"the Patriots go into their divisional-round matchup with the Texans only slightly favored at home. They're still being doubted as a real contender, despite outperforming their last playoff opponent and accomplishing far more in 2025 than anyone could have predicted. Perhaps that's exactly what they want, since that was the story more often than not, even during the dynasty years. But the narrative surrounding their legitimacy, mainly because of their schedule, is getting old, and it shouldn't still be a talking point when predicting"
"That's, unfortunately, what is happening going into this Sunday's game, and although many fans are eating it up in a way that makes it feel like the Patriots are officially back, the analysts on ESPN just gave them all the reason to never let their picks down if they are proven wrong this weekend. Making it even funnier is seeing their immediate reactions to all picking against New England."
"While doing their weekly picks on NFL Live this week, the panel of analysts all instantly regretted their sweeping picks for the Texans to win the game by one score or less. It might be because there's a longstanding curse: when they all pick the same team to win, that team typically loses. Or maybe they really just don't want to see the Patriots win. Don't rule out the latter."
The Patriots advanced past the Chargers in their first playoff win since 2021 and enter the divisional round against the Texans as only slight favorites at home. Persistent doubts about true contender status persist because of a soft schedule, despite stronger performance and unexpected achievements in 2025. Many fans embrace a resurgence narrative, but ESPN analysts all picked Houston and later expressed regret. The unanimous analyst pick continues a pattern of consensus picks losing, and Patriots supporters will amplify the analysts' reactions if New England wins and reaches the AFC Championship.
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