- WHERE: Gillette Stadium (Foxborough, Mass.)
- WHEN: 8 p.m. ET
- HOW TO WATCH: NBC, Peacock, Universo, NFL+
Jim Harbaugh and Mike Vrabel are former NFL players who’ve had good success in their second NFL head-coaching stints, but Sunday night’s wild-card matchup will be the first time they’ll meet head to head.
The Chargers and Patriots are built similarly, with dual-threat star quarterbacks capable of carrying their teams in any given game, and with defenses and special teams that tend to have far more positive results than negative ones.
For Harbaugh and Justin Herbert, it will be a chance to exorcise last year’s playoff nightmare in the blowout loss to the Texans. Herbert also lost his previous playoff game, watching the Jaguars erase a 27-0 deficit and being unable to stop the bleeding.
Sunday will be Drake Maye’s playoff debut after an incredible season that could see him win the league’s MVP -- and it’ll be the Patriots’ first playoff game at Gillette Stadium with anyone other than Tom Brady at QB. Vrabel also looks to improve his 2-3 postseason mark from his Tennessee days.
How these quarterbacks fare against two very capable defenses could be the difference in what looks like a fascinating first-round matchup.
Three must-know storylines
1) Maye is dangerous, but he’ll have hands full with Chargers defense
Drake Maye turned in an MVP-caliber season in Year 2, meshing well with new offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, a revamped offensive line and a new cast of receivers. Maye’s downfield touch and accuracy, along with his scrambling ability, has made New England’s offense a bear to defend, racking up more than 300 yards in every game and scoring 23 or more points in their past 14 games. It’s also impressive how Maye has avoided turnovers, with only 11 on the season -- three games with two turnovers, five games with one and nine with zero giveaways. Stefon Diggs is the go-to guy in key situations, and they’re a bit thin at wide receiver with Mack Hollins out. But Maye has good options at tight end with Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper, and they’ve used RBs Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson more as pass catchers recently. Having left tackle Will Campbell back in Week 18 also appeared to upgrade the offensive line. The Chargers are mostly excellent defensively, with more INTs (19) than pass TDs allowed (16) in 2025. Coordinator Jesse Minter operates a disciplined, zone-heavy and opportunistic unit. He will try to confuse Maye by disguising coverage pre- and post-snap, and Los Angeles has a pass rush that can get home, led by Tuli Tuipulotu, Khalil Mack and Odafe Oweh -- all rested and ready to pursue. Safety Derwin James is an X-factor in the middle of the Chargers defense whom the Patriots must respect, although tight ends have done some damage against them late in the season.
2) Herbert hopes to overcome injury, leaky OL vs. Patriots’ D
Justin Herbert has been a miracle worker at times for the Chargers, finding ways to thrive in spite of injury and poor protection up front. He sat out Week 18, protecting his broken left hand, and now the question once again is how good his protection will be against New England. Jamaree Salyer, the team’s third left tackle this season, sat out the past two games with a hamstring injury, though he's luckily off the injury report. The Patriots will need a disciplined rush; Herbert has been terrific outside the pocket as a thrower and scrambler, able to get out of trouble and sting defenses, but he also has been sacked three or more times in 10 of his 16 starts. The Patriots’ sack percentage (6.64%, 20th) doesn’t tell the whole story, as their pressure rate (35.9%, per Next Gen Stats) ranks 10th, and it’s possible they get Harold Landry (knee; questionable) back. New England also has generally kept the big plays under wraps this season, allowing only 42 passes of 20-plus yards (tied for seventh-best) and only three plays of 40-plus (tied for second). The Chargers have a very balanced passing attack, with four receivers between 641 and 741 pass yards this season. Keep an eye on rookie tight end Oronde Gadsden II, who has shaky hands but explosive ability, especially against a New England defense that has struggled to contain good receivers at the position. The Patriots will give up some catches with their zone-heavy scheme, but between limiting explosive pass plays and having eyes on mobile quarterbacks, reducing their scramble potential, the Chargers might have to work their way up and down the field more gradually.
3) Which run game can provide the biggest boost?
The Chargers and Patriots each rank in the top half of the league of rushing yards and yards per carry, but they’ve taken different routes to get there. The Chargers hope to have Omarion Hampton back from injury -- the running back is questionable due to an ankle injury but said he expected to play -- and Kimani Vidal has added a layer of explosiveness to the backfield. However, the blocking hasn’t always allowed them to thrive consistently. Justin Herbert’s scrambling has helped to give those rushing totals a cosmetic boost at times, too. The Patriots’ run defense looks good on the stat sheet, allowing only 101.7 yards per game (sixth), but they’ve been carved up a bit late in the season by the likes of Breece Hall, Derrick Henry and James Cook. The return of defensive tackle Milton Williams appeared to help the run defense last week, and the Patriots are set to get linebacker Robert Spillane (foot) back from injury (though defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga will miss). New England has leaned more on the run game down the stretch, with Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson filling big roles. Stevenson has been on a heater of late, averaging 9.6 yards per carry and scoring six TDs in his past four games, and Henderson is the big-play dynamo with four TDs of 50-plus yards this season. Like the Chargers, the Patriots’ run blocking has been spotty at times, but the return of Campbell last week boosted the offensive line. The Chargers’ run defense has been very good this season, with Saquon Barkley the last one to really hurt them back in Week 14, but the Patriots likely will be patient with the run game and keep pounding away, especially if they gain an early lead.
Chargers' Wild Card Weekend injury report
Patriots' Wild Card Weekend injury report
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