Bolts hope to stun AFC East champions, 5 things to know about Chargers vs. Patriots

The Los Angeles Chargers finished 11-6 for the second consecutive year. The New England Patriots did not. Led by new head coach Mike Vrabel, the team finished 14-3—tied for the best record in the NFL—and won the AFC East for the first time since 2019.

On Sunday night at Gillette Stadium, Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers look to knock off the AFC’s second seed. It’s a clash between the Bolts’ fifth-ranked defense and the Pats’ third-ranked offense.

It’s been a never-say-never season for the NFL with seven new division winners, including the Patriots. However, keep in mind that Harbaugh’s club won five of its eight road games. Meanwhile, all three of New England’s losses this season came at home.

Chargers vs. Patriots History

All told, this has been a Patriots’ series since the teams first met in 1960. The Boston Patriots came up with a 35-0 road win, then took it on the chin via a 45-16 home loss later that year. Including four previous postseason meetings, the Pats own a 10-game edge (27-17-2) in the overall standings.

Jan 4, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh in the second quarter against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

However, it’s the Chargers who have prevailed in the last two meetings, both at Foxborough. The latest clash saw Harbaugh’s team roll to a 40-7 Saturday afternoon victory in Week 17 of 2024. All told, this will be the fifth meeting between the clubs since 2020, and the road team prevailed in each of the previous four encounters.

Chargers Postseason History

It’s not exactly a pleasant subject. Entering the 2025 NFL postseason season, no franchise in the league has a lower playoff winning percentage (.375) than the Chargers. The team owns a 12-10 overall postseason record. The Detroit Lions are tied with the Bolts in this regard, albeit with a 9-15 win-loss record. The Chargers’ last playoff win came in the 2018 postseason when they knocked off the Ravens, 23-17, at Baltimore. Since then, there was an ugly 41-28 setback to the Patriots in the 2018 divisional round, a narrow 31-30 setback at Jacksonville in 2022 when the team squandered a 27-10 lead, and last season’s 32-12 disaster at Houston in which Justin Herbert was picked off four times.

Ball Security Is Bolts’ Top Priority

A season after finishing with only nine turnovers in 17 regular-season contests, the Chargers gave up the football 21 times this season. Of course, 15 of those miscues (13 interceptions, 2 lost fumbles) were via Herbert, who was also sacked 54 times and wound up running for a career-high 498 yards and two TDs. He must be careful with the ball.

Vrabel’s team finished second in the league with 490 points and a plus-170 scoring differential. Coordinator Josh McDaniels’ offense produced 53 touchdowns and the club turned over the ball just 16 times. In 2024, the 4-13 Patriots scored 289 points (30th in the NFL), totaled 29 offensive touchdowns and gave up the football 23 times.

Keep an Eye on Patriots’ QB Drake Maye

Veteran edge rusher Khalil Mack played in only 12 games this season and finished fourth on the team with 5.5 sacks, behind Pro Bowler Tuli Tuipulotu (13.5), Odafe Oweh (7.5), and Justin Eboigbe (6.0). The 12-year pro has played in two postseason games with the Bolts and has three sacks. The Patriots allowed 48 sacks this season.

What’s been impressive about the second-year quarterback is his somewhat-unflappable nature. Drake Maye led the NFL in completion percentage (72.0), throwing for 4,394 yards and 31 scores while turning over the ball just 11 times. He ran for 450 yards and four TDs, hence he’s a popular name in terms of NFL MVP talk. Can the Pats protect him?

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