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Patriots 16, Chargers 3: New England Stifles L.A. To Reach AFC Divisional Round

The Patriots will play the winner of Monday night’s Steelers vs. Texans game.
Michael Kadlick|
Drake Maye and the Patriots are onto the divisional round.
Drake Maye and the Patriots are onto the divisional round. | David Butler II-Imagn Images

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New England PatriotsLos Angeles Chargers

FOXBORO, Mass. — The NFL's epic weekend of action came to a close on Sunday night as the Patriots took care of business over the Chargers, 16–3, to advance to the divisional round of the AFC playoffs.

What began as a barn-burner ultimately broke open in the fourth quarter, as Drake Maye connected with Hunter Henry on a 28-yard touchdown pass to cap 13 straight New England points—and in turn seal the franchise's first postseason win since the 2018 season.

The Patriots will take on the winner of tomorrow night’s matchup between the Steelers and Texans in Pittsburgh, while the Chargers—now 0–3 in the playoffs with Justin Herbert under center—will look to right their wrongs this offseason.

We’ll have more live blog action for tomorrow night's game between Houston and Pittsburgh, so make sure to keep it here at Sports Illustrated for all of your NFL playoff updates!

Patriots vs. Chargers: Wild-Card Round Scores, Updates, and More

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Mike Kadlick
MICHAEL KADLICK

Mike Kadlick is an NFL writer for Sports Illustrated. He’s also a New England Patriots reporter for CLNS Media, where he hosts the Patriots Daily podcast and covers the beat from Gillette Stadium. Before joining SI, Kadlick worked at WEEI sports radio in Boston. He holds a master’s degree in public relations from Boston University. When Kadlick’s not covering football, he can be found running, spending time with his wife and dog, and enjoying all things pizza.

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