PatsFans.com Menu
PatsFans.com - The Hub For New England Patriots Fans
PatsFans.com - The Hub For New England Patriots Fans
  • NEWS ▼
  • FORUM ▼
  • SCHEDULE
  • NFL ▼
  • STATS ▼
  • GAMES ▼
LOGIN | REGISTER
Home › Patriots Blog › Patriots Commentary
Patriots Commentary

Patriots – Texans Divisional Playoffs, Keys to the Game

Steve Balestrieri
Steve Balestrieri Senior Writer · PatsFans.com since 2011
Jan 12, 2017 at 5:45 am ET · 7 min read · 2.8k views
Never miss a story
Follow Us on Google News Follow on Apple News Newsletter
Photo: Troy Taormina - USA TODAY Sports
7 min read Patriots Commentary

The New England Patriots will play the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round of the 2016 NFL Playoffs from Gillette Stadium in Foxboro. Kickoff is scheduled for Saturday night at 8:15 p.m.

This week’s game will be televised by CBS and can be seen locally on WBZ-TV Channel 4 in Boston. Jim Nantz will handle play-by-play duties with Phil Simms as the color analyst. Tracy Wolfson will work the sidelines. The game will also be aired on the Patriots flagship radio station 98.5 The Sports Hub with Bob Socci and Scott Zolak on the call, produced by Marc Capello.

The Patriots (14-2) were on a bye week after winning the top seed in the AFC. They finished off the regular season by beating the Miami Dolphins 35-14 to finish the season with a perfect 8-0 road record. Now they’re rested and ready to go

The Texans (10-7) beat the Oakland Raiders 27-14 in the Wild Card game in Houston. Brock Osweiler threw for a touchdown and ran for another and the defense led by Jadeveon Clowney shut down the Raiders offense, holding them to just 203 yards and forced three turnovers.

We here at PatsFans.com are continuing our “Razor’s Edge” column in 2016 to give some quick analysis on some of the key matchups of the game and what you can look for in how the game plays out.

Series History:
The Patriots and Texans will be meeting for just the 9th time as Houston entered the league in the 2002 season. The Patriots hold a 7-1 advantage in these contests while holding a perfect 4-0 advantage at home, including a 41-28 playoff win over the Texans in 2012.

The Patriots dominated the Texans 27-0 in Week 3 of the 2016 season with Jacoby Brissett, the Pats rookie 3rd string QB at the helm. The defense shut down and shut out the Texans that night forcing three turnovers while rushing for 185 yards.

Here is a look at some of the key matchups and who holds the Razor’s Edge.

First up is the Patriots offense:

Like this article?
Support Steve and buy him a coffee.
PatsFans.com — Independent Patriots Coverage Since 2000

Support Us: Help Us Compete Against The Corporate Media Giants

We need your help. If you enjoy our content, please help us beat Google's Corporate algorithm by adding us as a preferred source on Google News.

Click the button below and check the box next to "PatsFans.com"

Add as a preferred source on Google News
Read Next Five Patriots Players to Watch Against the Texans →
About Steve Balestrieri
Steve Balestrieri

A former US Army Special Forces NCO and Officer, Steve has been following the Patriots since their days at Fenway Park. Steve has worked in the film industry and wrote as an Military Editor at SpecialOperations.com, 1945.com as a reporter for the Millbury Daily Voice, Millbury-Sutton Chronicle, and the Grafton News. He's also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA)

View all posts by Steve Balestrieri
Tags: 2016 NFL playoffs 2016 Patriots playoffs 2016 Patriots season Benardrick McKinney Bill O'Brien Brock Osweiler C.J. Fiedorowicz Chris Hogan Danny Amendola DeAndre Hopkins Dion Lewis Dont'a Hightower Houston Texans Jabaal Sheard Jadaveon Clowney Jimmy Garoppolo Julian Edelman LaGarrette Blount Lamar Miller Malcolm Butler Martellus Bennett New England Patriots NFL Patriots Rob Gronkowski Romeo Crennel Ryan Griffin Tom Brady Trey Flowers Whitney Mercilus Will Fuller

Comments are closed.

