Patriots Ups & Downs: Who stood out in a divisional round win over the Texans?

The New England Patriots advanced to the AFC Championship Game with a 28-16 divisional round win over the Houston Texans Sunday at Gillette Stadium. Drake Maye ended up with a "neutral" grade in this one, as he threw three touchdown passes but also fumbled four times (two lost). For the second straight playoff game, the Pats needed other guys to step up amid the quarterback's inconsistency, so here's who stood out in that regard...

Boutte finished with only three catches, but he made the single biggest grab of the game with a one-handed corral in the end zone early in the fourth quarter. It was the first offensive play of the day that truly felt like it swung the game, one way or another. On a day that defense ruled (eight total turnovers), Boutte shined through on the offensive side of the ball, and began to build a case as a clutch big-game player.

Campbell not only didn't back up his confident talk during the week with a bounce-back, but arguably played even worse against the Texans. Granted, this was an even bigger challenge for the rookie, going against Houston's dynamic edge rushing duo of Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter. But Campbell allowed a game-high five total pressures, including two sacks, and that's a performance you can't have from the most important position on the offensive line.

It's a shame Jones doesn't pick the ball off more often, because he's a guy that can really make you pay for a turnover with his elite punt return abilities. He put those to good use with his 26-yard interception return touchdown, which put the Patriots back in the lead after briefly falling behind. They never trailed for the rest of the game, and Jones later broke up a late third-down pass attempt in the red zone to build on his pick-six. In another relatively quiet effort for him in the punt returning department, Jones made a serious impact with his defensive coverage.

The rookie receiver went without a catch on three targets, one of which was a drop. Another target looked to be a back-shoulder throw that he couldn't gain position to grab. Williams also nearly dropped a kickoff return at one point in the game, adding to an already-shaky day. As long as the Patriots are scoring touchdowns with the Stefon Diggses and Kayshon Bouttes of the world, they don't need Williams to make an impact on offense. But the rookie still has a long way to go before becoming an impact player in this offense.

The third-year cornerback looked as fired up as he's ever been in his career when he stripped the ball from the Texans' Woody Marks for a forced fumble that the Patriots recovered. He could've had two strips, but his first attempt was overturned after the replay showed the ballcarrier was down by contact. Gonzalez finished with a team-high nine tackles and a pass breakup to go with the forced fumble, a massive effort on a day the offense needed its defensive counterparts to step up and make plays.

Rhamondre Stevenson's impact was felt when he touched the ball, but the same can't be said for Henderson. He averaged just 2.1 yards per carry and his only catch went for a 2-yard loss. Henderson never looked comfortable when he got the ball in this game. As long as Stevenson is playing the best football of his career, they may not need much from Henderson, but this game was a notable step back for him.

Elliss was active and around the ball from start to finish. He made an early pass breakup that almost led to an interception, and ultimately allowed just one catch for five yards on three targets in coverage. He also racked up four tackles, including one for a loss of yardage, and continued to bring a physical edge to the middle of the defense. Elliss is playing his best football at the best possible time of the year, and he could be rewarded with a trip to the Super Bowl.

We'd be remiss not to give Chaisson a nod, if only for one play. Chaisson closed quickly on C.J. Stroud for the QB hit that rushed him into the pass attempt that turned into Marcus Jones' pick-six. Chaisson had seven total pressures on the day, as he continues to close strong in his first season as a Patriot.

Up Next: There will be at least one more Patriots Ups & Downs this season. Next recap will come after the Pats take on the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship Game next Sunday.