The New England Patriots punched their ticket to the AFC Championship Game with a 28-16 victory over the Houston Texans on Sunday, and one of the loudest reactions didn’t come from the locker room. It came from social media.
After a group of ESPN analysts unanimously backed the Texans to emerge victorious, Grammy-winning rapper Cardi B, who is dating Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs, didn’t hold back in her response to the pundits’ collective misfire.
In a raucous video posted to X in the aftermath of New England‘s win, Cardi B celebrated her team and skewered the ESPN NFL Live crew for their predictions.
Her message read, “THEY DIDN’T BELIEVE IN US !!! I LIKE US!!!!! WE ALL WE GOT!!!!! WE ALL WE NEED !!!!” and was paired with another clip in which she yelled, “What are you talking about? Nothing.”
Before Sunday’s divisional playoff game, analysts including Mina Kimes, Ryan Clark, Hannah Storm, Dan Orlovsky, and Marcus Spears all picked the Texans to move on, despite the Patriots being favored at home.
That collective call, shared widely across social platforms, became a touchstone for Patriots fans once the final whistle blew at Gillette Stadium.
Meanwhile, the Patriots, led by rookie quarterback Drake Maye‘s three touchdown passes and a swarming defense that intercepted Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud four times, delivered a performance that undercut much of the pregame narrative.
A highlight of the afternoon was a 32-yard touchdown catch by Kayshon Boutte in the fourth quarter that helped seal the win.
Despite the pointed criticism, one of the analysts at the center of Cardi B‘s comments took the exchange in stride. After the game, she posted on X that “Getting dunked on by Cardi B….an honor and a privilege tbh.”
The Patriots‘ success Sunday marks their first appearance in the AFC Championship Game since the 2018 season and the first under new head coach Mike Vrabel, who guided the team to a 14-3 regular-season record.
Patriot pride and wider reactions
For Patriots players, the win brought a mix of relief and focus on the challenge ahead.
Defensive captain Robert Spillane said the team was proud of its performance while emphasizing that “we’re not finished,” and Vrabel echoed the sentiment that the road to a possible Super Bowl was just beginning.
On the Texans‘ side, the loss was a bitter end to a season that saw them finish 12-5.
Stroud, who was under pressure throughout the game, threw four interceptions and faced scrutiny for his performance in the snow-soaked conditions at Gillette Stadium.
New England now prepares to travel to Denver Broncos to face the Broncos in the AFC Championship.
A win there would send the Patriots to their first Super Bowl in eight years, completing a narrative arc that few ESPN analysts originally saw coming.
