Chargers Shocked by Patriots’ Defense: ‘We Had No Clue What They Were In’
Patriots adjustments leave Chargers confused after a dominant performance on defense
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One of the biggest issues the Patriots have quietly dealt with all season has been the absence of defensive coordinator Terrell Williams, who has been away from the team for a good portion of the year battling prostate cancer.
The former Lions and Titans coach was part of the new staff on the defensive side of the football under new head coach Mike Vrabel, with Williams expected to handle the duties leading that group heading into the 2025 season.
But his unexpected health issue changed things. It led Vrabel to turn to linebackers coach Zak Kuhr to fill in on Williams’ behalf, and instead of a potential problem, it’s safe to say Kuhr has exceeded expectations.
The team went so far as to create a ‘Mic’d Up’ episode of him online, putting Kuhr in the spotlight as fans got a chance to see him in action. It was obvious that the players love playing for him, and the 37-year-old coach clearly brings plenty of energy on the sideline that his guys seem to feed off of.
Sunday night against the Chargers, Kuhr absolutely came up in a big way. The Patriots held Los Angeles to just three points and apparently stymied a group that seemingly had no answers for what New England was doing.
“Zak has been great all year. He keeps the dials spinning,” said linebacker Robert Spillane after the game. “He keeps offenses guessing. All year, he’s been doing that.”
“Just after the game, talking to a few of the guys on their team, they had no clue what we were doing. They came up and said that, ‘We had no clue what you guys were in all game.’ So, for him just to be able to build those packages throughout the week, our back-end players to know how to disguise the different defenses, really keeps quarterbacks guessing.”
It’s a situation that could have gone horribly wrong, yet it’s turned into Kuhr joining his players in terms of taking advantage of an opportunity. Vrabel has talked on more than one occasion about how hard Kuhr works and his preparation with the players, but to see the results on the field each week has been fun to watch.
However, the biggest difference has been the fact that as they’ve faced various challenges, Kuhr has reacted and made the adjustments that have allowed his players to be successful.
Unlike last season, that group has looked far more prepared and in position to make plays. Last year, it felt like it was less about any lack of effort and more of guys not being ahead of the other team from a coaching standpoint. They were often out of position, with players visually frustrated during what ended up being the second-straight 4-13 season for the Patriots.
This season, it’s been a different story. Instead, the adjustments throughout the game, even when they’ve fallen behind early, have been notable. It’s seen New England remain in the game after having been outscored 196-149 in the second half of 2024. This season, they finished giving up the 7th fewest points in the NFL in the second half, and it definitely played a key role during New England’s 10-game winning streak on the road to their 14-3 record.
That finish is also big because it put last night’s game in Foxboro, instead of a potential game on the road.
“He really has, “ said Vrabel when a reporter mentioned that Kuhr’s done a ‘remarkable job’ this season. “I would tell you that this means a lot to him. These players mean a lot to him. I think that they want to do well for Zak and for the entire staff. They put a lot into it. I’m proud of Zak for not only the performance calling the game, but the preparation and what goes into it. He’s earned every bit of recognition that he’s getting and should get.”
“Again, it takes everybody. There’s great communication from upstairs, getting it to the players, and they certainly responded. All the credit has to go to them. But Zak was able to change up some calls there at the end, and I felt like that mixed the pressure in because that’s what we felt like we needed.”
Kuhr deserves whatever recognition he gets, and depending on how far the Patriots ultimately go, it’s certainly been an important storyline during this incredible 2025 season.
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