Josh McDaniels calls three very conservative plays then New England kick it away, only to about the Houston 40 though.

Both sides just look a little rattled on offence, both the players and coaches, with all these fumbles spooking them into just playing it safe and trying not to make any major mistakes.

So that's another Houston turnover that doesn't result in points as the defence once again bails them out - with a sixth straight stop on third down - but the question is now can the offence keep the ball long enough to score.

Greg Brady
NFL pundit on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

It's amazing. Houston are marching, moving the football, CJ Stroud completes a couple of key passes in a row, a score away from leveling it.

Then boom, one innocuous running play and you give the ball straight back.

It's a fifth turnover by the Texans and an eighth of the game as Woody Marks has the ball punched out of his grasp at the end of a run by Christian Gonzalez and the Patriots have it back.

Marks was hit at the line but kept on running, trying to gain some extra yards - he then lost his boots, lost the ball and DeMeco Ryans lost his mind on the sidelines watching his offence to continue to give the ball away time and time again.

Is it the snow? Is it because Houston usually play indoors? What's Drake Maye's excuse? The continued fumbling here is mind boggling.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Another fumble by Drake Maye as he's hit again by Will Anderson who comes marauding in off the edge and knocks the ball loose - the Texans get on it to bag a third turnover of the game.

Houston's defence shows up just when the team needed it, and now CJ Stroud can take over in superb field position deep in Patriots territory after a fourth fumble of the game by Maye and the second one he's lost.

Greg Brady
NFL pundit on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

I would have liked to have seen them go for it there. But I guess they're thinking that they are on the road, haven't played well or taken care of the football. They had to come away with something. But they were only two yards out - you've got to put faith in the guys you put out there.

Field goal - Texanspublished at 22:09 GMT 18 January

22:09 GMT 18 January

Houston Texans 13-21 New England Patriots - third quarter

It's just a chip shot for Ka'imi Fairburn from 25 yards as DeMeco Ryans takes no chances - points are at a premium tonight and that kick makes it a one-score game.

Considering how the Pats defence has played and how bad CJ Stroud has been, to still be well in this game is a huge bonus.

Marcus Jones has had one heck of a game already and he almost gets another interception on a third down play down by the goal line.

Jones reads exactly what CJ Stroud is trying to do with a quick throw to Christian Kirk and he races across the field to cut it out - getting his hands on the ball but just not enough to take in the catch.

Houston run out the field goal unit.

Much better from Houston on this opening drive thanks to a large dose of Woody Marks and Nick Chubb as they finally gain some ground rushing the football.

They're down on the seven now and closing in on a touchdown that would put them right back into the game.

Image source, Reuters

Super Bowl-winning safety Ryan Clark on ESPN: "The second half has legit ramifications on whether or not CJ Stroud is the quarterback for the Houston Texas going forward.

"Three years in a row, CJ Stroud has got you to this game. This is the year you feel like you have the players around him to win it but now there's no Nico Collins, there's no Dalton Schultz and there's no run game.

"They've put everything on this young man's shoulders. Give him 30 minutes to show he's the guy you drafted second overall [in 2023], he's the guy that brought you here and he's the dude who can take you in the future. He's playing for it all right now."

Xavier Hutchinson takes a catch but then has the ball ripped out and New England think they have a turnover.

The refs agree but when they look back on it they see Hutchinson is clearly down by contact so that one won't stand.

Just another reminder for the Texans though that this Pats defence is sniffing everywhere tonight.

CJ Stroud is back out on the field and back with the football to begin the second half.

It was a huge struggle in the first half but we've seen in these play-offs that games can change in a hurry.

Image source, Getty Images

New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel:

"The defence are keeping us in this thing right now.

"We knew it was going to be tough, we were going to have to get some turnovers and take advantage of the turnovers."

On what he will say to Drake Maye and the offense: "Hang on to the football and protect the quarterback."

I'll give you a clue. One of the teams in this game features reasonably heavily...

CJ Stroud's first-half stats:

• 10 for 26
• 124 passing yards
• 1 TD
• 4 INTs
• 27.2 passer rating

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Only two yards of offence difference between the sides so far with defences clearly on top.

Did we expect much else from these two?

Image source, Getty Images

Drake Maye launches a Hail Mary into the end zone that's picked off by Houston so that'll technically go down as an interception on his stat line but nothing major with that being the final play of the half.

Maye's three fumbles would be more of a worry for the Patriots, but not as much as CJ Stroud's overall display in that half will be for Houston, where he looked a bag of nerves.

Four interceptions thrown by Stroud in that one half of football, and it could've been a couple more as well as he's been rattled by the constant pressure from the Patriots defence.

Houston's defence has been great, but the Pats have been even better - Mike Vrabel has been annoyed by all the talk of the Texans' defence but his boys have shown up for him big time so far tonight.

Will Anderson comes from nowhere and smacks the ball out of Drake Maye's hands with one of this huge arms of his - that must feel like a sledge hammer hitting you.

Anderson and Houston can't get on the ball though so New England retain possession after a huge scare. That's the 13th fumble of the season for Maye - the most in the NFL.

CJ Stroud tackled well short on third down and there's a flag on Houston anyway so they'll kick it away from inside their own end zone.

It's a good punt and a decent return by Marcus Jones so with 36 second left on the clock Drake Maye has the ball around midfield.

Not much doing for Drake Maye this time though - probably a pass interference call that Houston got away with - but New England were taking no chances in their play calls anyway and just boot it away.