Tag: texans

Patriots snag 4 interceptions, top Texans to reach AFC title game

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Drake Maye threw three touchdown passes, Marcus Jones returned an interception for a score and the New England Patriots qualified for the AFC Championship Game with a 28-16 victory over the Houston Texans on Sunday in cold and snowy conditions at Foxborough, Mass.

New England intercepted Houston’s C.J. Stroud four times in the divisional-round matchup, as Carlton Davis III picked off two passes and Craig Woodson had one. The Patriots forced five turnovers while advancing to their 16th AFC title game and their first since the 2018 season playoffs.

New England will play at the top-seeded Denver Broncos next Sunday.

Kayshon Boutte made a stellar touchdown grab and Demario Douglas and Stefon Diggs also had scoring receptions for second-seeded New England. Maye completed 16 of 27 passes for 179 yards while also throwing one interception and losing two fumbles.

Stroud committed seven turnovers (five picks, two fumbles) in fifth-seeded Houston’s two postseason games. He completed 20 of 47 for 212 yards and one touchdown Sunday.

Christian Kirk had a scoring catch for the Texans, who are 0-7 all-time in the divisional round of the playoffs. Will Anderson Jr. recorded three sacks and forced two fumbles and Danielle Hunter had two sacks and one forced fumble.

The Texans played without three-time 1,000-yard receiver Nico Collins (concussion). They also lost standout tight end Dalton Schultz (calf) in the first quarter and second-string tight end Cade Stover (knee) in the fourth quarter.

The Patriots figure to be slight road favorites in the AFC title game after the Broncos lost standout quarterback Bo Nix to a broken ankle.

Houston trailed by 11 at halftime but moved within 21-16 late in the third quarter on Ka’imi Fairbairn field goals of 25 and 51 yards just as the snow picked up.

But New England regained momentum when Boutte made a one-handed 32-yard touchdown grab from Maye to give the Patriots a 12-point lead with 12:58 to play. Boutte beat Texans standout cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. on the play.

Davis exited in the fourth quarter for New England due to a head injury.

New England led 21-10 at halftime as the Texans were hindered by Stroud’s four interceptions.

The Patriots struck first on Maye’s 28-yard touchdown pass to Douglas with 9:35 left in the first quarter.

Houston scored the next 10 points on Fairbairn’s 25-yard field goal in the opening quarter and Stroud’s 10-yard touchdown throw to Kirk with 12:51 remaining in the half.

Two-plus minutes later, Stroud was under pressure and threw the ball up for grabs. Jones intercepted it and returned it 26 yards for a score to give New England 14-10 lead.

Later in the quarter, Maye tossed a 7-yard touchdown pass to Diggs with 3:12 remaining in the half.

–Field Level Media

Texans OT Trent Brown inactive vs. Patriots

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Houston Texans offensive tackle Trent Brown is unable to play against his former team on Sunday afternoon.

Despite testing out his ailing ankle prior to kickoff, Brown was listed as inactive for the Texans in their AFC divisional round game against the New England Patriots in Foxborough, Mass.

Brown, who played for the Patriots from 2021-23, was listed as questionable to play while nursing the injury. He sat out practice on Wednesday and Thursday before turning in what amounted to a limited session during a walkthrough on Friday.

Tytus Howard is expected to slide over from left guard to replace Brown at right tackle for Houston, while Jarrett Patterson is expected to play left guard.

In addition to Brown, the Texans listed the following players as inactive: wide receivers Nico Collins and Justin Watson, running back Jawhar Jordan, cornerback Alijah Huzzie and quarterback Graham Mertz.

New England cornerback Christian Gonzalez (concussion) and linebacker Harold Landry III (knee) were good to go for Sunday’s game. Both players had been questionable.

Edge rusher Bradyn Swinson, tight end C.J. Dippre, offensive linemen Marcus Bryant and Caedan Wallace, defensive lineman Eric Gregory, cornerback Kobee Minor and quarterback Tommy DeVito are inactive for the Patriots.

–Field Level Media

Report: Texans’ Azeez Al-Shaair fined for eye-black message

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The NFL fined Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair for writing “stop the genocide” across his eye black, ESPN reported Sunday.

He drew the $11,593 fine for a violation of NFL uniform and equipment rules after displaying the message during Monday’s 30-6 AFC wild-card win at Pittsburgh, per the report.

Al-Shaair, 28, reportedly was referencing concerns over Israel’s policies in Gaza and the deaths of more than 70,000 people in military operations since the deadly Hamas terrorist attack on Israel in October 2023.

