FAMILY TIES: One of the best players on the Texans' fearsome defense is Derek Stingley Jr., grandson of Darryl Stingley, who caught passes for the Patriots for five seasons before he was paralyzed by a hit in a 1978 preseason game. Dan Shaughnessy has more on the cornerback and his grandfather.
UNCONVENTIONAL PREVIEW: Patriots quarterback Drake Maye keeps passing his tests, but the Texans’ defense will be his hardest one yet. Read more in Chad Finn's Unconventional Preview of Sunday's matchup with Houston.
GAMEDAY FORECAST: Globe meteorologists Ken Mahan and Dave Epstein report that as of Friday morning, it doesn't appear the weather will be much of a factor Sunday. A coastal storm moving north doesn’t look like it will come close enough to impact the game. Here's the full forecast.
GONZALEZ RETURNS: Thursday was a good day for the Patriots on the injury front, as cornerback Christian Gonzalez shed the red noncontact jersey he wore Wednesday in the wake of the head injury he suffered in Sunday’s wild-card win over the Chargers. The Patriots had perfect attendance at Thursday's practice.
POWER OF COMMUNITY: In the wake of his father's sudden passing in March, Rhamondre Stevenson was thrown off his emotional axis. Christopher Price has more on how the running back's community wrapped its arms around him in the months since.
KRAFT WEIGHS IN: Patriots owner Robert Kraft joined former Patriots David Andrews and Brian Hoyer for an episode of “The Quick Snap Podcast" and discussed the difficulty of firing Jerod Mayo, the resurgent Patriots, and Maye’s humility.
TB12 NO MORE?: Tom Brady’s original personal fitness and nutrition brand, “TB12,” is shutting down, according to the former Patriots quarterback. Hayden Bird has more.
TUNE IN: The Patriots won their first playoff game in seven years, but there are improvements that need to be made before they take on the Texans. Ben Volin and Gary Washburn discuss.
Boston Globe Sports Report airs every Monday at 5:30 p.m. on NESN and can also be viewed on the Globe’s website, YouTube channel, and other social media platforms.
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