Patriots, Cardi B Troll ESPN After Playoff Win Over Texans

ESPN analysts had to know they’d face a reckoning when the New England Patriots eliminated the Houston Texans on Sunday.

Five ESPN panelists unanimously picked the Texans to beat the Patriots on Friday’s “NFL Live.” They all acted incredulously to that development, as four of them predicted a three-point Houston triumph despite New England entering Gillette Stadium as three-point favorites.

The Patriots proved them wrong with a more convincing 28-16 triumph. After the game, the team and one famous supporter took a victory lap.

The team taunted ESPN on its social media accounts, posting a screenshot from “NFL Live” displaying Texans picks across the board.

“Oh no,” the Patriots wrote on X.

“You had it coming,” they captioned on Instagram.

Cardi B delivered a more boisterous response. The Grammy Award-winning artist and partner of Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs celebrated with a short video and an all-caps message that demonstrated the same energy.

“They didn’t believe in us!” Cardi B wrote. “I like us! We all we got! We all we need!”

Diggs also appeared to notice that ESPN segment. The veteran suggested that the Patriots fed off doubters after scoring one of Drake Maye’s three passing touchdowns in Sunday’s victory.

“I think we’re one of those teams that play better with a chip on our shoulder,” Diggs said.

To their credit, some of the ESPN panelists accepted their public humiliation.

“This was locked and loaded, and we deserve it,” former defensive lineman Marcus Spears wrote after incorrectly predicting a 17-14 Texans win.

“Getting dunked on by Cardi B,” Mina Kimes said. “An honor and a privilege.”

That led ESPN colleague Bill Barnwell, who wasn’t among the “NFL Live” contributors, to reclassify Cardi B’s hit song “WAP” to mean, “Will you Apologize to the Patriots.”