Patriots divisional round playoff opponent will be decided on Monday night
The New England Patriots’ divisional round playoff opponent will be determined by Monday’s game between the Steelers and Texans.
Jan 11, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel watches a play during the second quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers in an AFC Wild Card Round game at Gillette Stadium.
David Butler II-Imagn ImagesWith their win over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday night, the New England Patriots are moving on in the playoffs. They know when they'll play next, but who they'll play is still to be determined.
Their divisional round game will be back at Gillette Stadium next Sunday, Jan. 18. The timeslots for that day are 3:00 and 6:30.
As for who will be the visitor? The Patriots will host the winner of the lone remaining Wild Card game between the Houston Texans and Pittsburgh Steelers. That game is being played on Monday night. Sunday's timeslot will be decided after Monday night's game.
The Patriots already played the Steelers once this year. It was one of their three losses, as they fell 21-14 in Week 3 in Foxboro. They turned the ball over five times in that game.
Pittsburgh ended up finishing the season 10-7. They were the final team to clinch a playoff spot, beating the Baltimore Ravens on a last-second missed field goal on Sunday Night Football in Week 18.
Houston last played the Patriots early last year. That was a 41-21 Texans win in Foxboro last year, in a game that was Drake Maye's first NFL start.
After starting the season 0-3 and 3-5 this year, the Texans turned it on in the second half of the season. They won their last nine games to puch a Wild Card ticket at 12-5, with their last three wins coming by single digit margins.
