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Kayshon Boutte #9 of the New England Patriots
During the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs, Drake Maye and the New England Patriots went head-to-head against arguably the best defense in the league. The Houston Texans came into this matchup at Gillette Stadium as one of the hottest teams in the league and fresh off a dominant performance against Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The win over the Texans was anything but pretty, as it was a game full of turnovers by both teams, but in the end, the Patriots prevailed, with one play sticking out amongst the rest, helping the storied franchise reach the AFC Championship Game once again.
Kayshon Boutte’s Admission About One-Handed Catch
GettyKayshon Boutte #9 of the New England Patriots
In the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game, the Patriots stretched their lead to 12 with an incredible play: Maye connected with wide receiver Kayshon Boutte on a 32-yard touchdown pass.
Boutte hauled in the pass with one hand while diving into the end zone, which was a remarkable and unbelievable sight, considering the weather and what was at stake during this playoff game.
On Monday, Boutte made an unexpected admission about his incredible catch and where the catch stands among his career highlights.
“I never thought about that one yet, honestly,” Boutte said of the touchdown catch. “I think I’m still enjoying the moment. I still kind of look back and I was wondering how did I catch that. I never realized it was one-handed until I got to the sideline and was watching it on the screen.”
After the game on Sunday, Maye was asked about Boutte’s catch and how it came together.
“He keeps on making them,” Maye said of Boutte. “He keeps on making plays, making me look good. I’m proud to be able to give him some throws to make a play on it. A one-handed catch, not much else to say about it. It was pretty sweet. Kind of the same type of throw as my first one to him. And he made an even better catch this time. Props to Kayshon for keep on playing. He was huge for us tonight. That receiver room just keeps on doing good things. Good job in the running game. I think I could have more chances downfield and make better throws. But you can’t be too hard on myself and move on to the next one.”
Boutte ended the game with three catches for 75 receiving yards and one of three touchdown passes thrown by Maye in the win over the Texans.
Mike Vrabel on Kayshon Boutte’s Incredible Catch
GettyKayshon Boutte #9 of the New England Patriots
On Monday, Mike Vrabel made an appearance on The Greg Hill Show and shared his thoughts on Boutte, via Carlos A. Lopez.
“I think Kayshon’s growth as a person and as a teammate, I’ve really just seen him open up,” Vrabel said. “He’s really trusted Todd Downing and the rest of the receivers. That’s a really good group from the standpoint that everybody helps, everybody contributes. You saw it again last night. I like competitiveness. That showed up last week, that showed up last night, and I’m happy for him.”
With the Patriots getting the best of the Texans, New England advances to the AFC Championship Game to take on the Denver Broncos on the road at Empower Field at Mile High.
The Patriots are currently favored (-5.5) to come out on top and advance to the Super Bowl to face either the Los Angeles Rams or Seattle Seahawks.
Ryan Ward is a longtime credentialed writer covering the NBA and NFL. He has over 15 years of experience in the sports industry from writing, editing, social media management and podcasting. He has covered the Lakers and Raiders for Medium Large Sports, with a previous stint at ClutchPoints. Ward is a Los Angeles native from the United Kingdom, who now resides in Colorado.
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