Josh and Ben McDaniels have coached against each other in the NFL before. But, not with the stakes this high. The offensive coordinator of the Patriots and wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator for the Texans will square off in a meeting of the minds in a playoff game for the first time. Josh obviously has much more experience in these big game situations and rings to show for…

By Alan Segel NEFJ Contributor FOXBOROUGH — A hero is often defined as a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements or noble qualities. If you ask people who their hero is, you will get different answers that range from family members to athletes to political figures. And yes, back decades and years people did have heroes in politics. Patriots’ linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson had a hero; his…

Image courtesy of Sports Illustrated  As the Houston Texans defense quickly pulled away from the Steelers on Monday night, one thing was clear. During the initial glory days of the dynasty and then on the back end, the playoff run was often referred to as a ‘March of the Tomato Cans’ when it came to caliber of opponents. The Pats would automatically host and win the Divisional Round game before…

FOXBOROUGH – There are hundreds, if not thousands and thousands of people that have far more playoff experience than I do from a fan perspective. The 2005 Wild Card win against Jacksonville, the 2011 and 2012 AFC Championships. That’s it. That’s all I’ve got. Sure, I went to dozens of games between the old Foxborough Stadium and Gillette Stadium, but playoff crowds are a different animal. I know what those…

Image courtesy of The Associated Press FOXBOROUGH – Now this is more like it. From the time the lots opened at 4:00, to the time the lights went out and pregame introductions started at about 7:50, Gillette Stadium was alive for playoff football again. It looked and sounded like the old days. In the end, the offense struggled, but the defense had its best performance of the season, holding the…