Despite an elite defensive effort, the Chargers’ offense never found its rhythm in a 16–3 playoff loss to the Patriots. Missed red-zone chances, relentless pressure on Justin Herbert and costly late mistakes brought a promising season to a frustrating end.
What was supposed to be a breakthrough moment for the Los Angeles Chargers instead became a painful reminder of how thin the margin for error can be in the playoffs. Despite another dominant defensive performance, the Chargers’ offense never found its footing, as missed opportunities, stalled drives and relentless pressure led to a 16–3 Wild Card loss to the New England Patriots in Foxborough, bringing a promising season to an abrupt and disappointing end.
The game began with frustration for both teams. The Chargers defense came up huge, forcing a punt on the Patriots’ opening drive, but New England quickly returned the favor by stopping Justin Herbert and the offense around midfield. Daiyan Henley then picked off Drake Maye, setting the Chargers offense up at the 10-yard line. However, the offense could not take advantage. After an unsuccessful fourth-down attempt that resulted in an incomplete pass, the Chargers turned the ball over on downs.
The Patriots began their next drive deep in their own territory, but that did not deter them from being aggressive. A 48-yard pass to Rhamondre Stevenson eventually led to a Patriots field goal, the first points of the game. While the Chargers defense allowed New England to move the ball a bit too easily on that drive, it would not break.
Justin Herbert was then forced to play from behind. He connected with Ladd McConkey on a 20-yard pass, signaling that he would not be deterred in his third career playoff game. Herbert led the Chargers down the field, but the drive stalled once again. This time, head coach Jim Harbaugh elected not to go for it on fourth down, allowing Cameron Dicker to tie the game at 3–3.
The first half closed with a controversial no-call when a Patriots defender made contact with Herbert’s helmet. A flag would have given the Chargers a fresh set of downs and likely allowed them to run out the clock. Instead, the Chargers were forced to punt yet again. Drake Maye then put the Patriots in position to take a 6–3 lead just before halftime, using his legs on a 37-yard scramble.
The second half brought more of the same struggles for the Chargers offense. Herbert could not find any real momentum. Despite another Patriots turnover, Greg Roman’s unit once again failed to capitalize. As had been the story all game, the defense was hung out to dry by the offense.
Potential MVP candidate Drake Maye led a backbreaking fourth-quarter touchdown drive. In a moment that proved crucial for the Chargers defense, Maye threw a beautiful deep pass to former Chargers tight end Hunter Henry, pushing the lead to two scores.
With the season on the line, Herbert attempted to put the team on his back. After a couple of big scrambles, the Chargers offense finally appeared to gain some momentum. But as had been the story all season, the offensive line could not protect its star quarterback. Herbert took a huge sack that caused a fumble, which was recovered by the Patriots. The Chargers’ first turnover of the game came at the worst possible time.
The Chargers’ season came to an end in fitting fashion. With two minutes remaining and their playoff hopes hanging by a thread, Herbert took his sixth sack of the game. A Patriots defender ran through the line untouched and brought Herbert to the turf. The drive ended — and so did the season.
In a year that began with so much promise, Jim Harbaugh and Justin Herbert simply could not get the job done. Injuries along the offensive line crippled the franchise early on. Even with an elite defense led by Jesse Minter, the Chargers offense disappeared on the biggest stage. Now facing a long offseason, many questions loom — chief among them: what went wrong in Foxborough?