Patriots pull away late in wild card win over Chargers

For the first time in nearly seven calendar years, the New England Patriots can call themselves playoff victors.

Powered by a suffocating defense and clutch late-game offensive firepower, the Patriots outlasted the Los Angeles Chargers by a 16-3 final at Gillette Stadium Sunday night. Quarterback Drake Maye didn't have his best game, finishing 17-for-29 for 268 yards, one touchdown and one interception (86.6 passer rating), but threw a fourth-quarter touchdown pass to put the Pats up two scores late. The real story of this game was the Patriots defense, which limited the Chargers to only three points on 207 total net yards of offense. Chargers QB Justin Herbert finished 19-for-31 for 159 yards passing, for a passer rating of just 74.4.

The Patriots faced some early trouble after the Chargers pinned them at their own 8-yard line, when defensive tackle Teair Tart deflected a pass attempt and linebacker Daiyan Henley came down with the interception. But L.A. ended up empty-handed, as Herbert got tackled short on two straight runs, then threw it incomplete on fourth-and-goal.

Running back Rhamondre Stevenson quickly made the Pats forget about that turnover, taking a short dump-off from Maye and turning it into a 48-yard catch-and-run. The Patriots ultimately drove 93 yards in 14 plays, and settled for a field goal after Maye had to throw away his third-down pass attempt. But rookie kicker Andy Borregales converted the chip shot to give the Pats the first lead at 3-0.

The Chargers were able to answer the field goal with a field goal, making it 3-3. A 20-yard catch by wide receiver Ladd McConkey, followed later by a facemask penalty on linebacker Christian Elliss, contributed largely to the Chargers' strong field position on the drive. But Robert Spillane and Jack Gibbens combined to make the stop on third-and-2, which made the Chargers decide to take the three points.

The teams then traded punts, but the Chargers' J.K. Scott popped it up for only 33 yards. Maye quickly took advantage of his field position, scrambling up the middle for a 37-yard gain that set up first-and-10 from the Chargers 17-yard line. But with only 16 seconds and no timeouts, the Pats had limited options. Maye made two safe throwaways, then Borregales came in and converted another field goal to give the Patriots a 6-3 halftime lead.

Maye had the Patriots threatening on their first drive of the third quarter, but picked a bad time to make one of his worst mistakes. Facing pressure and a collapsing pocket, Maybe tried to get rid of the ball and instead coughed it up for a lost fumble. However, the Pats defense helped out their quarterback by forcing another punt, and Maye rebounded with a 42-yard deep strike to Kayshon Boutte that set up first-and-10 from the Chargers 27-yard line. Maye's next two pass attempts landed incomplete, but the Pats were able to grab another three points to go up 9-3.

The Chargers managed to get back near midfield on the ensuing drive, but Herbert threw two passes off the mark while under duress up front, forcing yet another L.A. punt. And that's when Maye and the offense finally came up with their best drive of the night.

They drove 80 yards in seven plays, capped by a pretty pass from Maye to tight end Hunter Henry down the left seam for the first touchdown of the night by either team. Maye went 4-for-4 for 55 yards and the score over the course of the drive, which put the Patriots up 16-3. The defense followed that up with yet another superlative effort, this time with a K'Lavon Chaisson forced fumble recovered by Elliss.

The Pats offense narrowly avoided another disaster when Maye lost the ball yet again, but teammate Jared Wilson snatched the loose ball for the recovery. They ultimately punted, but the defense had one more big stop in them. Defensive tackle Milton Williams slammed Herbert down for a fourth-and-9 sack, which got the ball back in Maye's hands and for the final time in the game.

Up Next: With their first playoff win under their belt, the Patriots will now face the winner of Monday night's wild card game between the Texans and Steelers.