NFL playoffs preview, prediction, odds, TV, stream

Houston Texans @ New England Patriots preview

New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel expects his team’s divisional round playoff at home to the Houston Texans to be “a hotly contested battle”, having set up the game by beating the Los Angeles Chargers 16-3 in the wild-card playoffs.

“I want them to be as emotional as they can and find some joy in playing, competing and practicing,” Vrabel said of his players.

“Not [by] doing anything – [but by] making great decisions after the whistle. It’s about doing it each and every snap and then coming back to the huddle.

“If I have to manage emotions, it’ll be to hopefully calm them down during the game and go from there. But I want everybody to have their own emotion and be ready for the game however they see fit.”

CAP 🫡 pic.twitter.com/3XjmDp4pax

— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) January 17, 2026

Linebacker Harold Landry III (knee) and cornerback Christian Gonzalez and running back Terrell Jennings (both concussion) are questionable, while wide receivers Nico Collins and Justin Watson are also out with concussion for the Texans, with tackle Trent Brown (ankle) questionable.

Led by CJ Stroud, the Texans beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 30-6 in the wild-card round and now have the task of stifling the quarterback’s counterpart, Drake Maye.

“We have a ton of respect for both of their running backs,” said head coach DeMeco Ryans. “Where [TreVeyon] Henderson sets himself apart is the breakaway speed, the home run speed.

“You have to be conscious of that. You have to do a great job of tackling him. He’s a fast, explosive player.

“And then Stevenson is just an all-rounder who runs the ball. He has passing-game ability as well. You can tell that they truly trust him with the football.”