What they’re saying nationally about Patriots’ playoff matchup vs. Chargers

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What they’re saying nationally about Patriots’ playoff matchup vs. Chargers

Lauren Campbell · MassLive

Mon, Jan 5, 2026 ·

4 min read

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The New England Patriots are onto the playoffs .

They wrapped up the regular season with a 38-10 blowout win over the Miami Dolphins to finish the year with a 14-3 record as Drake Maye furthered his case for MVP .

The Patriots now prepare to host the Los Angeles Chargers in a playoff game next week.

Here’s what’s being said about the matchup.

ESPN

“Reason for hope: Drake Maye is playing at an MVP level. The second-year quarterback led the NFL in completion percentage (72.0%), throwing for 4,394 passing yards, 31 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. Said edge rusher K’Lavon Chaisson : “He’s just so calm and it’s all like slow motion. We literally asked him, ‘Do you feel like you’re in a flow state when you’re out there?’

“Reason for concern: Run defense. The Patriots have been hemorrhaging yards against the run. Consider that from Week 10 to Week 18, opponents averaged 4.7 yards per carry and 131.25 rushing yards per game,with eight TDs on the ground. New England led the league in rush defense through Week 9, giving up 75.7 rushing yards per game on 3.6 yards per carry (second in the NFL)."

The Athletic

“It’s tough to envision this Chargers team, with its patched-together offensive line, making a deep run. One exec called them “fool’s gold,” even though the Chargers won seven of eight from late October to Christmas.

“New England’s easy schedule is one caveat. The Patriots own one victory this season over a team that finished with a winning record (Buffalo). That is tied for 24th in the NFL and last among playoff teams. The Chargers are tied for fifth with four such victories, not that beating Minnesota or Pittsburgh should count for much.”

Bleacher Report

“Sunday’s game against the rival Miami Dolphins marked Drake Maye’s final chance to state his MVP case. However, the New England Patriots quarterback was largely overshadowed by running backs TreVeyon Henderson and Rhamondre Stevenson .

“Both backs had rushing touchdowns on Sunday, while Stevenson added a receiving touchdown. As a duo, they’ll be extremely difficult to game-plan for moving forward.

“The Patriots know they can rely on Maye to do special things when needed. With Stevenson and Henderson both healthy, though, Josh McDaniels will have a myriad of ways to create mismatches in the playoffs.”

CBS Sports

“The Patriots have enjoyed a remarkable turnaround in 2025, finishing with a 14-3 record and winning the AFC East. That’s a 10-game improvement from their 4-13 campaign in 2024. Two big pieces of the puzzle for this turnaround have been Drake Maye ascending into an MVP candidate and Mike Vrabel coming aboard and turning the tide. Another piece has been their schedule, which was the easiest in the NFL this season. That has led to some doubting how legit they are, so the playoffs will be an arena for New England to either prove the doubters right or wrong as the competition ramps up.”

NFL

“The Patriots played most of their starters Sunday -- including a few injured players returning -- and looked playoff-ready after thumping the Dolphins. There were a few shaky moments on defense, a turnover on downs, and the Patriots had a field-goal try blocked, as Miami had a few chances to make this a game. Ultimately, though, the Patriots put the pedal down offensively and ran the Dolphins out of the building. Drake Maye and the Patriots’ run game were cooking, and the defense made enough timely stops, forcing two key turnovers, to finish off the game. Hunter Henry ‘s knee was an injury people were watching, but he played and led the team with five receptions.

“The way Sunday went, with Denver and Buffalo winning, the Patriots stayed in the No. 2 slot and will face the Chargers, who sat Justin Herbert and others in their Week 18 game. We’ll see who’s more battle-prepared next weekend: the Patriots, who played their starters, or the Chargers, who didn’t.”

BETTING:On BetMGM , the over/under is set at 45.5 points for Sunday’s playoff game between the Pats and the Chargers. Our comprehensive BetMGM Sportsbook review makes it easy to figure out how to use their platform.

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