of this game travels to Denver to face off against backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham .
Advertisement
The weather was less than ideal in Foxborough. You can say the same about quarterbacks Drake Maye and C.J. Stroud .
The first two quarters saw Maye fumble the ball three times, losing one, and throwing an interception on a Hail Mary. The only reason the Patriots were up 21-10 at halftime was that Stroud was worse, throwing four interceptions.
With showers falling inside Gillette Stadium, the second half wasn’t much better. Maye and the Patriots’ offense struggled as the Texans inched closer. Mike Vrabel’s team entered the fourth quarter clinging to a 21-16 lead.
Maye wasn’t perfect on Sunday against the toughest pass rush in the NFL. But in the fourth quarter, the second-year stepped up in a pivotal moment, hitting Kayshon Boutte for a game-changing touchdown en route to this 28-16 win over the Texans in the AFC divisional round.
Advertisement
A year after winning 4 games, the Patriots now head to Denver for the AFC Championship.
Here’s what went down
Patriots get aggressive
Josh McDaniels got aggressive on the Patriots’ second drive, and it paid off big time.
Faced with a fourth-and-1 from their 28-yard line, Maye and the offense stayed on the field. Instead of running the ball, the quarterback dropped back and hit a wide-open DeMario Douglas , who sprinted 28 yards into the end zone at 9:35 of the first quarter.
The Patriots got within striking distance thanks to Stevenson. The running back caught a pass for 9 yards and then ran for a gain of 20. The Patriots dug themselves into a third-and-14 hole, but Maye hit Diggs for 13 yards. On the next play, they took a 7-0 lead.
Advertisement
Third-down defense falters, Houston answers
Gillette Stadium was rocking after the team’s first touchdown, but the Texans were quick to answer.
The Patriots’ third-down defense hurt them on this drive. On third-and-8, Stroud hit tight end Dalton Schultz for a 42-yard gain, bringing Houston to the 27-yard line. On third-and-6, Stroud hit Christian Kirk for 10 yards, and Carlton Davis was flagged for a face mask penalty. That set up a first-and-goal from the 6-yard line.
It looked like the Texans scored a touchdown on third-and-1, but an illegal shift penalty took the touchdown off the board. On third-and-6, Stroud’s pass attempt was incomplete. Ka’imi Fairbairn hit the 25-yard field goal, and the Patriots led, 7-3, at 5:26 of the first quarter.
Advertisement
Offense gets lucky
Sometimes, it’s better to be lucky.
The Patriots’ third drive was a disaster, but it could’ve been worse. The offense didn’t gain a yard on first or second down. On third-and-10, Danielle Hunter strip-sacked Maye at 4:34 of the first quarter.
The ball bounced near the end zone, but Patriots left tackle Will Campbell pounced on it to recover the fumble. The offense lost 19 yards on that play, but still punted the ball back to Houston.
Carlton Davis steps up
Carlton Davis was signed to give the Patriots a legitimate No. 2 cornerback opposite Christian Gonzalez . Although the veteran played well in coverage this season, he didn’t have an interception.
Advertisement
That changed on Sunday.
At 1:43 of the first quarter, Davis made a highlight-reel interception, diving to catch a Stroud deep pass. It was a big moment for the Patriots as the Texans were on the 36-yard line and coming off a fourth-down conversion.
Ball security costs Patriots
For Maye, ball security was an issue in the first quarter – and it cost them the lead.
The Patriots didn’t take advantage of Davis’s incredible interception as the quarterback fumbled the ball again. This time, Houston recovered.
Following the turnover, the Patriots started at the 18-yard line, and Stevenson gained 5 yards. On the next play, Maye took off and dove for the first down. That’s when the ball was knocked loose by Houston defensive tackle Tommy Togiai . Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair recovered the ball.
Advertisement
Houston took over as Maye fumbled the football twice in three offensive snaps.
The Texans took the momentum and ran with it, taking a 10-7 lead as Stroud hit Christian Kirk for a 10-yard touchdown at 12:57 of the second quarter.
