Divisional · 2025–26 season
Patriots
W 28-16 vs Texans · Jan 18, 2026
Misery Index · Euphoric
Patriots fans cackling about a Maye-vs-Stidham AFC title game and openly daring the league to stop them.
The emotional rollercoaster
Fan misery across the game window. Up is worse.
What happened
Three Stroud interceptions, one of them returned 26 yards by M.Jones for a touchdown, did most of the heavy lifting here — Houston's quarterback essentially gift-wrapped the AFC Championship berth. D.Maye's fumbles are a real concern against a defense with actual teeth, but K.Boutte's 32-yard touchdown in the fourth sealed it. The fanbase is allowed to enjoy this one; the Brady-era muscle memory of January football is twitching back to life.
What fans said
“We are the luckiest and most spoiled franchise in the fucking league and I love every minute of it”
u/BurgerNugget12▲ 409joy
“Just as we all predicted at the start of the year: MAYE VS STIDHAM AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME”
u/Chad2Badd▲ 2162joy
“SAY IT WITH ME, LADS: #WE ALL WE GOT!”
u/Vuish▲ 807joy
“We're going back to the Tom Brady Invitationals”
u/SprinklesRegular1983▲ 1395hope
“YOU FUCKIN’ GOT NEW ENGLAND. WE ALL WE GOT!”
u/ColtPersonality92▲ 177joy
“Fuck the doomers. We're on to Denver!”
u/GarrySantiago▲ 660rage
14 more
“Yall remember that 1 handed TD catch by Boutte? That was pretty sweet.”
u/Joe7s▲ 611joy
“Imagine telling us after the raiders game this year that we would make it to the AFC Championship game and have a very good shot at the super bowl?”
u/YouSawMyReddit▲ 974hope
“I can't believe it”
u/DaOldest▲ 549hope
“FUCK THEIR POVERTY FUCKING FRANCHISE”
u/olollort▲ 113rage
“Let my people go… TO THE SUPERBOWL!”
u/zithftw▲ 96joy
“Let’s all toast these two kids who are ***finally*** going to experience a Patriots AFC Championship Game.”
u/rickterpbel▲ 103joy
“Kept that shit on him for the rest of the game like my life depended on it.”
u/vacattack▲ 93joy
“Fuck Rich Eisen Fuck Rex Ryan Fuck Kurt Warner Fuck Mike Greenburg”
u/beigereige▲ 54rage
“This shit is moneyball level good.”
u/toedwy0716▲ 89joy
“Fuck the Lakers. Fuck the Knicks.”
u/Zapp_Rowsdower_▲ 84rage
“Not a perfect game by any means, but still threw 3 TDs against that defense! Love having him as our QB”
u/Gumpppppp▲ 144joy
“Crazy that we won this game after 450 people in the game day thread told me that we lost, the season was over...”
u/teddy_ballgame3▲ 329hope
“I just wanted to have a positive season and now we're on to the AFC Championship game!? Are you fucking kidding me!!??”
u/strangebrew3522▲ 46joy
“Jaguars fan here dropping by to say Thank you so much for beating the Texans so I don’t have to hear about their Cinderella story anymore!”
u/Jaguars4life▲ 70joy