Patriots News 01-11, Keys and Players To Watch Against LA
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Good morning. Here is your Patriots news, 01-11, and NFL notes this week. The regular season is over, and the Patriots are back in the playoffs, while hosting a Wildcard Weekend game against the LA Chargers later tonight.
We’ll break down the game below, but needless to say, it should be a great matchup between two good teams with strong coaching staffs. This is what the players and coaches work so hard for all spring and summer, and throughout the season.
Besides the Patriots game tonight, which one are fans most looking forward to watching? For me, the game in the AFC is the Bills-Jaguars game, which I think will go right down to the wire. I think Jacksonville has an edge talent-wise, but Josh Allen is on the other side.
In the NFC, I think the Eagles-49ers game will similarly go down to the wire. I think the Eagles have struggled offensively all season, but they get RT Lane Johnson back. The Niners get back LT Trent Williams, but they have so many injuries on defense.
The playoffs are back, and the games are all win-or-go-home. Of all the playoff teams, only one team will win its last game of the season. That’s the beauty of the NFL and the playoffs.
Harold Landry: The Patriots are expected to get their best pass rusher back for the game tonight despite the fact that he’s listed as questionable on the injury report. Landry has been suffering from knee and ankle injuries all season.
According to outside linebackers coach Mike Smith, Landry wouldn’t have missed any time, but the coaching staff intervened to ensure he got the rest and recuperation he needed for a deep playoff run.
“One thing with Harold … he’s been banged up all year, and there are certain things people just don’t realize, and how tough that kid is,” Smith said. “We came to the decision the last couple of weeks to rest him just to get him some rest. We kind of forced it on him.”
Smith was quoted by MassLive’s Karen Guregian that Landry was still actively involved every day.
“He never missed a day. He was here in meetings like he was preparing,” Smith said. “He had all his notebooks out and different colored pens and all that stuff. It’s just big for the room.
“To see him out there running around makes you feel better as a coach, feeling more comfortable knowing you got one of your best players coming back … just his presence, man. It’s big.”
Robert Spillane: More good news for the Patriots’ defense this week is that they get their middle linebacker back for the first time since Week 13. He was injured in the Giants game, and after the bye week, was active but didn’t play in the loss to the Bills. He then missed the final three games of the season. But now he’s back and ready to go.
“I’m feeling great,” Spillane said. “To be a part of this moment is very special to me, and I don’t take it lightly or for granted.”
“You continue to work. You continue to trust the process. You focus on the details, the things that you need to do to have a great outcome on Sunday,” Spillane added. “I think as a collection, as a group, I couldn’t be more proud of the confidence level, the focus level of the group.”
Khyiris Tonga: The bad news for the defense is that Tonga, who has been so valuable against the run this season, will miss the playoff game tonight.
Tonga missed the last two games of the regular season with a foot injury. Eric Gregory should be in line to take on a larger role on the interior of the defensive line in Tonga’s absence on Sunday.
Patriots No Huddle Podcast: Mike, Derek, and I recorded our post-game podcast after the Dolphins game. The three of us also did our Wildcard Weekend preview podcast on Wednesday evening.
We’ll do a post-game podcast either late Sunday night or on Monday.
Please check it out. And be sure to like, share, and leave us a review.
Russ Francis/Chuck Fairbanks: The former Patriot tight end and head coach should be in the Patriots team Hall of Fame, and the fact that Francis isn’t is an absolute travesty. Francis and the Raiders’ Dave Casper changed how teams used the tight end position.
This will be displayed in our Sunday posts until it happens. Casper is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Francis’ numbers stand up well against Casper’s, yet he isn’t even in the team’s HOF.
The Patriots and Chargers meet tonight in the Wildcard Round of the Playoffs. While the Patriots excel at explosive plays on offense, the Chargers are outstanding at preventing them against both the run and the pass.
So let’s look at the Key Matchups and see how the teams match up.
The Patriots have discovered a consistent running game down the stretch. Rhamondre Stevenson, in particular, has been outstanding. The Patriots have been averaging 168.4 yards per game on the ground since December 1.
However, the Chargers have been outstanding at stopping the run during the same time frame. They’ve allowed just 101.6 yards a game in five December/January games.
This will be a great matchup to keep an eye on. If the Patriots can get their running game with Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson going, it opens up so many different avenues in play action.
