The Los Angeles Chargers will take on the No. 2 seed New England Patriots in the evening game on Wild Card Sunday. L.A. will be hoping that by then, Justin Herbert’s broken non-throwing hand will have healed a bit more.
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Herbert and the Chargers got a little extra rest in Week 18, as their spot as the No. 7 seed was essentially set. But that doesn’t mean they are heading into Wild Card weekend healthy.
The team’s offensive line remains ravaged by injuries. Legendary Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, who is coming off a rough 4-8 run in his first year as UNC football coach, believes that the absence of L.A.’s top two tackles means they cannot throw the ball too much.
If the Chargers go down early, they’re going to be in a “lot of trouble,” warned Belichick.
“What’s the quarterback situation with Herbert? Broken hand and all, that’s definitely been a factor,” Belichick pointed out. “They’ve had some injuries on the offensive line. If the Chargers have to play from behind, and pass block and try to protect and throw the ball 35, 40 times, I think they’re going to be in a lot of trouble.”
However, Belichick does believe there is a path to a win for the Chargers in Foxborough on January 11. And it would be that of the frontrunner.
If the Chargers can get up early, Belichick believes they have a good enough defense to keep the Pats at bay. The only question is whether they can run the ball effectively enough.
“If they can play from ahead, get control of the game, make it a tight game; they certainly have the defense — and if they have enough of a running game… I think they would certainly have a chance,” Belichick said.
Herbert was sacked 54 times this season, the second-highest total for a QB in the NFL. That’s why they can’t rely on the passing game here. The Chargers defense, meanwhile, has been excellent.
Bill Belichick, on @SiriusXMNFL and “Let’s Go” with @JimGrayOfficial, on what he’s watching for in Chargers-Patriots playoff game:
“What’s the quarterback situation with Herbert? Broken hand and all, that’s definitely been a factor. They’ve had some injuries on the offensive…
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) January 6, 2026
They are top five against the pass, top 10 against the run, and top 12 in sacks. On the ground, the Chargers were 12th this year with 121.6 rush yards per game. Their 4.4 yards per carry also ranked 13th. Not too shabby.
Apart from Week 18, when they rested starters, the Chargers had 10 games with 100+ rush yards this season. They went 8-2 in those games.
The numbers certainly bear out what Belichick said: If L.A. wants to upset the 14-3 Patriots at home, they’ll have to do it on the ground against New England’s No. 6 rush defense.
Rookie Omarion Hampton (60.6 rush yards per game) and second-year back Kimani Vidal (49.5) will need to show up and show out for the Chargers. They are 3.5-point dogs to advance to take on the Denver Broncos in the Divisional Round.
