The New England Patriots and Houston Texans are set for a showdown this Sunday, and if you’re expecting an offensive fireworks display, you might want to temper those expectations. Both teams are coming off Wild Card wins that were more about grit than glamor, with defenses doing the heavy lifting and offenses doing just enough to get by.
Let’s start with the Patriots. They managed just 16 points in their Wild Card win, with their lone touchdown coming on a 28-yard strike to tight end Hunter Henry.
That’s not exactly the kind of output you’d expect from a team that finished the regular season ranked second in the league in scoring. But playoff football is a different beast, and New England had to grind it out.
On the other side, the Texans' 30-6 win over the Steelers might look like a blowout on paper, but peel back the layers and it tells a different story. At the end of the third quarter, Houston was clinging to a 7-6 lead.
It wasn’t until a pair of defensive touchdowns swung the momentum that the game really broke open. That’s been the story of the Texans all season - when the offense sputters, the defense steps up in a big way.
And let’s talk about that defense, because it’s the reason Houston is still dancing in January. The Texans boast the league’s top-ranked unit, and it’s not hard to see why.
Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr. are a nightmare off the edge - combining for 27 sacks and 35 tackles for loss. Linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair has been everywhere this season, racking up over 100 tackles.
And the secondary? It’s loaded with ballhawks.
Derek Stingley Jr., Darius Lassiter, Cam Bullock, and Jalen Pitre each have four interceptions on the year. This group doesn’t just cover - they take the ball away.
Houston forced two defensive touchdowns in their Wild Card win - one on a fumble return, the other on a pick-six - becoming just the second team in NFL history to do that in a playoff game. The only other team to pull off that feat?
The 1948 Cleveland Browns, who capped off an undefeated season with a 49-7 win in the AAFC Championship. That’s the kind of rare company this Texans defense is keeping.
And it’s not just splash plays. Houston leads the AFC in scoring defense, giving up just 17.4 points per game in the regular season.
Only one playoff team - Seattle - allowed fewer. They’re third in the league in takeaways, averaging 1.7 per game, with 1.1 of those coming via interceptions.
That opportunistic mindset has been key to their success.
What makes this defense even more dangerous is how it complements the offense. Houston doesn’t give the ball away - they had just 12 turnovers all season, second-fewest in the league.
Nine of those came on C.J. Stroud interceptions.
When Stroud kept it clean, the Texans went 9-2. When he didn’t, they were just 3-3.
That margin for error is razor thin, but the Texans have done a masterful job of staying on the right side of it.
So what does this mean for Sunday? The Patriots have the firepower to score - we’ve seen it throughout the year - but they’re going to have to earn every yard against this Texans defense.
Houston’s not going to give them anything easy. And if the Texans can keep forcing turnovers and cashing in on defense, they might just keep this Cinderella run going.
DeMeco Ryans has built a team that thrives on toughness, discipline, and defensive dominance. If they can keep that formula rolling, the Texans could be writing a new chapter in franchise history - one that ends with a trip to the Super Bowl. And if that happens, we’ll be reminded once again that old football adage still holds true: defense really does win championships.