The New England Patriots continued their stunning comeback this season, defeating the Houston Texans 28-16 to advance to the AFC Champions League.
After winning just four games in his rookie season, quarterback Derek Meyer led the Patriots to a 14-3 record and a surprise playoff berth.
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The 23-year-old, a serious contender for NFL MVP, overcame snow and the Texans’ vaunted defense to win Sunday’s divisional round game in Massachusetts.
That secured the Patriots’ first AFC Championship game since 2019, when legendary quarterback Tom Brady and New England won their sixth Super Bowl.
Houston’s defense ranks as the best in the NFL this season, and although the Texans earned their first playoff win on the road last week, they’ve been knocked out for the third straight time at this stage.
The Patriots will face the AFC’s top-seeded Denver Broncos on the road next week for a spot in Super Bowl 60 on Sunday, February 8.
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How Meyer surpassed Brady this season
Mike Vrabel, Brady’s teammate who helped him win three Super Bowls, has the Patriots 10 more wins than 2024 in his first season as New England head coach, tied for the largest turnaround in NFL history.
The Patriots were one of the best all-around teams this season, earning the AFC’s second seed and their first AFC East title in seven years during Brady’s final season in New England.
In Meyer, the Patriots finally found Brady’s long-term successor. He’s a year younger than he was when the record seven-time Super Bowl champion won his first NFL championship in 2002, and in this game, the quarterback once again showed maturity beyond his years.
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He and counterpart C.J. Stroud both struggled in the cold weather, and Meyer had four fumbles, two of which resulted in turnovers. He also had one interception and five sacks against Houston’s horrific pass rush.
However, he also threw for three touchdowns, two of which helped the team lead 21-10 at halftime, and the latter threw a 32-yard field goal in the fourth quarter to Kayshon Boutte, who made a wonderful one-handed grab to seal the victory.
Houston’s third-year quarterback Stroud, meanwhile, had just eight interceptions in 14 games during the regular season and had four interceptions in the first half alone, one of which was returned for a touchdown by Marcus Jones.
Ironically, Meyer will now go up against Jarrett Stidham, who was initially viewed as Brady’s successor in the 2019 draft and served as the backup during the legendary quarterback’s final season in New England.
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After joining Denver in 2023, the 29-year-old Stidham will now make the fifth start of his NFL career after Broncos’ first-choice quarterback Bo Nix suffered a broken ankle in Saturday’s divisional round win over Buffalo.
What are the remaining games in the play-offs?
Conference seeds in brackets, all kick-off times are GMT
Partition round
Sunday, January 18
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Los Angeles Rams (5) @ Chicago Bears (2) – 23:30
conference tournament
Sunday, January 25
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AFC Championship: New England Patriots (2) @ Denver Broncos (1) – 20:00
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NFC Championship: Rams or Bears @ Seattle Seahawks (1) – 23:30
super bowl 60
Sunday, February 8 – 23:30
