FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (Interstat) — The New England Patriots advanced in the NFL playoffs Sunday with a methodical 16-3 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers at Gillette Stadium. A crowd of 64,628 watched the Patriots’ defense stifle the Chargers, who managed only a second-quarter field goal. New England quarterback Drake Maye provided the offensive spark, passing for 268 yards and a touchdown while adding 66 yards rushing. His 28-yard scoring pass to Hunter Henry in the fourth quarter sealed the win. Kicker Andy Borregales contributed three field goals. The Patriots’ defense was relentless, recording eight sacks and limiting Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert to 159 passing yards. Linebacker Daiyan Henley had 13 tackles and an interception for Los Angeles in the losing effort. New England improved to 15-3, while the Chargers’ season ended at 11-7.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (Interstat) — In a defensive struggle defined by missed opportunities and relentless pressure, the New England Patriots advanced in the NFL playoffs with a methodical 16-3 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday at Gillette Stadium. A crowd of 64,628 braved the January chill to watch the Patriots, now 15-3, stifle the Chargers’ offense at nearly every turn, limiting the visitors to a single field goal. The Chargers, who entered the postseason with an 11-7 record, saw their campaign end with a whimper, managing just 159 passing yards and failing to find the end zone. The game’s pivotal sequence arrived not with a spectacular touchdown, but with a devastating defensive stand that set the tone for the entire afternoon. On the opening drive, the Chargers moved efficiently, with quarterback Justin Herbert connecting with Tre’ Harris for 14 yards and using his legs for a 9-yard scramble. A 10-yard completion to tight end Oronde Gadsden brought Los Angeles to the New England 47. The drive then stalled, but a subsequent interception by Chargers linebacker Daiyan Henley gave Los Angeles the ball at the New England 10 after a 37-yard return. What followed was a monumental goal-line stand by the Patriots’ defense. Starting from the New England 6 after a Herbert scramble, the Chargers inched forward. Herbert ran for 3 yards, then another 1, setting up a first-and-goal from the 2. On third down, Herbert’s pass for Keenan Allen in the right corner of the end zone fell incomplete. Facing fourth down, Chargers coach opted for the field goal, but a false start penalty pushed them back five yards. They then chose to go for it on fourth-and-goal from the 7, and Herbert’s pass was again incomplete. The 11-play, 57-yard drive yielded zero points, a catastrophic outcome for the visitors. That missed chance loomed larger as the game progressed into a field goal duel. New England kicker Andy Borregales, perfect on the day, tied the game at 3-3 with a 23-yard field goal early in the second quarter, capping a drive that started at the New England 1. The Chargers responded with their only scoring drive, a 14-play, 71-yard march that consumed over eight minutes but again stalled in the red zone. Faced with a fourth down at the 3, Los Angeles settled for a 21-yard Cameron Dicker field goal to retake a 3-0 lead. The Patriots, led by second-year quarterback Drake Maye, then executed a critical two-minute drill before halftime. Starting at their own 27 with just 46 seconds left, Maye engineered a rapid advance. His 37-yard scramble up the middle to the Los Angeles 17 was the key play, showcasing the dual-threat ability that made him a star. With two seconds on the clock, Borregales drilled a 35-yard field goal to send New England into the locker room with a 6-3 lead and all the momentum. After halftime, the Patriots’ defense took complete control. The Chargers’ first four possessions of the second half resulted in three punts and a turnover on downs, with Herbert under constant duress. The Patriots’ pass rush, led by Marcus Jones, Milton Williams, and K’Lavon Chaisson, who combined for five sacks, harassed Herbert relentlessly. Los Angeles managed just four first downs in the entire second half. New England methodically extended its lead. Borregales connected from 39 yards in the third quarter to make it 9-3. Then, early in the fourth quarter, Maye delivered the decisive blow. On a second-and-10 from the Los Angeles 28, he found tight end Hunter Henry deep down the left sideline for a touchdown. The 28-yard strike, followed by Borregales’ extra point, gave the Patriots a commanding 16-3 lead with 9:45 remaining. Any hope of a Chargers comeback was extinguished by the New England pass rush. Herbert was sacked on consecutive plays on Los Angeles’ ensuing possession, and the Chargers turned the ball over on downs. Herbert, who finished 19 of 31 for 159 yards and added 57 yards on the ground, was sacked seven times total. The Patriots’ defensive effort was comprehensive, with linebacker Christian Elliss recording a team-high eight tackles and safety Craig Woodson adding 11. Maye, the top star for New England, was efficient and explosive when needed. He completed 17 of 29 passes for 268 yards and the touchdown to Henry, while also leading the team in rushing with 66 yards on 10 carries, including several key scrambles for first downs. His connection with Henry, who had three catches for 64 yards, and receiver Kayshon Boutte, who had four for 66, provided the offensive highlights. Running back Rhamondre Stevenson contributed 128 total yards (53 rushing, 75 receiving). The Patriots’ victory defied pregame projections, as the total score of 19 points fell dramatically under an over/under line of 45.5. National Statistical’s game simulator had projected a 33-22 New England win, but the Patriots’ defense authored a far more suffocating script. With the win, New England moves on in the AFC playoffs, its season sustained by a defense that rose to the occasion and a young quarterback who made the necessary plays. For the Chargers, a season that showed promise concludes with a frustrating offensive performance, their deepest penetration into Patriots territory resulting not in points, but in a defining statement of resistance from the home team.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (Interstat) — The AFC playoff picture crystallizes Sunday when the top-seeded New England Patriots host the Los Angeles Chargers at Gillette Stadium. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. EST on CBS. The Patriots (14-3), riding a three-game winning streak, enter as the conference’s dominant force. Rookie quarterback Drake Maye has been sensational, culminating in a 38-10 rout of Miami last week where he accounted for a touchdown and the ground game exploded. Over his last four starts, Maye has thrown for 982 yards and 10 touchdowns, adding dynamic play with his legs. His emergence has transformed New England’s offense into a multifaceted threat, complementing a defense that has allowed an average of just 16 points during their current streak. Conversely, the Chargers (11-6) limp into the postseason following a deflating 19-3 loss in Denver. Quarterback Trey Lance struggled, completing 20 of 44 passes for 136 yards, though he added 69 rushing yards. Los Angeles’s offense has sputtered in consecutive losses to end the regular season, scoring only 19 total points after a promising 5-1 midseason stretch. Their path to victory likely requires Lance to recapture the efficient form that delivered key road wins at Dallas and Kansas City in December. Despite the Patriots’ superior record and momentum, betting markets see a tight contest. The Chargers have been installed as a slight 3.5-point underdog. The over/under is set at 45.5 points, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. The matchup hinges on Maye’s poise against a Chargers defense that ranked in the top half of the league, and whether Lance can solve a Patriots unit that feasted on mistakes all season. New England’s home-field advantage in January is legendary, but the Chargers’ roster is built for postseason-caliber talent. A statistical projection from National Statistical forecasts a 33-22 victory for the Patriots. The winner will advance to the AFC Championship Game.