📅 This Week in Patriots History:

From our archive - this week all-time:
May 21 - June 5 (Through 26yrs)

  • WATCH: Drew Bledsoe Featured On Barstool Sports “Wine Walk”(2018)
  • Best Of Social Media: Adam Vinatieri Announces His Retirement From The NFL(2021)
  • 2024 Patriots Season Prediction: A Surprising 9-Win Season With a Dramatic Finish(2024)
  • Tuesday's New England Patriots Links 5/22(2012)
  • Daily Notebook: Monday Patriots News and Notes 5/22(2017)
  • PHOTO Brady Family Spends Memoral Day Weekend Beekeeping(2016)
FULL ARCHIVE
📈 Recent Most-Read Articles:
1
2022 New England Patriots Draft Picks – Full List
2
2024 Patriots Draft Picks – FULL LIST
3
Patriots Announce Ticket Increase, Dropping Stadium Parking Fees
4
Heading Into Free Agency, Patriots Have Two Tough Player Decisions to Make
5
Tom Brady’s ‘Life Is Hard’ Speech: Full Patriots HOF Transcript
📰 Follow PatsFans.com
Follow Us on Google News Follow on Apple News Get the Newsletter
Right Now At PatsFans.com:
MORSE: Brown 1st Day, Open Patriots OTA Practice, Raymond Berry Passes Away
2026 NFL Offseason:
MORSE: Brown 1st Day, Open Patriots OTA Practice, Raymond Berry Passes Away
By: Mark Morse
  • McDaniels Praises Rookie Caleb Lomu's Versatility, 'Awesome Kid'
  • Patriots Coach Expected to Miss Time Ahead of Training Camp

More Patriots News Headlines:

MORSE: Brown 1st Day, Open Patriots OTA Practice, Raymond Berry Passes Away

MORSE: Brown 1st Day, Open Patriots OTA Practice, Raymond Berry Passes Away

By: Mark Morse
Patriots' AJ Brown shines at OTAs, Drake Maye impresses, and Christian Gonzalez's contract dispute continues. Raymond Berry passes away at 93.
1 day ago
McDaniels Praises Rookie Caleb Lomu’s Versatility, ‘Awesome Kid’

McDaniels Praises Rookie Caleb Lomu’s Versatility, ‘Awesome Kid’

By: Ian Logue
Patriots rookie Caleb Lomu receives high praise from Josh McDaniels for his versatility and 'awesome kid' attitude, addressing a key offensive line need.
2 days ago
Patriots Coach Expected to Miss Time Ahead of Training Camp

Patriots Coach Expected to Miss Time Ahead of Training Camp

By: Ian Logue
Undergoing knee surgery, Patriots offensive line coach Doug Marrone is expected to miss time, but Mike Vrabel hopes he'll be ready for training camp.
3 days ago
TRANSCRIPT: Josh McDaniels Press Conference 6/2

TRANSCRIPT: Josh McDaniels Press Conference 6/2

By: Ian Logue
Here's the full transcript of what New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels had to say while speaking to reporters on Tuesday, June 2nd, 2026.
3 days ago
Vrabel Addresses Christian Gonzalez’s Contract Situation, Practice Status

Vrabel Addresses Christian Gonzalez’s Contract Situation, Practice Status

By: Ian Logue
Vrabel discusses New England Patriots CB Christian Gonzalez's contract holdout and OTA absence, expressing hope for his return.
3 days ago

Free Newsletter

BE THE FIRST TO KNOW

Join 2,000+ fans getting exclusive stats, analysis, and insights delivered straight to their inbox every week. Never miss a play.

📊
Weekly Stats Deep-dive analysis
🎯
First Access New features & tools
📤
Breaking News Player Signings & Rumors

Subscribe Now

* required

Intuit Mailchimp

PatsFans.com Social Logo
PATSFANS.com

The longest-running independent New England Patriots site online since 2000. Not affiliated w/any school, team or league.

Resources

  • Patriots Forum
  • Schedule
  • Patriots Roster
  • Transcripts
  • Archive

Stats

  • Offensive Stats
  • Opponent Stats
  • Offensive Line
  • Snaps Overview
  • Penalties

Analysis

  • Snap Analysis
  • Personnel Groupings
  • Stats By Personnel
  • Top 10 Plays
  • Offensive Line
  • Defensive Totals

Site

  • About Us
  • Podcast
  • Newsletter
  • Contact Us

© 2000-2026 PatsFans.com

Privacy Policy Advertise RSS Feed