The New England Patriots are finally back in the NFL playoffs, and they will play on Sunday night. The AFC East champions will take on the Los Angeles Chargers at Gillette Stadium seeking their fourth straight victory and 15th win of the season.
To do that, the Patriots must perform at their best in all three phases; despite their poor record, Los Angeles is still a formidable opponent capable of making life difficult for any team. Needless to say, this requires an all-out effort from every player on the matchday roster to achieve. However, here are six key Patriots players we’ll be keeping a close eye on Sunday night.
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QB Derek Meyer
The Patriots’ starting quarterback had an MVP-level performance during the regular season, but Sunday’s challenge will be different. Not only will he be under more pressure in a win-or-go-home situation like the NFL playoffs, but he’ll be facing arguably the toughest defense he’s faced yet: Los Angeles has one of the best pass defenses in football, especially the vertical game.
During the regular season, the Chargers completed just 40.7 percent of their passes beyond 10 yards, ranking third in the NFL. Additionally, they completed 14 punts downfield, second-most in the NFL in that specific category. Long story short, Meyer needs to be at his best and show why he deserves all the MVP talk.
“Obviously there are some mixed emotions,” Meyer said this week. “I think more than anything, I’m excited, excited to have the opportunity to play a home playoff game. That’s who we are at the start of the season and what we want to do here and what we want to achieve and the opportunities and opportunities we have here. So, take advantage of the opportunity to play in front of a crowd that’s great all year long, play in front of a crowd that I hope will be loud, and play an opponent at night who has some playoff experience and a good offense and defense. So, we have our hands full, but I’m looking forward to playing in front of a crowd.”
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Lieutenant Will Campbell
New England’s left tackle had a solid game after returning from injured reserve against the Miami Dolphins last Sunday, but as with his quarterback and the offense as a whole, the challenges will be tougher this week. That’s especially true as Campbell and fellow OT Morgan Moses will go up against a disruptive edge rusher led by Pro Bowlers Tuli Tupulotu, Khalil Mack and Odafi Owe.
During the regular season, the three combined for 26 sacks. There’s no telling who will line up where: The trio will switch sides during regular games, meaning Campbell will likely end up facing all three.
DT Milton Williams
The Patriots’ defensive line has faced challenges this season, but so has this week’s opponent: The Chargers’ O-line has struggled to maintain consistency both in terms of available personnel and overall performance on the field. From New England’s perspective, this provides an opportunity for its best players to improve.
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Topping the list are defensive tackles Milton Williams and Christian Barmore, who reunited with the former from injured reserve last week. Williams was relatively quiet in Week 18 against Miami, but his presence had a positive impact on the entire team around him. On the other hand, Los Angeles’ offensive line could be in for a rough day if the high-priced free agent signing returns to peak form on Sunday.
If Williams does this, both quarterback Justin Herbert and the team’s running game could run into problems. If not, then the Patriots will need someone else to step up, which isn’t a given given the D-line’s inconsistent performance in recent weeks.
LB Robert Spillane
The Patriots’ defensive leader missed the previous four games with an ankle injury but will return Sunday night. When he does, the entire team benefits: Not only is Spillane an elite run defender with the reflexes, vision and instincts to make his presence felt at the second level, but he’s also a key communicator at the second level.
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Having him involved could have an understated impact for New England against an offense led by a Pro Bowl quarterback. That doesn’t mean his successor, Jack Gibbens, is terrible by any means — he’s not — but there’s a reason Spillane is averaging nearly 100 percent of his snaps every week.
CB Carlton Davis III
The Patriots entered the playoffs with momentum, but the same cannot be said for the entire roster. Cornerback Carlton Davis struggled against the Dolphins in Week 18 and needs to put that situation behind him quickly, and Chargers wide receivers Quentin Johnson and Keenan Allen are waiting in the wings. However, he seems to be doing it all the time.
“The regular season doesn’t even matter anymore,” Davis said Friday. “That’s in the past. Like, it’s something we can’t even hang our hat on because it’s done now, right? Not right now. So, whatever we do is great, but right now, that’s where the season really starts and where we all want to be. That’s why we work so hard during the regular season.”
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CB Marcus Jones
The last time the Patriots faced off against the Chargers, in Week 17 of the 2024 season, they allowed Chargers receiver Ladd McConkey to dominate. The then-rookie caught eight passes for 94 yards and two touchdowns. To prevent one of Justin Herbert’s favorite targets from having a similar impact, New England will rely heavily on one of its best players this season, their own slot machine weapon Marcus Jones.
Jones was absent from Los Angeles’ 40-7 victory over Foxborough in December, but he is expected to be a key player on Sunday. Fortunately for the Patriots, he’s playing the best defensive football of his career this season — and McConkey hasn’t been as hot as he was in 2024: He averaged just 1.2 yards per route run in the regular season, down from 2.4 yards last year.
“Of course, it’s the playoffs, but at the end of the day, our main mission is to win,” Jones said earlier this week. “We make sure we dial in the right things we need to dial in, study the right things, and stay consistent.”