In the end, it was the Patriots defense coming up big tonight against Justin Herbert and the Chargers.
There were a lot of scenarios at play going into the AFC Wild Card game between the Los Angeles Chargers and the New England Patriots. Will Drake Maye have any postseason jitters? How will either team run the ball? Can the Chargers' defense carry this team into the divisional round? Can the Patriots exploit the awful Chargers offensive line?
Turns out most of those played out in some way or another because, despite Maye going 17 of 29 for 286 yards, there still seemed to be some jitters; both teams made some plays in the rushing, and the Chargers' defense got to Maye many times.
In the end, it was even Chris Collinsworth who, late in the fourth, noticed that the Chargers' season-long issue was being exposed in the postseason by the Patriots' defense.
Herbert was sacked six times in the Patriots' 16-3 win.
It would be the Pats' first postseason win since the 13-3 Super Bowl LIII win over the Los Angeles Rams. The game evolved as the minutes went on. Both teams often came off like they were feeling each other out in the first half, but in the end, it was the Pats' defense that put Herbert in a panic for four quarters.
With pressure and sacks coming from all sides of the Patriots' defense, the key turning point came when Christian Elliss recovered a crucial fourth-quarter strip sack. Later, Milton Williams delivered a brutal sack just after the two-minute warning, solidifying the win.
The Patriots' defense did what it needed to do. Attack a struggling Charger offensive line that had 32 different combinations this season and a pass block grade of 49.7% (31st in the NFL). They didn't let Herbert have too much success scrambling, something he thrives at as he's thrown nine touchdowns this season scrambling outside of the pocket.
The Patriots now await the winner of Monday night's Houston Texans vs. Pittsburgh Steelers game to see who they play in the AFC Divisional Playoff Round. Both teams serve as an interesting new challenge on the Pats' road to a potential championship run.