Morning Sports Update
“I’ll think back on it when the job complete.”
Kayshon Boutte plays down one-handed touchdown catch from Patriots’ win over Texans: While many in New England were ready to debate where Kayshon Boutte’s one-handed touchdown grab in the Patriots’ divisional round win over the Texans ranked in team history, the wide receiver doesn’t seem to care about that.
Boutte declined to say whether the catch was the greatest of his football career or not, telling reporters on Thursday he’ll ponder that sometime down the road.
“I don’t know, I never really thought about it,” Boutte said when asked if that’s the best catch he’s ever made. “I’ll think back on it when the job complete.”
Boutte made the grab a couple of minutes into the fourth quarter, diving for a ball Drake Maye threw to him before tapping it up to himself with one hand as he beat All-Pro cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. for the score. The 32-yard touchdown grab extended the Patriots’ lead to 28-16 with 12:58 remaining, giving them a much-needed score to put the game out of reach.
The grab sent Gillette Stadium into an instant frenzy. In fact, on the Patriots’ sideline, Rhamondre Stevenson was excited to tell fellow running back TreVeyon Henderson that Boutte made a similar catch for Maye’s first touchdown pass in 2024.
Boutte’s catch also became a viral sensation in the days after the game thanks to a clip shared by NFL Films. The clip perfectly tracks the ball from when Maye threw it to when Boutte secured the grab as it made its way through the snow in Foxborough.
As the catch has been discussed throughout the week, Boutte might be oblivious to any recognition he’s received for the grab.
“I don’t answer the phone. I don’t,” Boutte said when asked how many texts he’s received this week about his catch. “It stay in do not disturb. I’m locked in.”
There was one person’s comment about the grab that Boutte appreciated, though.
“It was a great moment,” Boutte told reporters on Monday of his embrace with Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel after the touchdown. “I think he told me he was proud of the way I was going.
“I’m thankful he believed in me when he came in. There was a lot of talks about where I would be, possibly traded and stuff like that. But, I mean, we’re sitting here today. He believed, I believed. It’s been great.”
Boutte has had a breakout season in 2025, logging 33 receptions for 551 yards and six touchdowns in 14 regular-season games. He has seven receptions for a team-high 141 yards and a touchdown this postseason.
Boutte’s also emerged as a notable voice out of the Patriots locker room this season. He seemed to fire back at Broncos head coach Sean Payton for his remark that Denver fans will have two weeks to rest up following Sunday’s AFC Championship Game.
“I ain’t seen it,” Boutte said. “They can rest in Cancun, too, at the end of the day. It is what it is.”
Trivia: Who was the last player the Patriots drafted as a wide receiver out of college to lead the team in receiving yards for a postseason run?
(Hint: It’s not Julian Edelman, as he was a quarterback coming out of college.)
Scores and schedule:
The Bruins got back in the win column on Thursday, defeating the Golden Knights 4-3. Their three-goal outburst in 54 seconds in the first period helped lift them to victory. The Bruins host the Canadiens at 7 p.m. on Saturday.
The Celtics will play back-to-back road games this weekend. First, they take on the Nets in Brooklyn at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Then, they’ll take on the Bulls in Chicago at 8 p.m. on Saturday.
Finally, the Patriots play the Broncos in Denver in the AFC Championship Game at 3 p.m. on Sunday. It marks the Patriots’ first trip to the AFC Championship Game since they won their last Super Bowl in the 2018 season. If the Patriots win on Sunday, they’ll play in Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara on Feb. 8.
Read more on Boston.com:
Patriots name Adam Vinatieri an honorary captain
A franchise icon will serve as the Patriots’ honorary captain for Sunday’s AFC Championship Game. Adam Vinatieri, who spent his first 10 seasons of his career with the Patriots, made a handful of memorable field goals to help New England win its first three Super Bowls before leaving for Indianapolis to join the Colts in 2006.
Traditionally, a team’s honorary captain for the conference championship game is the person who presents the trophy if their team wins the game. Vinatieri is also a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026.
Patriots hosting rally in Denver
Vinatieri will also be a part of a Patriots event the day before the AFC Championship Game. He and former Patriots center David Andrews will be at Jackson’s LODO in Denver for a playoff rally from 4:30-7 p.m. (MST).
Mike Vrabel earns one Coach of the Year honors
Mike Vrabel has already won himself some hardware. He was named the Pro Football Writers of America’s (PFWA) winner for Coach of the Year on Thursday. Vrabel, of course, helped the Patriots improve by 10 wins in his first season as their head coach, going 14-3 as he has them on the doorstep of a Super Bowl appearance.
Vrabel was also named a finalist for the Associated Press’ Coach of the Year Award on Thursday. He’ll find out if he wins that award during the NFL Honors on Thursday, Feb. 5.
On this day:
Twenty-one years ago on Friday, the Patriots won their third AFC title in four seasons when they took down the Steelers, 41-27, in Pittsburgh. The win avenged a loss from earlier that season, when the Steelers defeated the Patriots to end their record win streak.
Tom Brady, who battled a 103-degree fever that day, threw two touchdowns in the win. The first was a 61-yard touchdown pass to Deion Branch. Rodney Harrison also had a pick-six off Ben Roethlisberger that day.
The Patriots went on to win their third Super Bowl two weeks later, defeating the Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX.
Daily highlight:
Well, maybe this isn’t a highlight for the right reason. But in the final seconds of regulation in Thursday’s Rockets-76ers game, Houston star Kevin Durant blocked Tyrese Maxey’s layup right before the buzzer to send the game to overtime. However, it appeared that Durant made the block after the ball hit the backboard, which should’ve been called a goaltending and given the 76ers two points.
The 76ers still wound up winning in overtime thanks to Joel Embiid’s 32-point triple-double.
Trivia answer: Deion Branch in 2005
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