It will be the Houston Texans, who advanced by beating the Pittsburgh Steelers, 30-6, at Acrisure Stadium. The divisional round matchup will be played Sunday at 3 p.m. with the Patriots hosting the Texans at Gillette Stadium.

Who do New England Patriots play in NFL playoffs next? When do they play? What to know about next NFL postseason game, with date, location, opponent.

The Patriots beat the Chargers in the opening round of the 2026 NFL Playoffs. We break down who they could play in the Divisional Round.

The New England Patriots enjoyed a resurgent season, winning the AFC East at 14-3 and earning the No. 2 overall seed behind MVP candidate Drake Maye. On Sunday night, Maye played in his first playoff game against a worthy opponent, the Los Angeles Chargers.

Texans face a familiar playoff foe: the Patriots. This rematch ignites a storied divisional round history, with stakes higher than ever.

The Patriots beat the Chargers in the wild-card round of the 2025 NFL playoffs. Here's a look at who New England will play in the divisional round.

Drake Maye leads the Patriots against Justin Herbert and the Chargers at Gillette Stadium, with kickoff set for 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC.

The victory marked the first postseason win for New England post-Tom Brady and their first since winning Super Bowl LIII against the Los Angeles Rams to conclude the 2018 season. The Patriots will host the winner of Monday's matchup between the fifth-seeded Houston Texans and the fourth-seeded Pittsburgh Steelers in the divisional round.