"FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- In a throwback to their first Super Bowl championship team in the 2001 season -- in which current head coach Mike Vrabel played an integral role as a linebacker -- the New England Patriots leaned on their defense to pos t a 16-3 win Sunday against the visiting Los Angeles Chargers in the wild-card round of the AFC playoffs. The second-seeded Patriots will face the winner of Monday's game between the No. 4 Pittsburgh Steelers and No. 5 Houston Texans next weekend (Date and time TBD)."
"The Patriots took advantage of the vulnerable Chargers offensive line, recording six sacks of quarterback Justin Herbert. The Chargers were held to 207 total yards, with just 120 of them coming through the air. Better health was a factor, as this was the first game since Nov. 13 that the Patriots had three of their best players -- defensive tackle Milton Williams, linebacker Robert Spillane and outside linebacker/defensive end Harold Landry III -- in the lineup together."
"Most surprising performance: The Patriots' red zone defense, which ranked 30th in the NFL in touchdown percentage allowed in the regular season, was stellar in the first half. The unit stopped the Chargers on four straight plays on first-and-goal from the 10-yard line to keep the game scoreless, then held later in the half to force a field goal."
The New England Patriots relied on a stout defensive performance to beat the Los Angeles Chargers 16-3 in the AFC wild-card round. The Patriots recorded six sacks of Justin Herbert and held the Chargers to 207 total yards, including 120 passing yards. Improved health allowed defensive tackle Milton Williams, linebacker Robert Spillane and edge rusher Harold Landry III to play together for the first time since Nov. 13. The red zone defense, previously ranked 30th in touchdown percentage allowed, stopped a first-and-goal sequence and forced a field goal. The Patriots will face the winner of the Steelers-Texans game next weekend.
Read at ESPN.com
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