Marcus Jones gets a pick-6
The Patriots’ offense continued to struggle in the first half, but the defense didn’t. That’s why Vrabel’s team retook the lead in the second quarter.
Following another Patriots punt, Marcus Jones intercepted Stroud on the Texans’ first play and ran back 26 yards for the touchdown. Edge rusher K’Lavon Chaisson had a free rush on the Texans quarterback, and instead of taking the sack, he attempted to throw the ball as he got hit.
Advertisement
That proved to be costly as the Patriots took a 14-10 lead at 10:59 of the second quarter.
Another interception for Patriots
The defense did it again on the next drive.
At 8:37 of the second quarter, Patriots rookie safety Craig Woodson intercepted Stroud on a deep ball to Xavier Henderson. That marked Stroud’s second interception in three pass attempts.
Although the Patriots’ defense was playing great, it wasn’t carrying over to the offense. Maye’s group went three-and-out despite getting the ball back at midfield.
Receivers put Patriots ahead
The Patriots’ offense had been struggling, but at the end of the second quarter, it clicked for Maye and his receivers.
Advertisement
The Patriots took a 21-10 lead at 3:12 of the second quarter when Maye hit Diggs, who made a phenomenal, contested catch in the end zone.
Kayshon Boutte was the reason the Patriots were even in there in the first place. The wide receiver kicked this drive off with a 25-yard catch to move the Patriots to the 28-yard line. Two plays later, Boutte caught a 17-yard pass to set up the first-and-goal from the 7-yard line.
On defense, Davis intercepted Stoud for the second time in the next series, at 2:00 of the second quarter. The Patriots didn’t add to their lead, but went into halftime feeling good.
Texans close the gap
The Texans were down, but not out.
Advertisement
Houston opened up the second half with one of their best drives of the game. Stroud hit Xavier Hutchinson for 23 yards. On the next play, it looked like Hutchinson fumbled and Jones recovered, but officials ruled the receiver down by contact. Houston proceeded to march downfield.
Houston made it to the 7-yard line, but on third-and-2, Marcus Jones broke up a pass intended for Kirk. Fairbairn hit the 25-yard field goal at 9:45 of the third quarter, and the Patriots’ lead was down to 21-13.
Teams swap turnovers
A new half meant the same issues for the Patriots.
Following Houston’s field goal, Maye fumbled for the fourth time, and for the second time, the Texans recovered. This happened at 8:16 of the third quarter. On third-and-6, Anderson strip-sacked the Patriots quarterback. For the second time, Al-Shaair recovered the ball.
Advertisement
Houston took over in field goal range, at the 33-yard line. Five plays later, they also coughed up the ball. At 5:30 of the third quarter, Christian Gonzalez forced a fumble on Texans running back Woody Marks , with Woodson recovering the ball.
Texans inch closer
The Patriots’ offense went three-and-out after another defensive turnover. When Houston got the ball back, the Texans made another charge as the Patriots’ lead shrank once more.
Davis was flagged for defensive pass interference on a third-down incomplete pass. That penalty pushed Houston up 21 yards to the 35-yard line. Anfernee Jennings sacked Stroud on third down, but the Texans still got a 51-yard field goal by Fairbairn at 1:32 of the third quarter.
Advertisement
Boutte steps up
The Patriots’ offense needed some life.
They got just that in the fourth quarter, thanks to Boutte.
Following Houston’s third field goal, the Patriots entered the fourth quarter clinging to their lead. At 12:58 of the fourth quarter, Maye connected with Boutte for a 32-yard touchdown that had the stadium rocking.
Like the Texans, the Patriots got over midfield, thanks to a defensive pass interference penalty as Stingley was flagged while covering Boutte on an incomplete pass on third down. That gave the Patriots 17 yards.
Three plays later, Maye went back to Boutte, and the receiver beat Stinglety for the much-needed score to give the Patriots a 28-16 lead.
Advertisement
That’s all the Patriots needed as the defense held strong.
More Patriots Content
Read the original article on MassLive . Add MassLive as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
