Patriots’ old-school win over Chargers brings fond memories of low-scoring Super Bowl LIII win over Rams

Welcome to the Unconventional Evaluate, an instantaneous response to standouts, stats, and story strains from the Patriots’ most up-to-date sport …

Many seasons have handed, and the solid has modified, however the script the Patriots authored Sunday night time certain feels acquainted in all the suitable methods.

The second-seeded Patriots roughed up Justin Herbert and the Chargers, 16-3, of their wild-card spherical playoff matchup Sunday night time. It was the franchise’s first postseason victory in seven seasons, since a 13-3 win over the Rams in Tremendous Bowl LIII in February 2019.

Whereas there may be an apparent gulf between the magnitude of that victory, the sixth and ultimate Tremendous Bowl win of the Tom Brady/Invoice Belichick dynasty, and this one, the primary postseason victory of the Drake Maye/Mike Vrabel period, it was inconceivable Sunday night time to not recognize the aesthetic similarities.

This one, like that one, was an old-school, mentally and physically tough Patriots performance, particularly by a protection that hit Herbert so viciously and infrequently that David Carr’s brutal rookie season with the Texans got here to thoughts greater than as soon as. Just like Super Bowl LIII, the Patriots saved their gifted opponent out of the top zone. Herbert was sacked six occasions, and no Chargers receiver had greater than three catches or 32 yards.

Positive, it was removed from an ideal Patriots efficiency — Maye threw an interception and fumbled twice, dropping one, in his playoff debut — however the Most Valuable Player candidate maintained his poise, tormented the Chargers on the bottom (for a game-high 66 speeding yards), and threw maybe his finest cross for the sport’s solely landing.

Even with the errors, Maye regarded like he had been right here earlier than. And his landing cross — a stunning 28-yard completion to tight finish Hunter Henry over the outstretched hand of Chargers do-it-all security Derwin James Jr. to make it 16-3 with 9:45 left within the sport — was paying homage to Brady’s 29-yard throw to his trusted tight end, Rob Gronkowski, to arrange that sport’s lone landing halfway by the fourth quarter.

The Brady throw is on the quick listing of the best and most memorable of his profession. Maye’s reference to Henry Sunday night time wasn’t fairly to that stage, although NBC’s Cris Collinsworth could disagree. “Whew, you may’t have a prettier soccer play than that,’’ he exclaimed on the printed.

All in all, it was in all probability the Patriots’ most well-rounded efficiency of the season. Maye elevated his staff all 12 months. Sunday night time, the protection got here to the rescue of the offense repeatedly, till Maye rose up and delivered the knockout blow.

Gotta say, ending a playoff drought by mirroring the best way they performed the final time they introduced residence a Lombardi Trophy is a wonderful method to start a playoff journey.

Some additional ideas, upon speedy evaluate …

Three Gamers Who Have been Price Watching

Gamers steered within the Unconventional Preview: Milton Williams, Rhamondre Stevenson, Derwin James Jr.

Rhamondre Stevenson: The rejuvenated working again excelled once more, contributing the Patriots’ longest play from scrimmage — a 48-yard catch-and-run within the first quarter – in addition to one in every of their finest executed performs. Going through third and 6 at midfield with slightly below 10 minutes left within the third quarter, Stevenson appeared like he was staying in to dam as Maye dropped again to cross. However with good timing, he slipped out after executing a block, caught a brief toss, and took off for 17 yards to the Chargers 33. Stevenson was the Patriots’ main receiver with 75 yards on three catches, and gained 53 yards on his 10 carries.

Milton Williams: The Patriots’ highest-paid participant was arguably their finest on Sunday night time, engulfing Herbert for a pair of sacks, together with primarily a game-clinching takedown on fourth down with 2 minutes left on the Patriots’ 43. His return to well being after lacking 5 video games with a excessive ankle sprain permits the Patriots protection to rise to a different stage.

Odafe Oweh: The Chargers’ edge rusher was on the market wanting like classic Imply Fred Dean, with three sacks, together with a fumble-forcing blindside hit on Maye halfway by the third quarter. Da’Shawn Hand recovered, thwarting a promising Patriots drive. Oweh typically overwhelmed Will Campbell and Jared Wilson, the rookies on the left aspect of the Patriots’ line.

Grievance of the Sport

Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels has been digging round in his bag of tips in latest weeks, and it appeared fairly near sure that he’d have a artistic shock or two for the Chargers. He did, and he struck early. On third and 4 from the Chargers’ 30 yard line late within the first quarter, Maye handed off to Stevenson, who handed the ball to Efton Chism III on a reverse that instantly regarded disjointed. Chism launched a cross down the suitable aspect to Maye, a quick runner for a quarterback however hardly the second coming of Stanley Morgan as a cross catcher. The ball sailed over his head, additional confirming what we learned in their Super Bowl LII loss to the Eagles: a play has a greater probability of succeeding when Patriots quarterbacks are allowed to throw the ball somewhat than requested to catch it.

Three Notes Scribbled within the Margins

Predicted ultimate rating: Patriots 31, Chargers 27

Ultimate rating: Patriots 16, Chargers 3

NBC has the Tremendous Bowl this 12 months, so theoretically Mike Tirico and Collinsworth might name each Patriots sport this postseason. That’s extremely unlikely, after all, however I’d join that. The manufacturing on “Sunday Evening Soccer” is phenomenal, Collinsworth doesn’t hedge on what he thinks (he steered a number of occasions Sunday night time that Stevenson needs to be deployed extra, which I agreed with), and Tirico hardly ever misses a element, particularly in his preparation. He had an awesome line when Maye completely executed a third-down possibility play within the third quarter: “Not an extended reel of Patriots possibility performs within the playoffs,’’ he deadpanned … Linebacker Christian Elliss had an excellent sport. He totaled seven tackles, collected the fumble restoration that primarily clinched the win, and was efficient for many of the sport because the spy to forestall Herbert from getting free as a runner … None of Andy Borregales’s three discipline targets had been essentially bombs — his longest make was from 39 yards — however the rookie from Miami deserves a nod of appreciation for making all of his kicks on a chilly night time on a weekend when there have been a couple of bizarre misses round league.