Al-Shaair, who is Muslim, also has shown support for Palestinian causes through the NFL’s “My Cause, My Cleats” program. “If my platform can bring even a little hope to families in Palestine, then that is what I want to use it for,” he said in a statement earlier this season.

The Texans visit the New England Patriots for an AFC divisional playoff game on Sunday afternoon in Foxborough, Mass.

Al-Shaair, a first-time Pro Bowl selection this season, had six tackles in the playoff win against the Steelers. He had 103 tackles, nine passes defensed and two interceptions in 16 starts during the regular season.

–Field Level Media

Texans WR Nico Collins (concussion) out vs. Patriots

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Nico Collins’ absence from practice Friday effectively ensured he will miss the Houston Texans’ divisional round playoff game against the host New England Patriots on Sunday afternoon.

The Pro Bowl wide receiver has not practiced since sustaining a concussion Monday in the third quarter of Houston’s 30-6 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the wild-card round.

The NFL concussion protocol requires players to complete two symptom-free practices, including a contact session, before returning to game action.

Houston’s top receiver this season, Collins had three catches for 21 yards in his abbreviated appearance in Pittsburgh. Christian Kirk stepped up with eight receptions for a career-best 144 yards and grabbed quarterback C.J. Stroud’s lone touchdown pass.

Wideout Justin Watson also remained out after being concussed against the Steelers.

Collins totaled 71 catches, 1,117 yards and six TDs in the regular season for Houston, the league’s No. 13 scoring offense. Defensively, the Texans allowed the fewest yards (277.2 per game) and second-fewest points (17.4), signaling they could potentially trouble the Patriots’ second-ranked offense (28.8 points).

Houston, the AFC’s fifth seed, is vying to reach its first conference championship game. Past Texans teams were defeated in six divisional rounds, including by the Kansas City Chiefs last season and the Tom Brady-led Patriots in 2012 and 2016.

–Field Level Media

Drake Maye, Patriots stare down Texans’ menacing defense

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Drake Maye’s first career start came against the Houston Texans and their vaunted defense.

Maye will get another look at perhaps the finest defense in the NFL on Sunday when the New England Patriots battle the Texans in the AFC divisional round on Sunday at Foxborough, Mass.

Maye is an MVP candidate after starring in his second regular season, but the quarterback relishes that first start against Houston. The Patriots lost 41-21 on Oct. 13, 2024.

“It feels like 10 years ago,” Maye said Wednesday. “It’s been a long journey. Just taking time to reflect on running out there with the team (and having) first-snap jitters was pretty cool. It’s fun to look back on.”

Maye was intercepted twice that day while throwing for 243 yards and three touchdowns. That provides a hint at the challenge ahead in trying to help the Patriots advance to the AFC title contest.

“We got our hands full,” Maye said. “We know it’s going to be a tough game. We have to play the game the right way.”

Patriots coach Mike Vrabel also is concerned with the Texans, who led the NFL in total defense and finished second in scoring defense and takeaway margin during the regular season.

“They chase the football and they get a lot of hats to the football,” Vrabel said. “They create turnovers. They play physical.”

Maye helped lead second-seeded New England to a 16-3 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers, the franchise’s first postseason win since Super Bowl LIII against the Los Angeles Rams. He passed for 268 yards and one touchdown and was intercepted once.

Maye was sacked five times and this week’s matchup features Houston pass rushers Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr., known for their speed and relentless style.

Texans coach DeMeco Ryans — a former two-time Pro Bowl linebacker — is concerned about the foot speed of Maye, who had 66 yards on 10 rushes against the Chargers.

“Where he’s taking that next step is his ability to escape the pocket,” Ryans said Wednesday. “I think it really doesn’t get talked about much, but his athletic ability, his ability to escape the pocket has been really clutch for them. He’s made some big runs to really hurt a lot of defenses, so we have to be conscious of that.”

The fifth-seeded Texans advanced with a 30-6 road victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night.

Sheldon Rankins returned a fumble for a touchdown after Anderson’s strip-sack of Aaron Rodgers and Calen Bullock intercepted Rodgers’ final pass of the game and returned it for a score. The Texans allowed just 175 total yards and 13 first downs.

Quarterback C.J. Stroud passed for 250 yards and a touchdown but was sloppy with three turnovers (one interception, two lost fumbles).

Stroud admitted he must be better with ball protection. He’s now focused on notching a second straight playoff win in a tough road atmosphere.

