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14 takeaways from Patriots' wild-card win over Chargers
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- 14 takeaways from Patriots' wild-card win over Chargers
FOXBOROUGH – On Friday afternoon, Mike Vrabel was asked how he thought his team would respond in practice leading up to the Patriots ’ wild-card matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers .
“(We’ll) find out on Sunday night,” Vrabel said. “That’s about the best answer I can give you. The preparation was good, execution has to be better.”
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After a shaky start, Vrabel’s team responded very well in the fourth quarter.
When the game started, it was clear that a young Patriots team had some nerves in this playoff matchup. Gillette Stadium was rocking, but Drake Maye and his offense didn’t look like its usual efficient self.
Maye was intercepted on the second pass he threw. By the time the fourth quarter came, the Patriots ’ offense had turned the ball over two times and had no touchdowns.
Although the execution by Maye’s unit was shaky, that wasn’t the case for Vrabel’s defense. This unit kept quarterback Justin Herbert and the Chargers in check for the first three quarters, and that’s why the Patriots had a slim 9-3 lead heading into the final quarter.
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That’s when the Patriots stepped up to secure this 16-3 wild-card win over the Chargers.
Vrabel’s team moves on to the AFC divisional round, where they’ll play the winner of Monday night’s matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Houston Texans .
This marked the Patriots first playoff win since the 2018 season.
Here’s what went down:
Defense starts fast
For a moment, it looked like the Patriots’ defense would start slow.
Justin Herber opened up the game with a 14-yard pass to Tre’ Harris . The quarterback ran for 9 yards on the next play as the Chargers quickly had two first downs. However, the defense held firm after that.
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Following a false start, Los Angeles couldn’t get out of their 15-yard hole. On third-and-12, Carlton Davis made a nice tackle on Oronde Gadsden , stopping the tight end two yards shy of the first down to force a punt.
Drake Maye , offense start slow
The Patriots’ offense didn’t get off to the start anyone hoped for.
After punting in their first series, things got worse in the team’s second drive as Maye was intercepted by Daiyan Henley at 7:29 of the first quarter, giving the Chargers very good field position.
A good punt by JK Scott set the Patriots up at the 8-yard line. After TreVeyon Henderson lost a yard on first down, Maye dropped back to pass on second-and-11. Teair Tartt tipped the quarterback’s pass, and Henley caught the ball at the 10-yard line.
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Defense had a big stop
Following the interception, the Chargers were 10 yards away from the end zone. That’s what made the defense’s stand even more impressive as Los Angeles came away with no points.
Herbert ran the ball three times for 8 yards to start this drive. The Chargers opted to go for it instead of kicking the field goal. On fourth-and-2, Herbert’s pass wasn’t close to Keenan Allen , and Los Angeles turned the ball over on downs at 5:18 of the first quarter.
Marcus Jones , Jack Gibbens , and Anfernee Jennings made key tackles before the incomplete pass.
Patriots take early lead
After the turnover on downs, the Patriots were backed up at the 2-yard line. It didn’t take Rhamondre Stevenson long to give Maye some breathing room. On first down, the running back caught a short pass and ran for 48 yards to midfield.
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The Patriots attempted to catch the Chargers off guard with a trick play on third-and-4, but it didn’t work. On this attempt, Efton Chism III took the handoff from Stevenson and attempted to throw the ball to an open Maye. However, Chism’s pass was off the mark.
Still, the Patriots stayed on the field for fourth-and-4, and Maye connected with rookie Kyle Williams for the first down. The quarterback then hit Chism for a 20-yard gain at the 11-yard line.
After traveling 93 yards, the Patriots stalled at the 5-yard line, and Andy Borregales gave the team a 3-0 lead with a 23-yard field goal at 13:32 of the second quarter.
Chargers quick to tie
After stopping the Chargers in the first quarter, the Patriots’ defense struggled to start the second quarter.
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Herbert hit Ladd McConkey for a gain of 20 yards to move the chains. After two more first downs, Christian Elliss was flagged for a facemask penalty. That put Los Angeles at the 11-yard line.
Although the defense bent, they didn’t break, stopping the Chargers from getting into the end zone. Cameron Dicker hit a 21-yard field goal to tie the game, 3-3, at 6:52 of the second quarter.
Maye sprints, Patriots retake lead
The Chargers started their final drive before the half at the 8-yard line. On the first play, it looked like Herbert fumbled, but officials ruled it an incomplete pass, saying the quarterback threw the ball.
