Texans Lined Up to Face Broncos With Win vs Patriots

It looks like the Houston Texans will be traveling to the Mile High for the AFC Championship with a win against the New England Patriots in the divisional round.

With the number-one-seeded Broncos coming away with a narrow overtime win vs. the Buffalo Bills, 33-30, the winner of Texans and Patriots will now officially travel to Denver for the chance to play for a Super Bowl appearance.

The Broncos are 12-2 in one-score games this year.

And now, they’re a win away from the Super Bowl.pic.twitter.com/u0wg7fmNu2
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) January 18, 2026

The Bills were within range of being the ones to claim a last-minute victory over the Broncos that would've sent them to the AFC Championship instead, and might've led to a home game for a five-seeded Houston team had they won against New England. Yet, with a game-sealing Wil Lutz field goal to claim a Denver victory, the fate is sealed for whoever advances between the Patriots and Texans.

If the Texans do advance, it would be their second time playing against Denver this season, their last time coming in Week 9 on their home field in NRG Stadium.

That game, Houston dropped 15-18 in the same game that quarterback C.J. Stroud went down with a concussion that sidelined him for three games. It was also the last game that this team has lost this season, going on a league-best ten-game winning streak in every week following.

Texans Would Travel to Denver With Win vs. Patriots

During that last meeting against the Broncos back in Week 9, the Texans actually had a solid chance to come out of that one alive, even with Davis Mills as the quarterback closing out the action. However, just as Denver's late-game magic had come to form all year, they rallied to an 11-0 fourth quarter that surged past this typically elite Houston defense, combined with another Lutz game-winner, and thus gave them what was their fifth loss of the season.

Now, the Texans could have a perfect chance to claim that redemption with a win against New England, and if they do, it'd send Houston to the first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history, which would naturally come off their first conference championship appearance too.

Nov 2, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) throws during the first half against the Denver Broncos at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

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Of course, all of this hinges on the Texans taking care of business against the Patriots in Foxborough, which will be a challenging task in itself, considering Houston's never won a divisional round postseason game (0-6), and have just won one road game in franchise history as well.

However, with ten straight victories under their belt, and momentum on their side, there's a real chance that the Texans can not only come out of Foxboro alive, but the AFC as well.

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