“I think last week was a good test for us,” Stroud said. “I think being able to get past that with a ‘W,’ this next week is going to be the same type of environment — loud.”

Regardless, Houston has the opportunity to reach the AFC Championship Game for the first time in franchise history.

“I don’t take it lightly to be one of the final four teams left in the AFC,” Ryans said. “It’s where you want to be, it’s the position you want to be in if you’re a competitor and I’m a true competitor.”

It appears Houston won’t have Nico Collins on Sunday. The three-time 1,000-yard receiver sustained a concussion during the Monday night game and was one of four Texans to miss practice Wednesday. The others are defensive end Denico Autry (knee), offensive tackle Trent Brown (ankle) and receiver Justin Watson (concussion). Autry has blocked 14 kicks in his career.

Sitting out for New England were offensive tackles Morgan Moses and Thayer Munford Jr., both with knee ailments. Cornerback Christian Gonzalez remains in concussion protocol after being hurt against the Chargers. Vrabel is hopeful Gonzalez will be cleared by Sunday.

–Field Level Media

Report: Pats signing ex-Texans DE Darrell Taylor

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The New England Patriots reportedly are signing former Houston Texans defensive end Darrell Taylor to the practice squad.

The report on Wednesday from NFL Network comes two days after Houston waived Taylor and four days before Sunday’s AFC divisional playoff game between the Patriots and the visiting Texans.

The Patriots are seeking pass-rush help and there’s a “strong possibility of elevating him” for Sunday’s game, per the report.

Taylor, 28, was a second-round pick by Seattle in the 2020 NFL Draft and has 24.5 sacks, 43 quarterback hits, seven forced fumbles and 126 tackles in 69 career games (13 starts) with the Seahawks (2021-23), Chicago Bears (2024) and Texans (2025).

Taylor recorded three tackles in four games with Houston this season. His most recent appearance was in the Week 9 loss to the Denver Broncos.

–Field Level Media

Defensive touchdowns seal Texans’ victory over Steelers

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Sheldon Rankins returned a fumble for a touchdown and Caden Bullock took an interception back for a score to help the Houston Texans notch a 30-6 victory over the host Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night in an AFC wild-card playoff game.

Christian Kirk produced a career-best 144 receiving yards and a score on eight catches and Woody Marks rushed for 112 yards and one touchdown on 19 carries for the fifth-seeded Texans. C.J. Stroud passed for 250 yards and a touchdown and Will Anderson Jr. had the strip-sack on the play in which Rankins scored the pivotal fourth-quarter touchdown.

“What a game, what a performance by our guys,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “It wasn’t pretty from the start, we had some poor moments in the game. I’m just proud of our guys for continuing to remain resilient. … No one’s faith wavered.”

Houston, the fifth seed, will visit the second-seeded New England Patriots in an AFC divisional-round game on Sunday.

Aaron Rodgers completed 17 of 33 passes for 146 yards, no touchdowns and one interception for the fourth-seeded Steelers, who lost their seventh consecutive postseason game. Pittsburgh’s last playoff win came against the Kansas City Chiefs in the divisional round on Jan. 15, 2017.

The Monday contest might have been the final game for the 42-year-old Rodgers, a four-time NFL MVP. His last throw was Bullock’s interception.

The Texans allowed just 175 total yards and 13 first downs while controlling the Pittsburgh offense. Houston led the NFL in total defense and finished second in scoring defense and takeaway margin during the regular season.

Stroud connected on 21 of 32 passes and committed three turnovers (one interception, two lost fumbles), but the Steelers turned the takeaways into just three points.

The result ended Mike Tomlin’s 19th season as the Steelers’ head coach. Asked postgame about his future, Tomlin said, “I’m not even in that mindset as I sit here tonight. I’m more in the mindset of what transpired in this stadium, and certainly what we did or didn’t do. I’m not in the big-picture mindset.”

Ka’imi Fairbairn booted a 51-yard field goal to give Houston a 10-6 lead with 13:07 left in the game.

On Pittsburgh’s ensuing possession, Anderson and Rankins converged on Rodgers with Anderson’s hit knocking the ball loose. Rankins reached into a pack of players near the ball and grabbed it and raced 33 yards to give the Texans a 17-6 advantage with 11:23 remaining.

“We knew it was going to be a heavyweight matchup,” Anderson said. “Aaron, we have a ton of respect for him. Great guy, great player. … For us, it was any way we could affect them, batting balls down, getting pressures, getting sacks, taking the ball and stopping the run was really big for us.”

