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Last year in the AFC Championship Game, New England Patriots running backs Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen were two rookies in street clothes -- and neither player was happy about it. Ridley showed flashes in his first year with the Patriots by rus...

The New England Patriots defeated the Houston Texans 41-28 Sunday in the divisional round of the playoffs. But the game would not have been that close if not for New England's poor kickoff coverage. Houston had 230 kickoff return yards against the...

The New England Patriots' top-ranked offense will be fine without Pro Bowl tight end Rob Gronkowski, who reinjured his arm Sunday against the Houston Texans and is out for the playoffs. New England got plenty of practice and was 4-1 when Gronkowski b...

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - The New England Patriots had a celebratory locker room after beating the Houston Texans, 41-28, Sunday night. However, the season-ending arm injury to tight end Rob Gronkowski did somewhat dampen the mood. Here are various play...

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - Joe Flacco. ... Matt Ryan. ... Colin Kaepernick. Tom Brady. If you're looking for a clear-cut favorite among the NFL's final four teams, look no further than the quarterbacks. The disparity between Brady and his counte...

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- A few thoughts on the New England Patriots' 41-28 divisional playoff victory over the Houston Texans. What it means: The Patriots advanced to the AFC Championship Game to face the Baltimore Ravens at Gillette Stadium for the s...

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The New England Patriots lead the Houston Texans, 17-13, at haltime. Here are some notes at intermission: Patriots Pro Bowl receiver Wes Welker is on a roll with six receptions for 120 yards. Welker set a new Patriots reco...

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Here are the New England Patriots you will not see in Sunday's playoff game against the Houston Texans: Patriots DE Jake Bequette OL Nick McDonald WR Kamar Aiken OL Markus Zusevics DB Malcolm Williams S Derrick M...

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Just two weeks ago, we were discussing the New England Patriots hosting a wild-card game, then potentially traveling to Houston and Denver in order to advance to the Super Bowl. But thanks to some good fortune, the reigning AFC c...

Here are the most interesting stories Sunday in the AFC East: After an exciting start to the divisional round on Saturday, the New England Patriots are up next against the Houston Texans. Morning take: This should be a physical game with Houst...

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The New England Patriots received some good fortune Saturday during the divisional round of the playoffs. The top-seeded Denver Broncos were upset by the fifth-seeded Baltimore Ravens in overtime, 38-35, in the AFC playoffs. T...

The AFC East blog is leaving its sunny Miami headquarters for a cold, but exciting trip to Foxborough, Mass. I will be covering the divisional-round matchup Sunday between the Houston Texans (13-4) and New England Patriots (12-4). The other half o...

Five nuggets of knowledge about Sunday's Houston Texans-New England Patriots divisional-round playoff game at Gillette Stadium: Guarding against overconfidence: The New England Patriots are heavily favored against the Texans. New England trounced ...

Everyone knows quarterback Tom Brady and the New England Patriots' top-rated offense will be ready for the postseason. But what exactly do we make of New England's inconsistent defense? Will we see the aggressive Patriots defense that shut out the...

The New England Patriots' offensive line has played well this year. But they know a big challenge is ahead Sunday when they face the defensive line of the Houston Texans, led by Pro Bowl defensive end J.J. Watt. J.J. Watt #99 DE Houston Tex...

We are down to the top four teams in the AFC. The Denver Broncos (13-3), New England Patriots (12-4), Houston Texans (13-4) and Baltimore Ravens (11-6) will all play this weekend in the divisional round. So which team will represent the AFC confer...