The New England Patriots’ postseason drought is over. After three disappointing seasons that saw them fall short of playoff qualification, they have made it back to the tournament thanks to their 14-win regular season.
Their first game will take place against the Los Angeles Chargers, who finished the regular season in second place in the AFC West and with an 11-6 record. The team of head coach Jim Harbaugh will visit Gillette Stadium on Sunday night, so let’s get to meet them.
Chargers key stats
The Chargers are led
by one of the NFL’s most talented quarterbacks, and yet the story of their season so far is the performance of their defense. A look at their key stats in the regular season illustrates this.
Record: 11-6 (2nd AFC West/7th AFC)
Scoring differential: +28 (14th)
Turnover differential: +2 (11th)
Offense: 21.6 points/game (20th), 333.8 yards/game (12th), 21 giveaways (t-17th), -0.016 EPA/play (24th), 0.021 EPA/dropback (23rd), -0.080 EPA/run (23rd)
Defense: 20.0 points/game (9th), 285.2 yards/game (5th), 23 takeaways (t-7th), -0.077 EPA/play (6th), -0.051 EPA/dropback (7th), -0.121 EPA/run (4th)
Statistically speaking, Justin Herbert and the Chargers offense have been relatively pedestrian so far. They have not been particularly bad in any category either, but also do not stand out in many areas — except one: they are as good as any team in football controlling the flow of the game, ranking second in time per drive (3:11) and fifth in plays per drive (6.5). Their scoring efficiency has not been quite at that level, but L.A. has proven itself capable of dictating how a contest goes.
That also is true on defense, where the Chargers are ranked fifth (2:40) and fourth (5.7) in those respective categories. In general, they have been impressive on that side of the ball. They are ranked in the top-10 in virtually all volume and efficiency stats both against the run and the pass, with the notable exceptions including yards per run (4.3; 18th). Even that is off-set by a fourth-place ranking in expected points added per run (-0.121).
Chargers 2025 season
While the Denver Broncos ended up locking up the AFC West and top playoff seed in the conference, the Chargers managed to give them a run for their money for large stretches of the season. Ultimately, however, they were undone by some struggles against inferior opponents early on and an inability to win games against other playoff hopefuls.
Still, L.A. ended the season winning 11 games — matching their record in their first season under head coach Jim Harbaugh.
Week 1: 27-21 win vs. Kansas City Chiefs (1-0)
Week 2: 20-9 win at Las Vegas Raiders (2-0)
Week 3: 23-20 win vs. Denver Broncos (3-0)
Week 4: 21-18 loss at New York Giants (3-1)
Week 5: 27-10 loss vs. Washington Commanders (3-2)
Week 6: 29-27 win vs. Miami Dolphins (4-2)
Week 7: 38-24 loss vs. Indianapolis Colts (4-3)
Week 8: 37-10 win vs. Minnesota Vikings (5-3)
Week 9: 27-20 win at Tennessee Titans (6-3)
Week 10: 25-10 win vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-3)
Week 11: 35-6 loss at Jacksonville Jaguars (7-4)
Week 12: Bye
Week 13: 31-14 win vs. Las Vegas Raiders (8-4)
Week 14: 22-19 (OT) win vs. Philadelphia Eagles (9-4)
Week 15: 16-13 win at Kansas City Chiefs (10-4)
Week 16: 34-17 win at Dallas Cowboys (11-4)
Week 17: 20-16 loss at Houston Texans (11-5)
Week 18: 19-3 loss at Denver Broncos (11-6)
The Chargers opened the season with three straight victories, including over the reigning AFC champion Chiefs and the eventual top-seeded Broncos. However, back-to-back losses against the Giants and Commanders disrupted their momentum.
They did manage to bounce back, winning three of their next five but also suffering losses to the Colts — who at that time were still an AFC frontrunner — and Jaguars. Following their bye, the Chargers got back on track to win four straight before a loss to the Texans and a defeat in Denver that saw them rest several starters.
