Pats Pulpit
Head coach Mike Vrabel was on the visitors’ sideline the last time the New England Patriots hosted a playoff game.
He wasn’t on Sunday night as the AFC East champions outlasted the Los Angeles Chargers for a 16-3 win.
Here’s a glance back on the wild card at Gillette Stadium, six years removed from the previous, before sights set on the divisional round.
A long line of Patriots awaited their NFL playoff debuts. Drake Maye stood at the front of it.
The 23-year-old quarterback completed 17-of-29 passes for 268 yards on Sunday night. He did so while totaling one touchdown and two turnovers.
Taking the field in “22” personnel, the opening drive brought one first down on a curl route to wide receiver Stefon Diggs before concluding in a coverage sack and a punt. In the shadow of the uprights, the AFC’s No. 2 seed would be intercepted next time out by linebacker Daiyan Henley off a tipped ball. And while a 14-play, 93-yard journey ensued for a 3-0 New England lead, a pinning punt by Bryce Baringer followed.
Then the legs did. No. 10 scrambled for 37 of his team-high 66 rushing yards in the closing seconds before halftime to get New England to the doorstep. At the break, the score read 6-3 while offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels’ attack had gone 1-5 on third down and 0-2 in the red zone. Tough sledding.
Maye was strip-sacked 18 yards from the destination coming out the break. Yet it soon became a 9-3 advantage and then a 16-3 advantage. A 28-yard touchdown strike to former Chargers tight end and captain Hunter Henry made it so.
Against a defense that finished the regular season with 19 picks while allowing 179.9 passing yards per game, the second-team All-Pro under center rode the waves.
Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter’s group ranked fourth in the NFL in EPA per run dating back to the start of December. But in that same timeframe, in terms of expected points per run play, no ground game around the league proved to be more productive than the one in Foxborough.
Those tractor trailers needed all 18 wheels in the wild card.
Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson turned 13 touches into 128 yards from scrimmage on Sunday night. The reigning AFC Offensive Player of the Week broke off a catch-and-run of 48 yards to get his side from danger to midfield arrived along the way. He finished with 75 receiving yards to lead the offense.
As a change of pace, rookie TreVeyon Henderson managed 36 yards from scrimmage through 10 opportunities.
In the weeks after losing versatile veteran Mack Hollins to injured reserve with an abdomen injury, Kayshon Boutte entered Sunday as questionable due to a hamstring injury. But all five wide receivers on the active roster would be in uniform against...
