FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Justin Herbert dropped back on fourth down with 1:34 remaining, looking for any opening to extend the drive. Milton Williams burst through untouched and drove the Chargers quarterback into the Gillette Stadium turf, sealing New England’s 16-3 victory Sunday night.
The Patriots defense sacked Herbert six times, forced two fumbles, and held Los Angeles to 207 total yards in a wild card game that was never really in doubt. Drake Maye threw for 268 yards and hit Hunter Henry for the only touchdown as New England advanced to the divisional round for the first time since the 2018 season.
Table of Contents
How the Game Was Won
K’Lavon Chaisson’s strip-sack with 5:29 left in the fourth quarter ended any realistic comeback attempt. Herbert had just moved the Chargers into Patriots territory with back-to-back first downs when Chaisson hit him from behind, jarring the ball loose. The linebacker fell on it himself at the New England 37.
Three plays later, the Patriots faced third-and-8. Maye hit Kayshon Boutte for 16 yards, then found him again for 13. Rhamondre Stevenson ran for 13 more. On first-and-10 from the Chargers 28, Maye lofted a perfect ball to Henry in the back of the end zone.
16-3. Game over.
“We made plays when we had to do it,” Maye said afterward.
Quarterback Stats: Maye vs Herbert
The Los Angeles Chargers vs New England Patriots match player stats tell the story of two quarterbacks under constant pressure, but only one finding answers.
| Category | Justin Herbert (LAC) | Drake Maye (NE) |
|---|---|---|
| Completions/Attempts | 19/31 | 17/29 |
| Passing Yards | 159 | 268 |
| Yards Per Attempt | 5.1 | 9.2 |
| Touchdowns | 0 | 1 |
| Interceptions | 0 | 1 |
| Times Sacked | 6 (39 yards) | 5 (33 yards) |
| Passer Rating | 74.5 | 86.6 |
| Rushing Yards | 57 (10 carries) | 66 (10 carries) |
Maye threw an interception in the second quarter when Daiyan Henley picked off a tipped pass at the New England 10-yard line. The Chargers couldn’t capitalize, with Herbert missing Keenan Allen on fourth-and-2 from the Patriots 10.
Herbert played just five weeks after surgery to repair a fractured bone in his non-throwing hand. Jim Harbaugh acknowledged after the game that his quarterback wasn’t fully healthy.
“He’s a warrior. He just gives it everything he has, all the time,” Harbaugh said.
The injury showed. Herbert averaged 5.1 yards per attempt and couldn’t push the ball downfield against New England’s secondary. His longest completion went for 20 yards.
Defensive Dominance: Sacks and Pressure
New England’s pass rush took over in the second half. After recording just two sacks before halftime, the Patriots brought Herbert down four more times in the final two quarters.
Sack Leaders
Patriots
- Milton Williams: 2 sacks, 2 tackles for loss, 2 QB hits
- K’Lavon Chaisson: 2 sacks, 2 tackles for loss, 3 QB hits, 1 forced fumble
- Marcus Jones: 1 sack, 1 QB hit
- Anfernee Jennings: 1 sack, 1 tackle for loss, 1 QB hit
Chargers
- Odafe Oweh: 3 sacks, 3 tackles for loss, 3 QB hits
- Teair Tart: 1 sack, 2 tackles for loss, 1 QB hit
- Tuli Tuipulotu: 1 sack, 1 tackle for loss, 1 QB hit
Oweh recorded career playoff highs with three sacks and two forced fumbles, but the Chargers couldn’t recover either fumble. Craig Woodson led all defenders with 11 tackles, while Henley paced Los Angeles with 13.
Complete Box Score: Receiving Stats
| Patriots Receivers | Rec | Yards | Avg | TD | Long | Targets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhamondre Stevenson | 3 | 75 | 25.0 | 0 | 48 | 4 |
| Kayshon Boutte | 4 | 66 | 16.5 | 0 | 42 | 4 |
| Hunter Henry | 3 | 64 | 21.3 | 1 | 28 | 5 |
| Stefon Diggs | 2 | 16 | 8.0 | 0 | 9 | 5 |
| Efton Chism III | 1 | 20 | 20.0 | 0 | 20 | 1 |
| TreVeyon Henderson | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | 0 | 9 | 1 |
| Jack Westover | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 0 | 8 | 1 |
| Kyle Williams | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 0 | 7 | 1 |
| DeMario Douglas | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Chargers Receivers | Rec | Yards | Avg | TD | Long | Targets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ladd McConkey | 3 | 32 | 10.7 | 0 | 20 | 4 |
| Oronde Gadsden | 3 | 30 | 10.0 | 0 | 10 | 3 |
| Keenan Allen | 3 | 25 | 8.3 | 0 | 10 | 8 |
| Kimani Vidal | 2 | 20 | 10.0 | 0 | 11 | 3 |
| Tre’ Harris | 2 | 20 | 10.0 | 0 | 14 | 3 |
| Quentin Johnston | 3 | 20 | 6.7 | 0 | 9 | 6 |
| Tucker Fisk | 3 | 12 | 4.0 | 0 | 7 | 3 |
Allen drew eight targets but managed just 25 yards. McConkey’s 20-yard catch in the first quarter represented the Chargers’ longest gain of the night.
