Drake Maye admitted he was "picked up by" defensive teammates, leading to a New England Patriots gritty wild card win over the Los Angeles Chargers.

The Patriots have a stingy defense that replicates Vrabel's persona, while the offense has made strides with Maye despite a lack of star weapons (beyond 32-year-old Stefon Diggs). Regardless of how their season ends, the Patriots found their guy. They'll hope it's sustainable if they build on this properly.

Nearly every lever Mike Vrabel has pulled has worked out in the Patriots' turnaround season, a lot like during the best of times.

The New England Patriots pulled away from the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday night to advance beyond the Wild Card Round for the first time since the 2018 season in which they last won a Super Bowl.

Rhamondre Stevenson was a factor in the Patriots' passing and run game as the former Sooner helped his team advance.