The New England Patriots defeated the Houston Texans on Sunday to advance to the AFC Championship Game against the Denver Broncos next week at Empower Field at Mile High in the inclement weather and the added altitude that comes with it. Although New England advanced, it might have cost starting cornerback Carlton Davis III, as he exited the game during the second half on Sunday with a head injury (h/t @TomPelissero).
Not only did Davis have his best game as a Patriot in the win, but it was arguably one of the top performances of his career. He finished the day with four tackles and two interceptions, which was the first set of interceptions of his career in the playoffs. It’s worth noting that he also had two interceptions against the Texans in 2024 when he was with the Detroit Lions, showing that lightning can strike twice.
Although details were sparse on Sunday night, ESPN's Mike Reiss has since revealed that Davis is officially in the NFL's concussion protocol. It's a feeling that's all too familiar to Patriots fans, who already dealt with a concussion scare last week with Christian Gonzalez.
Every injury is different, especially when it has to do with the head. That said, Gonzalez was able to break through the protocol within the same week, while it takes others a little longer, as we saw with Kayshon Boutte and Jared Wilson recently as well.
Davis’ status for the AFC Championship is in question after the Divisional Round. Stepping in for him against the Texans was backup cornerback Charles Woods, who’s been the next man up recently in these situations. Woods entered the game in relief during both of the playoff games for both Gonzalez and Davis, showing that he has a legitimate role on this team.
And if Davis can't go on Sunday, the Patriots will need Woods more than ever.
Charles Wood Could Be a Patriots X-Factor vs. Broncos
Woods has been utilized on special teams more than anything this season, but so far in the playoffs, he’s starting to see more snaps on defense than special teams.
Woods played in 15 games this season, recording 12 tackles and a pass deflection in 117 defensive snaps and 171 special teams plays. A majority of his production came near the end of the regular season, where he made six tackles over the last four games and 57 snaps on defense. So far in the playoffs, he has three tackles and is playing more on defense than special teams: 36 defensive snaps to 27 special teams plays.
It’s worth mentioning that the Patriots activated cornerback Alex Austin off of injured reserve on Saturday, and he played in the game, but only on special teams. He started the 2025 season in place of Gonzalez, as he was on injured reserve to start the season. Austin went on IR after their Week 12 game against the Cincinnati Bengals but never returned during the regular season.
Although Austin is back in the mix, it still seems likely that New England will continue leaning towards Woods as the next man up for the cornerbacks. This is the biggest game that the majority of the Patriots roster has ever been in. It’s going to be all hands on deck to get past the Broncos and into the Super Bowl.
The silver lining here is that Denver will be without starting quarterback Bo Nix, who suffered a season-ending injury in the win over the Buffalo Bills. Instead, QB2 Jarrett Stidham will get the nod, as he looks to make his playoff debut while starting for the first time since 2023. Even if the Pats shouldn't underestimate their former signal-caller, it's safe to say facing Stidham won't be as daunting.
Ideally, Davis will advance through the five stages of concussion protocol to suit up in the AFC Championship Game. But nothing is guaranteed in the NFL, especially with head injuries, meaning there's a real chance that Woods will be tasked with the biggest role of his career before the week is over.