After a storybook regular season, the real work begins for the New England Patriots as they make their first playoff appearance since 2019.
The Patriots (14-3) will host the Los Angeles Chargers (11-6) for an AFC Wild Card showdown at Gillette Stadium. Patriots quarterback Drake Maye will make his NFL postseason debut after an MVP-caliber Year 2 with New England.
Mike Vrabel led the Patriots back into the playoffs in his first season as head coach. The former Pats linebacker turned the franchise around after back-to-back 4-13 campaigns under Bill Belichick and Jerod Mayo, respectively.
As for the Chargers, they enter Sunday night’s matchup still searching for their first playoff win with Justin Herbert at QB. The Oregon product is 0-2 in his postseason career.
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