Snowy disaster struck Houston. C.J. Stroud's four interceptions fueled a Patriots rout, ending the Texans' playoff hopes in a frigid, disappointing finale.
The Houston Texans’ season officially came to an end on Saturday night, falling to the New England Patriots 28-16 at Gillette Stadium in a game played under snowy, frigid conditions that mirrored the way the night unraveled for Houston.
It was one of the worst performances of C.J. Stroud’s career, if not the worst. The Texans quarterback struggled mightily from the opening quarter, and his turnovers put the defense in an impossible position almost immediately. The same Houston defense that carried this team back into playoff contention after an 0-3 start was forced to defend a short field throughout the first half, as Stroud threw four interceptions across the opening two quarters.
Even with a bend-but-don’t-break approach, the Texans defense was constantly backed into a corner. New England repeatedly found itself already in field goal range off those turnovers, and one of Stroud’s interceptions resulted in a pick-six, a play that didn’t even give the defense a chance to respond. While the Patriots didn’t consistently move the ball at will, the field position advantage proved overwhelming.
The Patriots struck first with a touchdown pass to DeMario Douglas, setting the early tone. Houston answered with a Ka’imi Fairbairn field goal, and briefly appeared to stabilize when Stroud connected with Christian Kirk for a touchdown to give the Texans a 10-7 lead. That moment, however, marked the high point of the night for Houston.
From there, everything unraveled. The pick-six swung momentum entirely in New England’s favor, pushing the Patriots ahead 14-10. Houston never found the end zone again. Despite multiple opportunities, the Texans could only muster field goals the rest of the way, finishing the night with 16 total points.
Stroud finished 18-of-42 for 193 yards with one touchdown and four interceptions, posting a passer rating of just 25.3. On the other side, Drake Maye wasn’t spectacular but was efficient when it mattered, throwing for 179 yards and three touchdowns to capitalize on the advantageous situations his defense created.
Now, Houston heads into an offseason full of questions. The way Stroud’s season ended will linger, but the Texans can still hang their hat on a defense that proved all year it belongs among the NFL’s elite. If that unit can maintain its level of play and the offense can find more consistency, the Texans will look to turn this bitter ending into fuel heading into next season.