The Houston Texans cannot overlook the New England Patriots, but they can plan accordingly, and the results of Saturday’s AFC Divisional Playoff games cleared up a lot.
For the AFC, the Buffalo Bills and Denver Broncos did battle.
In the end, the Texans will have to go on the road again, but that has been their path so far, first against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card, and now against the Patriots. The Texans were successful away from the home comforts of NRG Stadium during the 2025 regular season, too.
Texans Would Face Broncos in AFC Championship Game
GettyC.J. Stroud #7 of the Houston Texans waits to take the field against the Baltimore Ravens.
While the dates, times, and networks for Conference Championship weekend were already revealed, it was not until Saturday that it became clear who exactly the Texans would face.
Notably, the Texans faced both the Bills and the Broncos during the regular season. However, they split those performances, losing to the Broncos in Week 9 but defeating the Bills in Week 12. Both games were at home in Houston.
Saturday’s result offers the Texans a shot at redemption on Championship Sunday.
The Broncos boast a formidable defense, which ranked second overall and third in scoring during the regular season. They also led the NFL in sacks by a wide margin. Their offense ranks 10th and 14th, respectively.
Texans C.J. Stroud was injured during that first meeting, missing the next three contests.
The Texans won all three games, with Davis Mills under center, to spark a winning streak that they will look to continue on Sunday against the Patriots. If they do, they can seek redemption.
The Texans are undeniably led by their defense, which ranked first overall and second in scoring during the 2025 regular season and features Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr. Offensively, the Texans ranked 18th overall, but they were 13th in scoring, even with Stroud missing time.
Participants will only be decided on the field, and the Texans’ schedule still includes a road date against the Patriots.
NFL Announces Championship Sunday Schedule
GettyC.J. Stroud #7 of the Houston Texans warms up before facing the Las Vegas Raiders.
Stroud and the Texans can now schedule their travel and accommodations for a potential AFCCG berth, but they still need to take down the Patriots first.
According to the NFL, the AFC Championship Game will take place at 3 p.m. ET (2 p.m. CT), while the NFC version will be at 6:30 p.m. ET (5:30 p.m.), with both games on Sunday, January 25, whether the Texans are on the schedule or not.
The AFC will air on CBS and Paramount+, while the NFC will be on FOX and FOX ONE.
The Texans played games on CBS nine times during the regular-season schedule. They finished with a 6-3 record in those contests.
This week’s Divisional tilt against the Patriots is the Texans’ only game of the season in a 3 p.m. time slot. There is no benefit for them, and they will be the less rested team, as the Broncos will have an additional day of rest and recovery.
Texans Are Road Warriors
GettyHouston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans looks on against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Stroud and the Texans are road underdogs in this game, but that is to be expected with head coach DeMeco Ryans’ crew being the lower seed on the playoff schedule. But the Texans’ five road wins during the regular season tied for the fourth-most in the NFL, per Stathead.
The Texans also had the eighth-best point differential in the NFL on the road, ranking fifth in their conference.
Meanwhile, the Patriots suffered all three of their losses at home in Foxboro.
All of that will mean little once the game begins and the players decide the outcome. If the Texans want to ink themselves into the AFC Championship game against the Broncos, they must first take care of business between the white lines against the Patriots.
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