Rushing Attack Breakdown
| Patriots Rushers | Carries | Yards | Avg | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drake Maye | 10 | 66 | 6.6 | 37 |
| Rhamondre Stevenson | 10 | 53 | 5.3 | 13 |
| TreVeyon Henderson | 9 | 27 | 3.0 | 15 |
| Team Total | 29 | 146 | 5.0 | 37 |
| Chargers Rushers | Carries | Yards | Avg | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Justin Herbert | 10 | 57 | 5.7 | 16 |
| Kimani Vidal | 11 | 31 | 2.8 | 10 |
| Omarion Hampton | 1 | -1 | -1.0 | -1 |
| Team Total | 22 | 87 | 4.0 | 16 |
New England rushed 29 times to Los Angeles’ 22, controlling the clock with 32:15 in possession compared to the Chargers’ 27:45.
Team Stats: Third Down and Red Zone Struggles
| Category | Chargers | Patriots |
|---|---|---|
| Total Yards | 207 | 381 |
| Passing Yards | 120 | 235 |
| Rushing Yards | 87 | 146 |
| First Downs | 17 | 19 |
| Third Down Conversions | 1-10 | 4-11 |
| Fourth Down Conversions | 1-3 | 1-1 |
| Red Zone Efficiency | 0-2 | 0-3 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 2 |
| Penalties | 4-20 | 2-35 |
| Time of Possession | 27:45 | 32:15 |
The Chargers went 1-for-10 on third down and failed to score on both red zone trips. New England wasn’t much better inside the 20, settling for field goals on all three red zone possessions, but Andy Borregales hit all three attempts (23, 35, 39 yards).
Cameron Dicker made a 21-yard field goal in the second quarter for Los Angeles’ only points.
Special Teams Performance
Kicking Stats
| Kicker | Team | FG Made/Att | Long | XP | Total Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andy Borregales | Patriots | 3/3 | 39 | 1/1 | 10 |
| Cameron Dicker | Chargers | 1/1 | 21 | 0/0 | 3 |
Punting Stats
| Punter | Team | Punts | Yards | Avg | Inside 20 | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bryce Baringer | Patriots | 3 | 130 | 43.3 | 2 | 55 |
| JK Scott | Chargers | 5 | 211 | 42.2 | 3 | 54 |
Return Stats
Kick Returns
- Derius Davis (LAC): 4 returns, 100 yards, 25.0 avg, 34 long
- Jaret Patterson (LAC): 1 return, 28 yards
- Efton Chism III (NE): 2 returns, 48 yards, 24.0 avg, 26 long
Punt Returns
- Marcus Jones (NE): 2 returns, 2 yards, 1.0 avg
Complete Defensive Stats
Patriots Defense
| Player | Position | Tackles | Solo | Sacks | TFL | PD | QB Hits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Craig Woodson | S | 11 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Christian Elliss | LB | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Jack Gibbens | LB | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Marcus Jones | CB | 6 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Robert Spillane | LB | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Milton Williams | DE | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| K’Lavon Chaisson | LB | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Christian Barmore | DT | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jahlani Tavai | LB | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaylinn Hawkins | S | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Carlton Davis III | CB | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Total: 70 tackles, 36 solo, 6 sacks, 6 TFL, 5 pass deflections, 11 QB hits
Chargers Defense
| Player | Position | Tackles | Solo | Sacks | TFL | PD | QB Hits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daiyan Henley | LB | 13 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Tarheeb Still | CB | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Odafe Oweh | LB | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Teair Tart | DT | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Derwin James Jr. | S | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Denzel Perryman | LB | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tony Jefferson | S | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jamaree Caldwell | LB | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tuli Tuipulotu | DE | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Total: 62 tackles, 38 solo, 5 sacks, 7 TFL, 2 pass deflections, 5 QB hits
Scoring Summary
Second Quarter
- 13:32 – Andy Borregales 23-yard FG (NE 3-0) | 14 plays, 93 yards, 6:40
- 6:52 – Cameron Dicker 21-yard FG (3-3) | 11 plays, 69 yards, 6:40
- 0:02 – Andy Borregales 35-yard FG (NE 6-3) | 5 plays, 37 yards, 0:29
Third Quarter
- 1:34 – Andy Borregales 39-yard FG (NE 9-3) | 8 plays, 64 yards, 3:36
Fourth Quarter
- 9:45 – Hunter Henry 28-yard TD pass from Drake Maye, Borregales XP (NE 16-3) | 7 plays, 80 yards, 4:16
Historical Context and What’s Next
Mike Vrabel celebrated his first playoff victory as Patriots head coach with a bloodied lip. After Williams made the game-sealing sack, he sprinted to the sideline and head-butted his coach, knocking him backward.
“The big dogs come out in January. I think Milt took that to heart,” Vrabel said. “He came over and got me pretty good. But that’s what happens.”
The victory marked New England’s first postseason win since Super Bowl LIII in February 2019. The Patriots went 4-13 last season before Vrabel’s arrival sparked a 10-game improvement to 14-3.
For Herbert, the loss dropped his playoff record to 0-3. The Chargers haven’t scored a touchdown in a playoff game since their 21-12 AFC Championship loss to New England following the 2007 season. That’s two straight wild card exits for Los Angeles.
The Patriots will host either Houston or Pittsburgh in the divisional round next weekend. Based on the defensive performance in this AFC wild card matchup, New England’s postseason run looks far from over. The final numbers from the Los Angeles Chargers vs New England Patriots match player stats show a team that controlled both lines of scrimmage and made plays when the game was on the line.
