Story byIan CasselberryContributing writerFri, January 9, 2026 at 5:33 AM UTC·4 min readWelcome back to the playoffs, New England Patriots. The last time we saw the Patriot Way grace us this deep into January, New England got drilled in Buffalo with Mac Jones leading the way at quarterback in the 2021 season. New England's last postseason home game happened to be the last time we saw Tom Brady in a Patriots uniform, suffering an upset loss to Mike Vrabel and the Tennessee Titans in the 2019 season’s playoffs. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementSpeaking of Vrabel, he's back, this time in familiar digs as New England's head coach. But all eyes will be mainly focused on his quarterback, Drake Maye, who is in a tight MVP race with the Los Angeles Rams' Matthew Stafford. Previous meeting this seasonThe Chargers and Patriots didn’t play each other this season.
