Jan 11, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots safety Brenden Schooler (41) and safety Craig Woodson (31) celebrate after defeating the Los Angeles Chargers in an AFC Wild Card Round game at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images David Butler II-Imagn Images

Patriots Defense Forced Chargers Into Embarrassing Confession

Originally posted on New England Patriots on SI
By Jhelum Mehta | Last updated Jan 13, 2026 7:00 AM ET

When Mike Vrabel took the reins in New England, he wasted no time stacking his coaching staff, highlighted by the hire of Terrell Williams as defensive coordinator.

But the offseason threw a curveball. Williams was sidelined early by a serious medical issue, and by September, Vrabel revealed that his DC had been diagnosed with prostate cancer.

With the headset suddenly up for grabs, Vrabel made a next-man-up call, handing the defensive play-calling duties to inside linebackers coach Zak Kuhr.

The move paid off in a big way. Kuhr’s unit put on a clinic in the Wild Card round, holding the Chargers to just three points and proving New England’s defense didn’t miss a beat when it mattered most.

New England Patriots’ Disguises Leave Chargers Guessing

Linebacker Robert Spillane couldn’t stop raving about the defensive play-calling after the game, and the postgame chatter made it even better.

According to Evan Lazar on X, "Spillane said Chargers players came up to him after the game to tell him that LA’s offense had no idea what the Pats defense was doing. Zak Kuhr was in his bag."

#Patriots LB Robert Spillane said Chargers players came up to him after the game to tell him that LA’s offense had no idea what the Pats defense was doing. Zak Kuhr was in his bag.
— Evan Lazar (@ezlazar) January 12, 2026

New England backed it up on the scoreboard, cruising to a 16–3 win over Los Angeles on Sunday night in the AFC Wild Card Round. The victory pushed the Patriots one step closer to looking like the Patriots again.

With the win, New England punched its ticket to the AFC Divisional Round, snapping a six-season drought without a playoff win. It’s the franchise’s first trip past Wild Card weekend since the 2018 season. The same year, they marched to Super Bowl LIII and locked up ring No. 6. Since 2019, the Pats had made the postseason just twice (2019 and 2021), and both runs ended early. Until now.

Offensively, Drake Maye once again set the tone. The second-year quarterback finished 17-of-29 for 258 yards with a touchdown and an interception, while adding 66 yards on the ground on 10 carries. Poised, explosive, and in full command when it mattered.

Next up, New England will face the winner of Monday night’s final Wild Card matchup between the Texans and Steelers. The Pats haven’t seen Houston yet this season, but Pittsburgh already tagged them once back in Week 3, setting up a potential revenge spot if the bracket breaks that way.

This article first appeared on New England Patriots on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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