FOXBOROUGH — The New England Patriots punched their ticket to the AFC Championship with a 28-16 victory over the Houston Texans, but the post-game fallout is louder than the Gillette Stadium crowd. C.J. Stroud’s nightmare in the snow has sparked a national media war, led by ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky, who claims Houston’s season was sabotaged by the very man meant to save it.
The numbers look like a typo. Stroud went 20-of-47 for 212 yards with a lone touchdown to Christian Kirk. The damage, however, lived in the turnovers. Stroud tossed four interceptions in the first half alone, tying a grim NFL playoff record. Marcus Jones turned one of those errant passes into a back-breaking pick-six that flipped the momentum for good. New England’s defense feasted on a quarterback who looked skittish and lost in the New England elements.
While Orlovsky faced heat for his preseason predictions, he doubled down Monday morning on “Get Up.” He didn’t just criticize the performance; he essentially erased Stroud’s role as a franchise cornerstone for the day. He argued that the Texans’ defense, which held Drake Maye to a modest 16-of-27 for 179 yards, did enough to win if they had literally any other starter in the league under center.
“If you’re Houston, you win that game with 31 other quarterbacks. It’s unfortunate that we don’t get this defense not only in the AFC title game, but then, more than likely, the Super Bowl.” — Dan Orlovsky, ESPN Analyst
The comments didn’t sit well with everyone. NESN’s Evan Cormier quickly pointed out the perceived bias. Critics argue that when Josh Allen fumbled away a chance to beat the Broncos in the 33-30 overtime thriller on Saturday, Orlovsky was quick to shield him. When Stroud struggled against a Mike Vrabel-led defense that has allowed the fewest points in the league since November, the grace vanished.
Robert Littal of Black Sports Online was more blunt. He suggested Orlovsky has traded fair film breakdown for the “hot take” economy. Regardless of the media noise, the reality for Houston is a third straight exit in the Divisional Round. Stroud becomes the first player in the Super Bowl era to record five interceptions and five fumbles in a single postseason run. That is a hard stat to defend, even for the most loyal Houston fans.
New England doesn’t care about the talking heads. They are 60 minutes away from a Super Bowl berth. Mike Vrabel has restored the “Patriot Way” in record time, leaning on a defense that has now forced nine turnovers in two playoff games. Drake Maye survived four fumbles of his own in the slush, showing the grit required to win in January.
The Patriots travel to Empower Field at Mile High this Sunday to face the Denver Broncos. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:05 pm ET on CBS. Denver enters as a slight favorite after their overtime escape against Buffalo, but they’ll be facing a New England squad that is currently the hottest team in professional football.
