Patriots expose ESPN’s ‘experts’ by humiliating Texans in front of America

It's not shocking that most doubted what the Patriots could do during the 2025 offseason, since it was just last year (and the year before) that they won only four games. It didn't matter much that they appeared to have found their franchise quarterback in Drake Maye or that Mike Vrabel was named the newest head coach: it didn't change the expectations for this team.

So seeing that they are now going to the AFC Championship game to face the Broncos in Denver as the No. 2 seed in the AFC is almost unfathomable, and it wasn't easy for them to get to this point.

In fact, most didn't anticipate they would get this far, especially those who made their game picks ahead of Sunday's divisional round matchup with the Texans. Because of that, it didn't take long for the Patriots' social media to troll them for their bad takes, much to the fans' delight.

The Patriots are quick to troll the doubters after beating the Texans on Sunday

In the days leading up to the game, analysts across the networks were making their picks for this weekend's slate.

That, of course, included the Texans at the Patriots, and much like the rest of the season, nearly every single one chose Houston to get the close win, and now the Patriots are making them eat crow.

This is the third straight year that the Texans have lost in the divisional round, and apparently, that wasn't worth considering when they were making their picks.

It wasn't a pretty game, and it was far messier than anyone would have liked, but the defense kept the Patriots in it and helped seal the deal when they needed it most. It's the kind of performance they had long needed, especially after an inconsistent season by the group, and it certainly helped that they were at their healthiest for Sunday's game.

Hopefully, that will remain true for next week's big matchup, despite a few players leaving the game with an injury. That includes cornerback Carlton Davis III, who left with a head injury and did not return. He had a handful of impressive plays against the Texans' offense, so it's not ideal for him to miss time.

We'll have to wait and see what happens, but for now, at least we can enjoy rubbing this win in the doubters' faces.