Texans vs Patriots: New England beats Houston 28–16 at snowy Gillette Stadium as Drake Maye throws 3 TDs

The Texans vs Patriots matchup delivered exactly what a January game in Foxborough usually does: defense, turnovers, and weather that changes how every drive feels. On Sunday, January 18, the New England Patriots took down the Houston Texans 28–16 at Gillette Stadium, leaning on a barrage of takeaways and three touchdown passes from Patriots quarterback Drake Maye to punch their ticket forward.

Houston kept hanging around with field goals and a late push, but the game’s defining theme never changed: whenever the Texans threatened to flip momentum, New England’s defense took it back.

Patriots vs Texans score and what decided it

Final: Patriots 28, Texans 16

New England won with four touchdowns and a defense that repeatedly put Houston behind the chains and behind the scoreboard.

Game changers (in plain terms):

• Turnovers: Houston’s passing game unraveled with four interceptions from C.J. Stroud, and New England turned mistakes into points and short fields.

• The pick-six: A defensive touchdown in the second quarter gave the Patriots a jolt and forced Houston to chase the game in tough conditions.

• The closing punch: With the Texans within one score late, Maye hit Kayshon Boutte for a long touchdown that created separation.

Quick scoring snapshot

Drake Maye stats and Patriots offensive highlights

Drake Maye didn’t need a monster yardage day to control the game. He played situational football: protect the ball most of the time, punish Houston when it overcommitted, and capitalize on the defense’s gifts.

Notable Patriots scoring plays included:

• Maye-to-DeMario Douglas early to set the tone

• Maye-to-Stefon Diggs before halftime to widen the gap

• Maye-to-Kayshon Boutte late to seal breathing room

New England’s run game was more about surviving the conditions and keeping Houston honest than piling up stats, but it did enough to keep the Texans from teeing off every snap.

Texans vs Patriots stats: what went wrong for Houston

For Houston, the clearest issue was the passing-game volatility under pressure. Stroud was forced into hurried reads and risky throws, and the snow-plus-scoreboard combination made it even harder to reset.

Other Texans notes from the box score view:

• Rushing production was limited, with Nick Chubb and the backs held in check overall.

• Christian Kirk provided a key touchdown catch that briefly put Houston in front, but sustained drives were hard to stack.

• Houston stayed alive with Ka’imi Fairbairn field goals, including a long one, yet settling for three points repeatedly is a tough way to chase a team that’s cashing turnovers into touchdowns.

Where to watch Texans vs New England Patriots

If you’re searching “where to watch Patriots vs Texans” or “Texans vs Patriots channel”, here’s the practical breakdown for the United States:

• TV channel: The game aired on ESPN and ABC.

• Streaming: You could watch via ESPN-authenticated streaming (using a participating TV provider login) and via live-TV streaming services that carry ESPN/ABC (availability depends on your plan and local ABC access).

• Replays/highlights: Full-game replays and extended highlights typically follow on official league/team platforms and major sports apps after the broadcast window.

If you’re outside the U.S., the easiest path is usually the league’s international distribution options in your region, since availability varies country to country.

Foxborough weather and Gillette Stadium conditions

The Gillette Stadium weather storyline was real. Sunday in Foxborough featured cold temperatures and snow that made footing and ball security a constant factor.

Foxborough forecast snapshot (local):

• Sunday, Jan 18: Cloudy with flurries/wet snow at times, near-freezing temps.

• Monday, Jan 19: Mostly cloudy with light snow possible early, then breezy and colder later.

• Tuesday, Jan 20: Mostly sunny, breezy, and colder.

That backdrop helps explain why turnovers mattered even more than usual: in weather like this, every extra possession is gold.

What’s next for the Patriots and Texans

For New England, the win keeps the playoff run alive and sets up an AFC Championship trip to Denver on Sunday, January 25 (exact kickoff time can vary by final scheduling).

For Houston, the offseason questions start immediately: protecting the quarterback, handling pressure looks, and building an attack that can travel into cold-weather games without becoming turnover-dependent. The Texans have elite pieces, but this one showed how quickly a playoff game can swing when giveaways stack up.