The Houston Texans visit the New England Patriots in the Divisional Round of the 2026 NFL playoffs. It’s a very intriguing matchup between one of the NFL’s best defenses and an MVP candidate like Drake Maye.
DeMeco Ryans has produced an impressive turnaround for the Texans as a franchise. C.J. Stroud has reached the Divisional Round of the playoffs in each of his first three seasons in the league, but he is precisely the team’s biggest question mark after his shaky performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He cannot afford to fail while being supported by the best defense in the NFL.
On the other side, Mike Vrabel has transformed the Patriots after a disappointing season with Jerod Mayo as head coach. Robert Kraft found the ideal man to develop Drake Maye’s talent, and after Tom Brady’s retirement, it seems they have finally found his successor. Incredibly, they are Super Bowl contenders again.
NFL Playoffs 2026: What happens if the Texans lose against the Patriots in the Divisional round?
If the Texans lose to the New England Patriots in the Wild Card round of the NFL playoffs, Houston will be officially eliminated. Then, the Patriots would advance to the AFC Championship game and their next rival would be the Denver Broncos without Bo Nix.
What happens if Texans beat Patriots in Divisional round of 2026 NFL playoffs?
If the Texans beat the Patriots in the Divisional Round, New England will be eliminated. Houston would advance to the AFC Championship Game and play on the road against the Broncos. Regardless of who wins today, Denver will host that matchup as the No.1 seed.
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New England Patriots QB Drake Maye’s net worth: How much money does he have?
NFL Playoffs 2026: What happens if Texans and Patriots end in a tie?
If the Texans and Patriots are tied, the game will be decided in overtime. Both teams are guaranteed a chance to possess the ball, even if the team that receives it first scores a touchdown.
The game can still end on the opening possession if the defense scores on a pick-six or records a safety. If the team that gets the ball first fails to score on its opening possession, or if the game remains tied after both teams have had a possession, the next score of any kind will decide the winner.
