Despite an early lead, a five-turnover performance from C.J. Stroud proved insurmountable as Drake Maye and the Patriots secured a 28-16 victory to keep their Super Bowl dreams alive.
“Tough. Just put ourselves in a hole too many times to climb out of,” legendary Texans defender J.J. Watt shared on X (formerly Twitter) following Houston’s season-ending defeat. “What an incredible turnaround Vrabel and the Patriots have accomplished this year. Thoroughly impressive.”
Watt’s unfiltered reaction captured the mood of a franchise that saw a promising season evaporate in a 28-16 loss to the New England Patriots.
While Watt was quick to congratulate his former coach, Mike Vrabel, on the Patriots’ resurgence, the story of the game was the uncharacteristic collapse of Houston’s young star quarterback.
Stroud’s turnover trap
The game began with promise for Houston, as the Texans clawed their way to a 10-7 lead heading into the second quarter. However, the momentum shifted violently as C.J. Stroud endured the most difficult outing of his professional career.
Stroud’s struggles began early and often:
- Four total interceptions
- One lost fumble
Five total turnovers before the half allowed the Patriots to capitalize on short fields, turning a deficit into a 21-10 halftime lead. Despite the defensive efforts to keep Houston in striking distance, the offense remained stagnant throughout the second half.
While the Texans managed to add two field goals from Ka’imi Fairbairn in the latter half, they failed to find the end zone again. The final blow came in the fourth quarter when Patriots rookie Drake Maye connected on a 32-yard touchdown pass to seal the win.
In the end, Stroud completed 20 of 47 passes for 212 yards, one touchdown, and four interceptions. Maye completed 16 of 27 for 179 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception.
Stroud and the Texans are now looking to the future
The disastrous showcase marks a bitter end to Stroud’s second year, but the Texans remain tethered to their young signal-caller for the foreseeable future.
Stroud is currently in the second year of a four-year, $36.2 million rookie contract-a deal that is fully guaranteed and carries an average annual salary of over $9 million.
Barring an unprecedented move this offseason, Stroud will return to Houston next year to build on the lessons learned from this playoff exit. For the Patriots, the “Vrabel Era” continues into the AFC Championship, where they will face the Broncos to decide who will represent the conference in the Super Bowl.
