Patriots now know their divisional opponent and it’s a battle built for January

The Patriots' defense put on a thing of beauty against the Chargers on Sunday night, delivering a stellar performance that few expected from the inconsistent group. It might be fair to say their opponents overlooked the team, as many have this season, but they are now heading to the divisional round and are just one game away from the Super Bowl.

After the Monday night showdown that led to the Texans to the win, the Patriots now know who they'll be facing on the next biggest stage of the 2025 season.

Despite their impressive efforts against one of the league's best defenses on Sunday, they are still considered an illegitimate postseason competitor. They'll have a chance to shut that narrative down again next week, even if it still won't be enough for some of the loudest doubters.

Regardless, they are on the right path, and the Super Bowl is still in sight; they'll just have to take down the Texans to get there.

The Patriots in for a tough game in the divisional round next week

Monday night's game was somewhat similar to what we saw with the Chargers and the Patriots, just a bit more mistakes and a little less scoring.

The defensive effort from the Texans was also very similar, maybe even better than what we saw from New England's on Sunday, prompting fans to be concerned about their chances with Houston coming to town.

They have one of the best defenses in the league that has come alive during their nine-game win streak over the past two months, and that will be an immediate problem for Drake Maye, especially after seeing how much the offensive line, particularly the left side, struggled against the Chargers.

The Texans' defensive line is even more dominant, so the Patriots' rookies will need to be on their A-game next week to give the offense any chance to move the chains.

On top of that, they cannot afford to turnover the football like they did this past weekend, as their next opponents are constantly working to punch the ball out and take advantage of any and all opportunities they create or are freely given.

They'll have a lot to clean up at practice this week, and based on the adjustments they've made throughout the season, it will surely be a point of emphasis all week, and we'll see the changes on the field next Sunday.

UPDATE:

The NFL has announced that the Patriots will welcome the Texans on Sunday in the 3pm EST time slot on Sunday.