The New England Patriots made a statement in their first playoff game since 2021, leaning on a suffocating defense to defeat the Los Angeles Chargers 16-3 in Sunday night’s AFC Wild Card matchup.
Patriots coach Mike Vrabel had warned his team to “be prepared to bleed,” and his defense delivered in spades. The unit pressured Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert relentlessly, sacking him six times and holding Los Angeles to just 207 yards of total offense. The effort culminated in a dramatic final play when Milton Williams brought Herbert down on fourth down, securing New England’s first postseason win in seven years. In a spontaneous celebration, Williams head-butted Vrabel, knocking the first-year coach backward and bloodied his lip.
Drake Maye, making his playoff debut for the Chargers, had a mixed outing. He completed 17 of 29 passes for 268 yards and led Los Angeles with 66 rushing yards, but also threw an interception and lost a fumble—turnovers the Chargers were unable to capitalize on. Herbert, playing just over a month removed from hand surgery, managed 159 passing yards and 57 rushing yards but fell to 0-3 in playoff games. Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh acknowledged his quarterback wasn’t at full strength.
New England got on the scoreboard in the second quarter after a long 48-yard catch-and-run by Rhamondre Stevenson set up Andy Borregales’ 23-yard field goal. The Patriots extended their lead to 9-3 with a 39-yard field goal in the third quarter following a 42-yard pass from Maye to Kayshon Boutte. Early in the fourth, Maye connected with Boutte again and then found Rhamondre Stevenson on a 13-yard run to set up a precise 28-yard touchdown toss to Hunter Henry, pushing the Patriots ahead 16-3.
The Patriots’ defense, however, stole the show. Herbert and the Chargers offense struggled all night, with multiple sacks and forced turnovers. On one drive, K’Lavon Chaisson strip-sacked Herbert, and the resulting fumble ended any hopes of a comeback. Los Angeles’ final possession also ended with Herbert sacked by Williams on fourth down.
The victory gives New England its first playoff win since capping the 2018 season with a Super Bowl victory and sets the Patriots up to host the winner of Monday night’s game between Pittsburgh and Houston in the divisional round. Meanwhile, the Chargers’ season ends with another early postseason exit, their second straight wild-card defeat, and their first scoreless game in the playoffs since the 2007 AFC Championship loss to New England.
The Patriots proved they are ready for the next step, blending steady offense with a dominant, fearsome defense—just as Vrabel envisioned.