Chargers active roster
Roster up-to-date as of Jan. 7, 6 a.m. ET | *denotes nominal starter
Quarterback (2): Justin Herbert* (10), Trey Lance (5)
Running back (5): Omarion Hampton* (8), Kimani Vidal (30), Jaret Patterson (32), Scott Matlock (44 | FB/DT), Hassan Haskins (28)
Wide receiver (6): Ladd McConkey* (15), Quentin Johnson* (1), Keenan Allen* (13), Tre’ Harris (9), KeAndre Lambert-Smith (84), Derius Davis (12 | KR/PR)
Tight end (3): Oronde Gadsden II* (86), Will Dissly (89), Tyler Conklin (83)
Offensive tackle (4): Jamaree Salyer* (68 | LT), Trey Pipkins III* (79 | RT), Bobby Hart (66), Austin Deculus (74)
Interior offensive line (5): Zion Johnson* (77 | LG), Bradley Bozeman* (75 | C), Mekhi Becton* (73 | RG), Trevor Penning (64), Andre James (78)
Interior defensive line (5): Da’Shawn Hand* (91), Teair Tart* (90), Jamaree Caldwell* (99), Justin Eboigbe (92), Otito Ogbonnia (93)
Defensive edge (5): Tui Tuipulotu* (45), Khalil Mack* (52), Odafe Oweh (98), Bud Dupree (48), Kyle Kennard (54)
Linebacker (5): Daiyan Henley* (0), Denzel Perryman (6), Troy Dye (43), Del’Shawn Phillips (53), Marlowe Wax (58)
Cornerback (5): Tarheeb Still* (29), Cam Hart* (20), Donte Jackson* (26), Benjamin St-Juste (24), Deane Leonard (33)
Safety (5): Derwin James Jr.* (3), Elijah Molden* (2), Tony Jefferson (23), R.J. Mickens (27), Kendall Williamson (40)
Specialists (3): Cameron Dicker (11 | K), J.K. Scott (16 | P/H), Josh Harris (47 | LS)
Even though playoff success has largely eluded him in his career, Justin Herbert remains one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. A Pro Bowl selection this year, he finished the regular season completing 340 of his 512 pass attempts for 3,727 yards with 26 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He is ranked 21st in EPA per play (0.088) and 19th in completion percentage above expectation (+1.6).
Statistically, like the offense as a whole, Herbert has not stood out in 2025. So, what’s going on? A big reason for his lack of production is inconsistency along the offensive line: the Chargers used a season-high 32 different combinations during the regular season, per NFL Next Gen Stats, forcing Herbert into tough situations throughout the year.
Heading into Sunday night, L.A. will be down its two stalwart offensive tackles Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater, who both are out for the year on injured reserve. One of their replacements, projected starting LT Jamaree Salyer, is also facing questions after sustaining a hamstring injury.
While the Chargers’ offensive line remains a concern, the team’s skill position talent is top notch. Keenan Allen remains an ageless wonder, leading the team with 81 receptions that he took for 777 yards and four touchdowns. The top two in terms of usage, meanwhile, are Ladd McConkey (66/789/6) and Quentin Johnson (51/735/8) — the former leads L.A. in receiving yards, the latter in touchdowns.
Also not to be overlooked are tight end Oronde Gadsden (49/664/3) and running backs Omarion Hampton (124/545/4) and Kimani Vidal (155/643/3). Led by McConkey’s 789, all six of the players mentioned here have gained over 600 scrimmage yards this season. For comparison, the Patriots have four such players (TreVeyon Henderson, Stefon Diggs, Rhamondre Stevenson, Hunter Henry).
On the other side of the ball, a couple of Pro Bowlers catch the eye. The first is sack leader Tuli Tuipulotu, who has registered 13 quarterback takedowns this season and together with Odafe Oweh (7.5) and Khalil Mack (5.5) forms a potent three-man rotation on the edge. They are leading the way for a defense whose 45 sacks are tied for 10th in the NFL — a number achieved without a lot of blitzing (19.0%; 27th).
The other Pro Bowler is safety Derwin James, who continues to be a menace in the middle of the field and a player capable of doing it all. He has caught three interceptions this season, forced a fumble, notched a pair of sacks and ranks second on the team in tackles (94) behind only off-ball linebacker Daiyan Henley (103).
James is the centerpiece in a secondary relying largely on zone coverage. The Patriots could be facing plenty of quarters looks on Sunday.
Chargers reserves
Practice squad (16): QB D.J. Uiagalelei (7), RB Royce Freeman (41), RB Amar Johnson (34), WR Dalevon Campbell (81), WR Luke Grimm (87), WR JaQuae Jackson (82), OT Foster Sarell (67), OL Ben Cleveland (—), OL Josh Kaltenberger (63), OL Branson Taylor (71), DT TeRah Edwards (94), DT Kyle Peko (95), ED Garmon Randolph (97), LB Emany Johnson (38), CB Isas Waxter (37), S Marcus Williams (31)
Practice squad international (1): TE Thomas Yassmin
Injured reserve (9): RB Najee Harris, TE Tucker Fisk, OT Joe Alt, OT Rashawn Slater, DT Josh Fuga, LB Junior Colston, CB Jordan Oladokun, CB Nikko Reed, CB Eric Rogers
Physically unable to perform (1): OT Savion Washington
As noted above, the Chargers’ starting offensive tackle duo of Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater will be out this week. Their losses have been substantial, and only the tip of the iceberg along the offensive line.
Chargers coaching staff
Head coach: Jim Harbaugh
Coordinators: Greg Roman (OC), Jesse Minter (DC), Ryan Ficken (ST)
In his first two years as Chargers head coach, Jim Harbaugh brought one thing: stability. The team went 11-6 in the regular season both times — they were beaten by the Texans in the wild card round in 2024 — and also relied on a staff largely the same in both years. That might change in 2026, with defensive coordinator Jesse Minter a particularly hot name on the market, but for now L.A. has an experienced staff that has repeatedly put the team in winning situations.
