Foxborough, Massachusetts – Drake Maye made his NFL debut against the Houston Texans. The New England Patriots’ second-year quarterback has come a long way in the 15 months since.
“It feels like we shot 10 years ago. It’s been a long journey,” May said. “Running out there with the tension on the first shot was great. It was fun to look back. Hopefully we get a different result from (that) game.”
Maye and CJ Stroud each threw three touchdown passes that day, but Maye also was intercepted twice and sacked four times in the Texans’ 41-21 win.
Houston (13-5) and New England (15-3) meet again on Sunday, this time on a trip to the AFC Championship game.
The Patriots are seeking their first appearance in the title game since the 2018 season, when they won their sixth Super Bowl. The Texans have never gotten that far, having lost in the divisional round each of the past two seasons under third-year coach Demeco Ryans.
“We’ve been in this situation before,” Stroud said. “I think we’ve learned from those things. Now it’s time to put it on tape.”
Both teams exceeded expectations. The Patriots went from worst to first in the AFC East, while the Texans have rebounded from an 0-3 start and are on a 10-game winning streak.
It is a match of strength against strength. The Patriots are averaging an AFC-best 28.8 points per game, and the Texans have the best defense in the NFL.
“I respect how hard they play,” New England coach Mike Vrabel said. “Not only are they talented, they have a playing attitude that I can appreciate.”
Ryans believes much of the Patriots’ offensive success can be attributed to Maye’s growth under offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. He admires how much freedom Maye — the league’s most accurate passer — was given to run.
“I think he does a really good job of not making bad decisions when it comes to football,” Ryans said. “The next step he takes is his ability to escape the pocket. I think it doesn’t get talked about a lot, but his athletic ability, his ability to escape the pocket, was really clutch for them.”
The Texans are thin at receiver with Collins out
The Texans’ top receiver, Pro Bowler Nico Collins, will miss the game after suffering his second concussion of the season in Monday night’s Wild Card win at Pittsburgh. Receiver Justin Watson (concussion) was also ruled out on Friday.
Christian Kirk had a big game against the Steelers, and the Texans will be hoping for a repeat performance. The eight-year veteran set a career and franchise playoff record with 144 receiving yards.
Kirk had just 239 receiving yards in the regular season.
Houston will also be looking for juniors Jayden Huggins and Jaylen Noel to pitch in after the college teammates from Iowa State combined for 817 yards and eight touchdowns in the regular season.
The Texans will also try to get Dalton Schultz involved more after he had just 12 receiving yards on Monday night.
“I’m most confident in everyone there’s ability to get the job done,” Stroud said.
Stroud says short memory is key in the playoffs
Stroud fumbled just twice in 14 regular-season games he played, but he coughed up the ball five times against the Steelers, two of which led to turnovers. He also threw an interception.
Stroud hopes to take better care of the ball, but said mistakes happen against tough opponents in the playoffs, and the key is not letting those mistakes affect the next play.
“I’ve watched almost every wild card game since we played the last one,” Stroud said. “Everyone made mistakes. Everyone had that moment where it was like ‘Dang, we’re screwing this up.’ Then the teams that found a way to fight through that and keep going are the teams that came out on top.”
Stroud also threw for 250 yards and a touchdown, becoming just the fourth quarterback in NFL history to start and win a playoff game in each of his first three seasons.
Campbell shrugs off the criticism
One thing Patriots rookie running back Will Campbell has learned this season is how to ignore the naysayers.
Campbell was criticized on social media after notching a team-high six pressures and two sacks — including a strip sack — in the Patriots’ wild-card win over the Chargers. Now he will face a tougher challenge against Houston’s fearsome defensive ends, All-Pro Will Anderson Jr. And Danielle Hunter.
“I don’t give a (expletive) what anyone says to be honest with you,” Campbell said. “It’s easy to write behind a fake Twitter account. I hold myself to the highest expectations of anyone. … These are the best teams with the best defenses, the best offenses, and the best players. They’re in the playoffs for a reason.”
Diggs faces his former team
Patriots receiver Stefon Diggs welcomes the opportunity to shine against the Texans, with whom he played one season shortened due to injury.
Diggs was traded by Buffalo to Houston after the 2023 season. He played eight games for the Texans in 2024 before suffering a season-ending knee injury. He then signed with New England and led the team with 85 catches and 1,013 yards.
“He’s very explosive after he catches the football,” Ryans said. “Another one we have to make sure we keep our eyes on.”
AP Sports Writer Christy Ricken in Houston contributed to this report.
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