After the No. 4 seed AFC North champion Pittsburgh Steelers kept things close through the first three quarters, the No. 5 seed Houston Texans ran away with it in the fourth, clinching their first road victory in franchise history with a 30-6 win on Monday night.
The win punched Houston's ticket to the Divisional Round for the third consecutive season, something that only one other team (Buffalo Bills) can say, and they are set to take on the No. 2 seed AFC East champion New England Patriots.
The Patriots punched their ticket to the second round with a 16-3 victory on Sunday night against the No. 7 seed Los Angeles Chargers, and the Texans-Patriots game is scheduled to take place this coming Sunday afternoon.
The Texans entered Monday night's game with an 0-6 all-time record in road playoff games, and the Patriots are a team they've lost to twice in the road in the postseason, both times in the Divisional Round. They dropped a 41-28 game at Gillette Stadium during the 2012-13 playoffs, and they dropped a 34-16 game at the same venue during the 2016-17 playoffs.
Historically speaking, the Patriots have had the Texans' number, but it stands to reason. Tom Brady was on the other sideline in 11 of those 15 matchups, and the Patriots won nine of those 11 games, including both playoff games.
The Texans have won three of the four most recent matchups, however, and the most recent meeting between the two teams marked the first time that Houston won in New England.
That game took place during the 2024 regular season and resulted in a 41-21 Texans victory, making them 1-0 during the C.J. Stroud/DeMeco Ryans era. The Patriots had previously been 7-0 against the Texans at home, but again, six of those victories came with Brady at quarterback.
They are 2-1 against the Patriots in the post-Brady era.
Full Texans-Patriots history
Season | Location | Result |
|---|---|---|
2003 | Houston | Patriots win, 23-20 |
2006 | New England | Patriots win, 40-7 |
2010 | Houston | Texans win, 34-27 |
2012 | New England | Patriots win, 42-14 |
2012-13 playoffs | New England | Patriots win, 41-28 |
2013 | Houston | Patriots win, 34-31 |
2015 | Houston | Patriots win, 27-6 |
2016 | New England | Patriots win, 27-0 |
2016-17 playoffs | New England | Patriots win, 34-16 |
2017 | New England | Patriots win, 36-33 |
2018 | New England | Patriots win, 27-20 |
2019 | Houston | Texans win, 28-22 |
2020 | Houston | Texans win, 27-20 |
2021 | Houston | Patriots win, 25-22 |
2024 | New England | Texans win, 41-21 |
New England opened as a 2.5-point favorite at DraftKings Sportsbook. The Texans are 0-6 all-time in the Divisional Round but are riding a league-best 10-game winning streak that dates back to early November.
Sunday afternoon's game is set to be shown live on ABC and ESPN beginning at 2:00 p.m. CT.