Well, if you were expecting a high-flying shootout in Foxborough last night, I hope you didn't bet the over. Honestly, what we saw in the Wild Card finale was a bit of a throwback to old-school, smash-mouth football that probably had Bill Belichick smiling somewhere. The final sunday night nfl score ended up being New England Patriots 16, Los Angeles Chargers 3, and while the scoreboard looks a little lopsided, the game felt much tighter until the very end.
It wasn't exactly a "pretty" win. But in January? Nobody cares about style points. The Patriots officially punched their ticket to the Divisional Round, and they did it by basically suffocating Justin Herbert and a Chargers offense that looked completely out of sync in the freezing Massachusetts air.
Breaking Down the Sunday Night NFL Score: How It Happened
The game started with a lot of punting. Seriously, a lot. New England’s rookie sensation, Drake Maye, showed some jitters in his playoff debut, but he didn't turn the ball over, which was basically the only requirement given how his defense was playing. The Patriots’ defensive front was everywhere. They sacked Herbert four times and forced the Chargers into three-and-outs on nearly half of their possessions.
The scoring was sparse:
✨ Don't miss: El Paso Locomotive FC Standings: Why the 2025 Surge Changes Everything for 2026
- First Quarter: A Joey Slye field goal put the Pats up 3-0.
- Second Quarter: The Chargers managed their only points of the night—a 42-yarder from Cameron Dicker. 3-3 at the half.
- Third Quarter: Drake Maye finally found a rhythm, leading a long 12-play drive that ended in a short rushing touchdown. 10-3.
- Fourth Quarter: Two more Slye field goals iced it as the Chargers' desperation heaves fell incomplete.
You've gotta feel for the Chargers fans. Their team had a four-game winning streak going late in the season before hitting a wall in the final weeks, and that momentum definitely didn't travel to Gillette Stadium. They finished the game with a measly 190 total yards. That's just not going to win you a playoff game, especially not against a team as disciplined as New England.
Why the Patriots Defense is the Story
Usually, when people look up the sunday night nfl score, they’re looking for touchdown highlights or some massive fantasy-style stat line. You won't find that here. This was a defensive clinic. The Patriots' secondary, led by Christian Gonzalez, essentially deleted the Chargers' deep threats.
It’s interesting because everyone talks about the "new era" of the NFL being all about 40-point games and 400-yard passing performances. New England is sort of flipping the script. They finished the regular season 14-3 by playing this exact way—winning the turnover battle, staying patient, and letting their defense do the heavy lifting. Drake Maye might be an MVP finalist, but last night, he played the role of a high-end game manager, and it worked perfectly.
🔗 Read more: Duke Football Recruiting 2025: Manny Diaz Just Flipped the Script in Durham
Wild Card Weekend: The Bigger Picture
This result was the final piece of the Wild Card puzzle. If you missed the rest of the weekend, here’s how things shook out across the league:
- The Rams outlasted the Panthers in a 34-31 thriller.
- The Bears took down the Packers 31-27 in an emotional rivalry game.
- Buffalo barely escaped Jacksonville with a 27-24 win.
- The 49ers eliminated the Eagles 23-19 in a game that saw George Kittle go down with a nasty injury.
With the Patriots win, the AFC bracket is set. New England will now host the Houston Texans next Sunday. That's going to be a fascinating matchup of young quarterbacks, but the Texans are coming off a dominant 30-6 win over the Steelers, so they’re coming in hot.
What This Means for Your Divisional Round Strategy
If you're looking at the betting lines or just trying to figure out who to pick next week, keep a close eye on the weather in Foxborough. The Patriots' ability to win these low-scoring, "ugly" games makes them a terrifying out at home. The Chargers found out the hard way that a high-octane offense can be neutralized if you can't protect the quarterback.
💡 You might also like: Dodgers Black Heritage Night 2025: Why It Matters More Than the Jersey
Next steps for football fans:
- Check the Injury Report: Monitor George Kittle’s Achilles status; that’s a massive blow for the 49ers heading into Seattle.
- Watch the Texans-Patriots line: New England is currently a 3-point favorite, but after Houston’s blowout win, that might move.
- Update your brackets: The road to Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara is getting narrow.
The sunday night nfl score tells us one thing for sure: New England isn't just a regular-season wonder. They’re a defensive powerhouse that is going to be very difficult to move off their home turf in January.