Another great matchup, the Chargers’ pass defense is third in the league and excels at taking away explosive plays in their zone coverage. Drake Maye leads all qualified quarterbacks in EPA per drop-back against zone coverage (+0.29) and has a league-best 110.2 passer rating against zone coverage.
It is a strength-on-strength matchup. LA safety Derwin James is definitely someone who will bear watching wherever he is on the field. He and edge rusher Tuli Tuipulotu (13.0 sacks) are their best players on defense, along with Khalil Mack. They like to take away the middle of the field, an area where the Patriots like to use Hunter Henry and Stefon Diggs. More strength-on-strength matchups.
The Patriots are going to have to hit on some outside deep shots with Kayshon Boutte and Demario Douglas to open things up. The Chargers have good corners with Donte Jackson, Cam Hart, and nickel corner Tarheeb Still.
The Patriots get the edge here, as Maye is completing 74.9 percent of his passes and averaging 9.2 yards per pass against zone coverage, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. Next up, the Chargers’ offense.
The Chargers should have RB Omarion Hampton for this game; he’s been hobbled by an ankle injury but has said he will play. But the Chargers’ offensive line has been hammered by injuries. Kimani Vidal should also see plenty of action.
Meanwhile, the Patriots are getting healthier at just the right time. Milton Williams returned last week, and Harold Landry and Robert Spillane are returning this week after missing several games each, which is huge for New England.
The feeling here is that the Patriots should be able to slow down a less-than-100 percent Hampton and force the game into Justin Herbert’s hands.
Herbert is an outstanding quarterback who has led the Chargers to their 11 wins in a very tough division this season. He can make plays with his arm and legs and is deadly accurate when he is on top of his game.
He has Ladd McConkey, the ageless Keenan Allen, Quentin Johnson, and TE Orende Gadsen as very good targets in their passing game.
But the banged-up offensive line may have issues with the interior pressure of Milton Williams and Christian Barmore this week. Plus, Herbert is dealing with a broken bone in his left hand. The key is getting pressure on Herbert, something the Patriots haven’t been great at. However, having Williams and Landry back fresh for the postseason gives them the slightest bit of an edge here.
The Patriots also have good corners with Christian Gonzalez, Carlton Davis, and nickel corner Marcus Jones.
The “X” Factor is Gadsen tonight. The Patriots have struggled to cover tight ends this year, and he’s a big, valuable target for the Chargers.
The Chargers have one of the best, if not THE best, kickers in Cameron Dicker, who edges out rookie Andy Borregales. Punters JK Scott and Bryce Barringer are evenly matched. But where the Patriots get the edge is in the return game.
Marcus Jones has a 17.3-yard punt return average with two TDs. The Chargers’ coverage units have been among the worst in the league, covering punts and kickoffs.
With that in mind, here are (from a Patriots’ perspective) the players to watch in today’s game.
Drake Maye: Maye has had a fantastic season worthy of the MVP, but now the stakes are raised and we’ll see how he plays in the playoffs for the first time. And against a really good defense.
The Chargers will dial up the pressure against him, especially if he’s finding success early, something they did against Houston. Maye will have to showcase the patience and accuracy he’s had all season to beat the Chargers’ zone coverages.
Will Campbell/Morgan Moses: The Patriots’ tackles will be facing LA edge rusher Tuli Tuipulotu, who leads the Chargers with 13.0 sacks. The Chargers like to move him around from side to side, hunting matchups, occasionally placing him inside.
Regardless of where he lines up, the offensive line will have to account for him and be prepared to take on a very quick, physically imposing player who can really get after the QB.
Harold Landry/K’Lavon Chaisson: The Patriots’ edge rushers who have combined for 16 sacks are facing a banged up offensive line that is missing two Pro Bowl tackles.
Justin Herbert has been sacked 54 times this season, and the Chargers’ offensive line is last in the league in pass protection win rate. With Milton Williams and Christian Barmore pushing the pocket from the inside, it will limit how much Herbert can step up in the pocket, allowing the edge rushers to get after him. This is a key matchup if the Patriots are going to be successful on defense.
Kayshon Boutte: The Patriots’ big-play wide receiver will probably see single coverage for much of this game against cornerback Cam Hart, as the Chargers will look to take away the middle of the field from Hunter Henry and Stefon Diggs.
LA excels at taking away the big, explosive plays in the passing game. Boutte, however, has shown the ability to beat single coverage and make the explosive, deep plays that have been a staple of this offense. This will be a great matchup to watch as the game unfolds.