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In the end, it didn’t matter as back-to-back sacks by Milton Williams and K’Lavon Chaisson forced Los Angeles to punt. A short punt by the Chargers gave the offense the ball at the 46-yard line with 31 seconds on the clock.
On second down, Maye dropped back to pass and took off, running 37 yards to the 17-yard line. That set up a 35-yard field goal by Borregales, and the Patriots went into halftime leading 6-3.
Second turnover ruins scoring opportunity
The Patriots had a chance to extend their lead, and for a moment, it looked like they would. Instead, the wind was taken out of the team’s sails due to Maye’s second turnover of the night.
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At 7:12 of the third quarter, Maye was strip-sacked by Odafe Oweh , who also recovered the ball.
The offense was at the 18-yard line after picking up four first downs. Maye completed passes of 10 yards to Stevenson, 17 yards to Hunter Henry , and 17 yards to Stevenson to get the ball into field goal range. The quarterback picked up another first down to get the Patriots inside the 20-yard line before the turnover.
Defense kept them in the game
The Patriots’ defense held the Chargers to a three-and-out to open up the second half. That was made possible thanks to Marcus Jones, who broke up a pass intended for McConkey on third down.
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After Maye’s fumble, the defense got into some trouble when Carlton Davis was flagged for a 22-yard pass interference penalty. However, the group stopped Los Angeles at midfield, and the Chargers didn’t score off the turnover.
Big pass plays set up another field goal
The Patriots’ next drive didn’t start well as Maye was sacked for a loss of 8 yards. However, the quarterback got his team out of the hole with back-to-back big passes to Henry (19 yards) and Kayshon Boutte (42).
The deep pass to Boutte put the offense at the 27-yard line. Two plays later, Maye missed a wide-open Austin Hooper in the end zone, but the Patriots extended their lead to 9-3 thanks to a 39-yard field goal from Borregales.
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Second turnover ruins scoring opportunity
The Patriots had a chance to extend their lead, and for a moment, it looked like they would. Instead, the wind was taken out of the team’s sails due to Maye’s second turnover of the night.
At 7:12 of the third quarter, Maye was strip-sacked by Odafe Oweh, who also recovered the ball.
The offense was at the 18-yard line after picking up four first downs. Maye completed passes of 10 yards to Stevenson, 17 yards to Hunter Henry, and 17 yards to Stevenson to get the ball into field goal range. The quarterback picked up another first down to get the Patriots inside the 20-yard line before the turnover.
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Defense kept them in the game
The Patriots’ defense held the Chargers to a three-and-out to open up the second half. That was made possible thanks to Marcus Jones, who broke up a pass intended for McConkey on third down.
After Maye’s fumble, the defense got into some trouble when Carlton Davis was flagged for a 22-yard pass interference penalty. However, the group stopped Los Angeles at midfield, and the Chargers didn’t score off the turnover.
Big pass plays set up another field goal
The Patriots’ next drive didn’t start well as Maye was sacked for a loss of 8 yards. However, the quarterback got his team out of the hole with back-to-back big passes to Henry (19 yards) and Kayshon Boutte (42).
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The deep pass to Boutte put the offense at the 27-yard line. Two plays later, Maye missed a wide-open Austin Hooper in the end zone, but the Patriots extended their lead to 9-3 thanks to a 39-yard field goal from Borregales.
Patriots finally reach the end zone
After the defense forced another punt, the Patriots put together another solid drive to start the fourth quarter. This time, they finally hit paydirt.
This series saw Maye hit Kayshon Boutte for 16 yards, and then right when it looked like the quarterback would be sacked, he escaped for an 8-yard run. Next, Stevenson ran for 13 yards to get the Patriots close to the red zone. On the next snap, Maye hit Henry for a 28-yard touchdown pass to give the Patriots a 16-3 lead with 9:45 left on the clock.
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Defense steps up, again
The defense had been stopping the Chargers all night. After the Patriots’ touchdown, they got their first turnover in a pivotal moment.
Herbert picked up two first downs, running for gains of 16 and 11 yards. That brought Los Angeles across midfield. Then, at 8:17 of the fourth quarter, Chaisson strip-sacked Herbert, and the ball was recovered by Christian Elliss.
The Chargers got the ball one more time. With 2 minutes left on the clock, Milton Williams sacked Herbert on fourth down to force a turnover on downs.
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