What Chargers are saying about drawing Patriots in Wild Card round

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What Chargers are saying about drawing Patriots in Wild Card round

Chris Mason · MassLive

Mon, Jan 5, 2026 ·

2 min read

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After falling to the Broncos in their regular season finale, the Chargers were already looking ahead to Sunday’s game against the Patriots in the postgame locker room.

Los Angeles rested some key pieces in Denver , including quarterback Justin Herbert , so they had an eye to the postseason even before that. Now, they’ve turned their attention fully to the Wild Card round.

“ New England , all focus needs to be on that,” coach Jim Harbaugh said. “That’s the kind of game that does define your season. Put our focus and attention on that.

“Going 14-3 in this league — same as the Broncos — that’s really impressive. Good football team.”

Following Sunday’s 19-3 loss at Denver, Chargers players weren’t yet knee deep in Patriots scouting reports, but a couple veterans did offer initial impressions.

“Looking forward to watching film and getting ready for (an) MVP-caliber QB coming up this next week,” Khalil Mack said, via ESPN’s Kris Rhym .

The nine-time Pro Bowler was bullish on what the 11-6 Chargers could accomplish this January.

“I feel like the possibilities are endless when you take a step back and try to look at the big picture,” Mack said. “Everybody is striving to get that win and get to the big game. That’s always the thought process, but got to focus on this one game first. Win or go home.”

Los Angeles safety Tony Jefferson echoed that, saying the Chargers would need to focus on the task at hand win in Foxborough.

“It’s a whole new season,” Jefferson said. “All focus is on that, going to New England and getting ready to go get a dub.”

On the Patriots side Monday morning, Mike Vrabel said he believed the Chargers were built for the playoffs and would be a good challenge for his team.

“They play great defense,” Vrabel said. “They’re very sound. They’re good tacklers. They’re physical. They get off the field on third down. They’re good in the red zone. They run the football. It’s a physical football team. They possess the football. They lead the NFL in time of possession. They have very good quarterback play. They’re well coached. They play with technique and fundamentals.

“The game, it doesn’t – they don’t panic one way or the other. They kind of stick to their game plan, wear you down and execute in critical situations. So, a lot of respect for them and certainly what they’ve done in a short amount of time."

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