The Patriots and Chargers are pretty evenly matched, and despite the Patriots getting the slight edge in a couple of key categories, this one could go either way. The cold weather may favor New England as they’ve been playing in cold weather for the past month.
However, the 8:00 p.m. start time tends to favor the West Coast teams, something to do circadian advantage as their body clocks are in their ideal late afternoon performance window, leading to better-than-expected results in these “primetime” games, according to research by Psychology Today and NPR.
This time slot (like many Sunday Night Football or Monday Night Football games) favors teams from the Pacific Time Zone (e.g., Seahawks, 49ers, Chargers, Raiders) when they travel East, as East Coast teams are winding down while West Coast players are peaking physically, notes Sports Illustrated.
So, that being said, I think having home-field advantage does play a factor, although the Patriots have been better on the road than at home. But Drake Maye and the offense get it done against a very good Chargers defense.
The Patriots’ defense gets a late stop, and they move on to the divisional round.
Patriots 27-23
The schedule this weekend is small and will only get smaller. There are a lot of intriguing games on the slate. The Bears and Packers have been rivals since the earliest days of the NFL.
The Bills-Jaguars and the Patriots-Chargers games feature very talented QBs who can take over a game. There should be plenty of fireworks.
Now we’ll see how the games play out. Let’s Go!
Wildcard Saturday Games:
LA Rams over Carolina
Chicago over Green Bay
Wildcard Sunday Day Games:
Buffalo over Jacksonville
Philadelphia over San Francisco
Wildcard Sunday Night Football:
New England over LA Chargers
Wildcard Monday Night Football
Houston over Pittsburgh
Last Week 8—8
2025 Season 181—90—1
2024 Season 204—68
2023 Season 178—94
2022 Season: 178—92—2
2021 Season: 183—88—1
2020 Season: 169—86—1
2019 Season: 162—93—1
Mike Vrabel was asked about the Chargers’ offensive line and the injuries that they’ve had this season.
“Physical group. They run the football. They have had some moving parts, so I give a lot of credit to them. They’re protecting for one of the top quarterbacks in this league, and when they give him time, he does a fantastic job.
“When he has to extend plays or scrambles, he’s creating X plays and they’re successful that way as well. So, it’s a challenge, but they want to be physical, they want to wear on you, they don’t mind a bunch of third-and-2s and 3s.
“They’ve got a lot of short yardages that they convert, so they’re doing a lot of things well. Obviously, possessing the football, and then being able to extend drives by staying on schedule.”
Mike Vrabel was asked about Rhamondre Stevenson and the issues that he’s overcome this year.
“.Yeah. When you come into a new situation and there’s things that are happening with players outside of here, it’s hard to get to know them. And I think that was the first thing, is just trying to support him from afar without really knowing him.
“There were days where he wouldn’t communicate, and there were days that he would. We would try to just keep reaching out to him and support him the best that we could. And then, when he was able to come in, I’ve enjoyed every minute that I’ve had to spend with him as a person and as a player.
“You’ve got to go through some adversity sometimes in life, in sports and in jobs, and that’s all part of it. And so, he’s helped us a lot here. We’ve talked about his role as a running back, protector, and pass catcher. So, the versatility we certainly appreciate, and it’s been fun to see.”
Drake Maye was asked about tonight being his first playoff game. How does he keep from getting overamped or overhyped at the start of the game?
“Yeah, I think what Coach [Mike Vrabel] was preaching is just don’t change our process, our preparation, throughout the week, what we’ve been doing. I think the natural thing is to get a little more amped. I guess that’s just natural, as a human, for a big game. Just trust what you’ve been doing.
“I told these guys at the end of the season, before the playoffs came, to put some extra work in, to stay after practice. Some guys have been running extra routes and little things like that that can go a long way, but don’t do anything out of the ordinary.
“That’s the biggest thing. Trust what you’ve been doing. Trust the preparation you’ve been doing all season. Trust your coaches and your teammates around you, and just go out there and have fun. It’s playoff football, so you’ve got to bring your best, and everybody knows that. That’s the expectation. Just trying to live up to that and just trying to be myself.”
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“Somebody asked me what success looks like, and I said, ‘Yeah, you can judge it by wins and losses during the season, but success for me in the offseason is going to be that the players believe in what we’re doing, and they believe in the message, they believe in the teaching, and they believe in the connections that we’re making.’” — Mike Vrabel
Follow me on Twitter @SteveB7SFG or email me at [email protected]
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