The New England Patriots snapped a seven-year drought when earning a 16-3 postseason win over the Los Angeles Chargers. Sunday’s victory put them closer to reclaiming an NFL record.
New England’s official communications account noted that the Patriots notched their 38th all-time playoff win. That moves them past the Green Bay Packers, who were eliminated Saturday, for sole possession of second place.
The Patriots trail the San Francisco 49ers by one win for first place. San Francisco added to its milestone with a Wild Card Round victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.
The Pittsburgh Steelers also have a chance to make ground on New England, entering Monday night’s game against the Houston Texans with 36 playoff wins. The winner of that matchup will go to Gillette Stadium for an AFC Divisional Round showdown on Sunday.
The Patriots also noted that they have notched 34 of those 38 victories since Robert Kraft purchased the team in 1994. That’s 11 more than any other NFL organization during that window.
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New England piled up playoff triumphs behind Bill Belichick and Tom Brady, but the Patriots hadn’t moved past the opening round since winning Super Bowl LIII in February 2019. Sunday night was reminiscent of that 13-3 victory over the Los Angeles Rams.
Mike Vrabel’s defense stymied the Chargers to 207 total yards, pummeling Justin Herbert to 11 quarterback hits and six sacks. The Chargers converted just one of their 10 third-down tries and didn’t muster a single play above 20 yards.
The 49ers can maintain the NFL record with a second-round road win against the Seattle Seahawks, but the Patriots will seek their 39th playoff victory this weekend.
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Featured image via Vincent Carchietta/Imagn Images