Marks scored on a 13-yard run to push the margin to 18 with 3:38 left in the game. A short time later, Rodgers was picked off by Bullock, who returned it 50 yards to make it a blowout with 2:39 remaining.

Texans receiver Nico Collins (concussion) exited in the third quarter. He had three catches for 21 yards before departing.

Stroud tossed a 6-yard scoring pass to Kirk to help the Texans host a 7-6 halftime lead.

The Steelers struck on Chris Boswell’s 32-yard field goal with 6:02 left in the first quarter.

Houston drove 14 plays and 92 yards on the drive in which Kirk made the touchdown catch with 8:28 remaining in the half.

Keeanu Benton later sacked Stroud and forced a fumble that teammate T.J. Watt recovered at the Houston 21-yard line with 6:14 remaining in the second period. However, Pittsburgh settled for Boswell’s 35-yard field goal with 1:57 left until the break.

–Field Level Media

NFL Playoffs: Texans-Steelers Preview, Props, Prediction

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The first round of the NFL postseason concludes with what should be a defensive slugfest with the Houston Texans visiting the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night.

The Steelers (10-7) were the last team into the postseason when they survived a missed field goal by Baltimore on the final play of the regular season. The Texans (12-5) had already earned a wild-card spot thanks to their nine-game winning streak, and were installed as one of four wild-card road favorites. Two of the first three have won thus far, the Los Angeles Rams and Buffalo, while Green Bay suffered a late collapse at Chicago.

ODDS AND TRENDS
Houston is a consensus 2.5-point favorite. That includes at BetRivers, where the Texans have been backed by 59% of the spread-line money while their -159 moneyline has drawn 58% of the money.

The Steelers haven’t won a playoff game in nearly nine years, so it comes as little surprise that they have failed to cover the spread in each of their past six postseason games.

Oddsmakers are expecting a low-scoring game, with the 38.0 total points line seeing the Under supported by 52% of the money and 54% of the total bets. Each of Houston’s past four road games have hit the Under.

INSIDE EDGE
Houston’s top-ranked defense leads the league in forcing three-and-out on 30.1% of opponents’ possessions this season. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh’s offense ranks fourth-worst in going three-and-out on 24.9% of its possessions, according to Inside Edge’s Remarkable engine.

KEY STAT
Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was lowest among 27 qualified quarterbacks this season in targeting receivers at an average depth of 4.9 yards on first down. However, he has also gone seven complete games since throwing his last interception at the Los Angeles Chargers on Nov. 9.

PROP PICKS
–Texans WR Nico Collins 50+ Receiving Yards (-287 at DraftKings): Collins had only three 100-yard receiving games during the regular season, but did have at least 55 in each of his past five — leading to this being the most popular prop at the book. Better potential payouts are available for 60+ yards (-179), 70+ (-115), 80+ (+124), 90+ (+180) and 100+ (+259).

–Steelers WR DK Metcalf Anytime TD (+215 at BetRivers): It was clear how much the Steelers’ passing game missed Metcalf during his two-game suspension. His big frame will be an important target for Rodgers in the red zone, although Metcalf does have just one touchdown catch over his past eight games.

“DK is the No. 1 receiver, so it’s great having DK back,” Rodgers said. “He’s real thankful to be back, I know. And we’re all thankful to have him back as well.”

THE NEWS
The Steelers have dropped six consecutive playoff games since defeating the Kansas City Chiefs in the divisional round on Jan. 15, 2017.

Pittsburgh lost to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game seven days later and since has followed up with five straight first-game setbacks.

While the Texans have a standout quarterback in C.J. Stroud, it is the other side of the ball led by defensive ends Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter that sets the tone.

Houston allowed a league-low 277.2 yards per game this season and ranked second in points allowed at 17.4 per game. The Texans also ranked second with a plus-17 takeaway margin.

Hunter finished third in the NFL with 15 sacks and Anderson tied for eighth with 12. Star Derek Stingley Jr., fellow cornerback Kamari Lassiter and safeties Jalen Pitre and Calen Bullock all had four interceptions.

“They’ve just got a kick-butt unit,” Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin said. “They do. They’ve got a top-flight edge tandem in Hunter and Anderson. They’ve got a top-flight corner tandem on the outside, and so they rush very well. They cover very well. They’re not trying to split the atom schematically. They don’t have to when you have corners and edge rushers like that.”

Stroud is playing in the playoffs for the third straight season and brings a 2-2 postseason mark into the contest.

