The Patriots overcame three giveaways, pulling away late to close out the Houston Texans 34-16 in the AFC Divisional round, just as american football betting thought they would. The Pats now await the winner of the Steelers and Chiefs as they head to their record sixth-straight AFC Championship game.
The Patriots struggled to find a rhythm on offense, but Dion Lewis was a standout, setting an NFL Playoff record by scoring touchdowns rushing, receiving and on a kickoff return. The Patriots have been managing Lewis since the summer with this moment in mind. Now, when it all counted most, Lewis was the go-to playmaker out of the backfield.
The defense was every bit as suffocating as we expected it to be against an impotent Houston offense, holding the slim Patriots lead throughout the game and coming up with three interceptions of Brock Osweiler. Logan Ryan had the game of his career, recording three passes defensed, an interception, a sack, a QB hit, a tackle-for-loss and seven tackles.
There’s plenty to dissect, but most importantly, the Patriots are one game away from the Super Bowl.
More on it all in the Posits…