Bills quarterback Josh Allen shares raw emotions after NFL playoff loss
The Buffalo Bills quarterback didn’t hold back in interviews with the media after their overtime loss to the Denver Broncos.
Through three games in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs, the top seeds all advance to the conference championship. But it wouldn’t be fair to say things went as expected in the postseason.
That was certainly the case on January 18, when the New England Patriots defeated the Houston Texans 28-16 in a game that committed eight turnovers. Will the offense cool down again when the Chicago Bears and Los Angeles Rams face off in frigid conditions in the final game of the weekend? If the former wins, the top two seeds from each conference will compete for a spot in Super Bowl 60.
Here are the biggest winners and losers from Sunday’s divisional round playoff action.
winner
C.J. Stroud made things easier for them, but New England’s cover men struggled in several spots. Carlton Davis III set the tone early with an incredible diving interception towards the end of the first quarter, then converted his second of the day before halftime. Meanwhile, Marcus Jones allowed a touchdown to Christian Kirk in the first quarter, but bounced back with a pick-six and a 25-yard return. Rookie safety Craig Woodson was the final pick. Meanwhile, standout cornerback Christian Gonzalez allowed just 58 yards on seven catches despite being targeted 16 times, according to Next Generation Stats. In total, the Patriots defended an incredible 14 passes.
milton williams
His dominant performance in last year’s postseason led the Philadelphia Eagles to a Super Bowl victory, and he subsequently earned a huge salary from the Patriots. Now, defensive tackles are once again wreaking havoc in the postseason. After recording two sacks against the Los Angeles Chargers last week, Williams became a mainstay in the Texans’ backfield, even though his efforts weren’t properly reflected in the box score. And this time, he avoided blooding Mike Vrabel during the postgame celebration.
Stefon Diggs
A volatile player on his fourth team in 11 years, Diggs has managed to find greener pastures with almost every transfer. And with the Bills eliminated and his new team defeating the Texans on Saturday, Diggs was able to accomplish the feat again while coming back from a torn ACL that upended his only year in Houston.
It wasn’t particularly prolific for the veteran wideout, finishing with four catches for 40 yards. However, Diggs caught the tight window throw in such an impressive manner that even he later marveled at the feat.
Drake May passes away
As a result, he completed 16 of 27 passes for 179 yards, which was not what you would expect from a strong MVP candidate. But the second-year signalman managed to do something Stroud couldn’t: be smart about how to attack opponents in a game determined by defensive performance. May tends to have success against blitz-heavy teams that give him a chance to punish his aggression. It’s clearly not the Texans who can put their quarterback in an uncomfortable spot without deviating from their established practices. But Maye was mostly insightful and even opportunistic at times, effectively putting the game out of reach with a 32-yard deep shot to Kayshon Boutte in the fourth quarter.
Zack Kuhl
The 37-year-old, who is the Patriots’ de facto defensive coordinator and has been the play-caller since Week 2, has come up with quite a plan to keep the Texans in check. To compensate for a pass rush that was unable to generate pressure organically, Kuhl showed a variety of looks and brought heat in different ways. As a result, New England took over the defense from Houston and dominated the day.
Will Anderson Jr.
The Texans’ loss means Anderson will not receive his fair share of compensation for a day when he had three sacks, including two forced fumbles. But anyone watching could recognize that he was a singular force on the field. Had it not been for Myles Garrett’s record-setting campaign, Anderson might have been a strong candidate for NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Please look forward to him as the preseason favorite for the 2026 award. Meanwhile, fellow Edgefiend Daniel Hunter also had two sacks of his own. Due to this confusion, New England’s offense was unable to score from Houston’s barrage of turnovers, resulting in a pick-six.
Jarrett Stidham
The seven-year veteran, who assumed the role of starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos on Saturday night in place of Bo Nix, who is out for the rest of the season with a broken bone, was certain to have a difficult task after not throwing a pass all season. But for Stidham and Sean Payton, avoiding a matchup against a Texans defense that is essentially swallowing all comers has to be a win. New England will present many unique challenges for the top-seeded Broncos. But they seem more manageable for a team thrown for a loop from its biggest win.
loser
CJ Stroud
When Stroud’s three-turnover performance was overshadowed by the Steelers’ own offensive ineptitude, it seemed like things couldn’t get any worse than his wild-card performance. But the Texans’ third-year signal-caller reached a new nadir against New England, throwing four interceptions and holding off a historically dominant defense that was more than up to its task of competing in this game. He shouldn’t be responsible for the pick, as the pass that was supposed to be a reception skimmed through Xavier Hutchinson’s hands. But the rest was the product of terrible decision-making. And Stroud was off the mark and out of sorts on many other occasions.
Stroud has had an incredible run since his Offensive Rookie of the Year campaign, proving he can elevate the supporting cast. But he’s also one of the league’s most volatile behind center. After his past two performances, can Houston in good conscience negotiate what will undoubtedly be a huge contract extension? A better bet would seem to be to exercise the fifth-year option and maintain some flexibility going forward.
Drake Maye Handle/Running
There are definitely elements here. But Maye’s four fumbles, two of which were missed, threatened to put New England in a dangerous position in a game that should have been even better off of turnovers. And even though Houston’s defense showed some vulnerability against the mobile quarterback, Maye ran just four times for 10 yards.
Texans run game
A more standard offense would focus on the ground game, especially considering Stroud’s struggles and slippery conditions. But nothing happened with Houston’s lackluster rushing attack, registering just 48 yards on 22 carries. Lead back Woody Marks went undefeated or scoreless on eight of his team-high 14 carries, according to Next Gen Stats. So the Texans accepted an unhealthy imbalance, with Stroud attempting 47 passes despite how out of shape the quarterback was. Redoing this phase should be at the top of your offseason priority list.
Will Campbell
At least the Patriots’ rookie left tackle recovered two of Maye’s fumbles, avoiding further disaster. It was almost the only positive thing of the day for Campbell, who was always in trouble when he couldn’t get help. To be fair, the Texans’ pass rush tandem is a very difficult matchup for even the most savvy veterans. But Maye and the rest of the Patriots’ offense won’t feel comfortable facing a Broncos defense that leads the league in sacks.