During the regular season, the 24-year-old passed for 3,041 yards and 19 touchdowns against eight interceptions despite missing three games due to a concussion.

Meanwhile, Rodgers has played well for the Steelers and had 3,322 yards and 24 touchdowns against seven interceptions in 16 games. He hasn’t been picked off during his last seven outings.

“I’m a big fan of Aaron. I love what he does,” Stroud said. “His mechanics are through the roof. … He’s a heck of a player and I respect him and he’s doing it at a high level in Year 21 (of his career).”

Rodgers has an 11-10 postseason record but his last victory came in the 2020 season’s playoffs for the Green Bay Packers.

The Steelers hope to get a boost from receiver DK Metcalf (team-best 850 receiving yards, six TDs), who is back after a two-game suspension due to an incident with a fan in Detroit.

THEY SAID IT
–“It’s going to be old-school football and it’s going to be a physical game. If you like football, you should be excited about it, and I’m ready for it.” — Texans coach DeMeco Ryans

–“It’s win or go home at this point. We obviously want to win, but we just got to go out and execute our job and take it one play at a time.” — Steelers left tackle Dylan Cook

INJURY REPORT
Steelers star outside linebacker T.J. Watt had a week full of smooth practices and said his body is feeling good. Watt recorded an interception against the Ravens in his return from a three-game absence due to a partially collapsed lung.

On Sunday morning, Pittsburgh downgraded defensive tackle Isaiahh Loudermilk (ankle) to out versus the Texans. He initially was listed as questionable after logging limited practice sessions on both Friday and Saturday.

For Houston, backup quarterback Davis Mills joined the team in Pittsburgh after being listed as questionable. Mills and his wife welcomed their first child earlier this week and formally announced the birth of their son on Saturday.

Mills, 27, went 3-0 as a starter this season when Stroud was sidelined with a concussion. Rookie Graham Mertz, a sixth-round choice, is Houston’s third-string quarterback.

Also, Lassiter (ankle/knee) was a full practice participant on Saturday and is good to go. Running back Jawhar Jordan (ankle) was ruled out Saturday and cornerback Ajani Carter (hamstring) was ruled out Sunday. Safety Jaylen Reed (forearm) is questionable.

PREDICTION
It will be cold with game-time temperatures expected to be in the mid-30s, but clear. Expect this to be a physical matchup dictated by field position and finishing drives with touchdowns. Ultimately, the Texans’ excellent pass rush matches up exactly where the Steelers’ biggest concern is. Rodgers has been sacked multiple times in four consecutive games and will be hard-pressed to make the occasional play with his legs as he did in a tight win against Baltimore last week. –Texans 20, Steelers 16

–Field Level Media

Report: Texans backup QB Davis Mills available vs. Steelers

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Texans backup quarterback Davis Mills joined the team in Pittsburgh and is expected to be available for Monday night’s wild-card matchup at the Steelers, according to an NFL Network report.

After not traveling with the team due to his wife giving birth, Mills is listed as questionable on the injury report due to personal reasons.

Mills, 27, appeared in six games and made three starts this season. He completed 57.2% of his passes for 915 yards, five touchdowns and one interception, adding 60 rushing yards and a score.

The Texans’ (12-5) nine-game winning streak to finish the regular season started with Mills’ three starts when starter C.J. Stroud was sidelined with a concussion.

The winner of Monday’s game will play at the second-seeded New England Patriots on Sunday.

–Field Level Media

Texans QB Davis Mills (birth of son) didn’t travel with team

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Houston Texans backup quarterback Davis Mills didn’t travel to Pittsburgh with the team on Sunday and is listed as questionable by the club for Monday’s AFC wild-card game against the Steelers.

Mills and his wife, Tori, welcomed their first child last week and formally announced the birth of their son Saturday on Instagram.

Mills, 27, went 3-0 as a starter this season when C.J. Stroud was sidelined with a concussion.

Overall, Mills played in six games this season and passed for 915 yards, five touchdowns and one interception.

In five seasons with the Texans, Mills has completed 61.8% of his passes for 7,082 yards, 40 touchdowns and 26 interceptions. He was a third-round selection out of Stanford in 2021.

Rookie Graham Mertz, a sixth-round choice, is Houston’s third-string quarterback.

Houston also ruled out cornerback Ajani Carter (hamstring), who didn’t travel to Pittsburgh. Carter, 25, saw action in two games this season, both on special teams.

–Field Level Media