The New England Patriots won last Sunday night football in a game that felt more like a defensive clinic than a modern NFL shootout. They took down the Los Angeles Chargers with a final score of 16-3. Honestly, if you were looking for high-flying fireworks and 50-yard bombs every other drive, this wasn't it. But for anyone who loves watching a defense basically suffocate an elite quarterback, it was a masterpiece.
Foxborough was loud. Cold, too. You could see the breath of the players in the air, and you could definitely feel the frustration coming off Justin Herbert by the third quarter. The Patriots didn't just win; they reminded the rest of the AFC that they're a massive problem when the weather turns nasty.
The Defense Was the Real Hero
Six sacks. That is the number that tells the whole story. The New England defensive front, led by Milton Williams and K'Lavon Chaisson, spent the entire night in the Chargers' backfield. Herbert is one of the most talented guys in the league, but he looked completely human because he had about 1.5 seconds to throw on almost every dropback.
Chaisson was a monster. He came up with a strip-sack that basically broke the Chargers' spirit. When you see a guy like Herbert—who usually has a cannon for an arm—looking tentative and checking down constantly, you know the game plan is working. New England held Los Angeles to a measly 207 total yards. In today's NFL, that’s almost unheard of for a team with that much talent.
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Drake Maye did enough. That’s the simplest way to put it. He wasn't perfect—he threw a pick and lost a fumble—but he made the plays that mattered. His 28-yard touchdown pass to Hunter Henry in the fourth quarter was the dagger. It was a beautiful, high-arcing ball that Henry snagged right over a defender. That play pushed the lead to 16-3 and essentially turned the lights out on the Chargers' season.
Christian Gonzalez and the Secondary
We have to talk about the backend of that defense. Christian Gonzalez was locking things down before he had to leave with a head injury. It's a bit of a worry moving forward, but the depth stepped up. The Chargers only managed 120 passing yards. Let that sink in. 120 yards. They couldn't get anything going vertically because the Patriots' secondary was playing like their lives depended on it.
Why the Chargers Flopped
It wasn't just the Patriots being great; the Chargers kinda beat themselves in the red zone. They had a massive opportunity early on after an interception gave them the ball on the Patriots' 10-yard line. Most teams would punch that in. Instead, they got stuffed on a fourth-and-short when Herbert's pass to Keenan Allen fell incomplete.
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You can't do that in January.
- Missed Opportunities: Turning the ball over on downs inside the 10 is a death sentence.
- Pass Protection: The O-line was a sieve. Herbert was hit 10 times.
- Clock Management: There were some weird substitution patterns late in the game that wasted precious seconds.
The Patriots' kicker, Andy Borregales, was low-key one of the most important players on the field. He knocked through three field goals. In a game where touchdowns were rare as a steak, those nine points were the foundation of the win. Rhamondre Stevenson also did the dirty work, grinding out 128 total yards and keeping the chains moving when the offense felt stagnant.
What’s Next for New England?
This win was huge because it was the Patriots' first playoff victory in seven years. The Mike Vrabel era is off to a hell of a start. It’s funny, Milton Williams actually head-butted Vrabel during the celebration and bloodied the coach's lip. Vrabel didn't even care. He just laughed it off, saying the "big dogs come out in January."
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Now, they’ve got a date in the divisional round. They’ll be hosting the winner of the Steelers-Texans game. If the defense plays like they did last Sunday, they can beat anyone. The big question is whether Drake Maye can limit the turnovers against even tougher competition.
If you're looking to track the next steps for the Pats or want to see if they can maintain this defensive intensity, keep an eye on the injury report for Christian Gonzalez. His status is going to be massive for the next round. You should also check out the condensed game highlights on the NFL's official channel if you want to see those six sacks in all their glory—it's a rough watch if you're a Chargers fan, but a masterclass for everyone else.
Final thoughts: The Patriots are officially a dark horse. Don't sleep on them.
Next Steps:
- Monitor the NFL injury wire for updates on Christian Gonzalez's head injury and Carlton Davis's toe.
- Check the official NFL playoff bracket to see the exact kickoff time for the Patriots' divisional round matchup.
- Watch the All-22 film of the New England defensive front to see how they manipulated the Chargers' protection schemes.