There was a side of the Patriots that jumped off the movie to Jim Harbaugh because the Chargers head coach ready for Sunday’s AFC Wild Card matchup in Foxboro.
To Harbaugh, the Patriots took on the persona of first-year head coach Mike Vrabel this season.
“The factor that stands out, his groups play like he performed. Do discover that,” Harbaugh advised reporters Monday at his information convention. “Robust, gritty, bodily, good, quick. They form of prefer to hit like he preferred to hit.”
Harbaugh is accustomed to Vrabel’s fashion after the ultimate 4 seasons of the previous quarterback’s taking part in profession within the late Nineteen Nineties overlapped with the beginning of Vrabel’s NFL profession.
However the two revered coaches have by no means gone head-to-head of their present roles. Their groups play equally with hard-hitting defenses however the Patriots have a way more explosive offense (28.8 factors per recreation) than the Chargers offense, which is middle-of-the-pack in scoring with 21.6 factors per recreation.
Harbaugh did convey the Chargers to Gillette Stadium in a late-season matchup final 12 months with Jerod Mayo nonetheless on the helm they usually laid a 40-7 drubbing on the Patriots through which Justin Herbert threw for 281 yards and three touchdowns.
The Patriots are a vastly totally different workforce below Vrabel – the 14-3 document is apparent proof of that – however Harbaugh wouldn’t get into specifics about what precisely has modified them right into a official Tremendous Bowl contender.
“Lots of issues. In all probability too many to say proper now,” Harbaugh stated.
The most important distinction past Vrabel undoubtedly is the ascension of Drake Maye into an MVP-caliber quarterback.
Maye, who accomplished 12-of-22 passes for 117 yards with one landing in opposition to the Chargers final season whereas additionally getting sacked 4 instances, completed the common season by finishing 72% of his passes, a Patriots single-season document. The 23-year-old signal-caller, who will play in his first NFL playoff recreation, additionally threw for 4,394 yards with 31 touchdowns and eight interceptions whereas working for 450 yards and 4 extra scores.
And Harbaugh is impressed with Maye’s second-year leap.
“Simply actually efficient in each a part of the quarterback play,” Harbaugh stated. “Throwing with accuracy, throwing outdoors the numbers, deep within the center, athleticism, poise, toughness, sturdiness. Every part has been an excellent 12 months for him by any quarterback commonplace.”
The Chargers haven’t had a lot success within the playoffs in opposition to the Patriots this century, shedding all three matchups with Vrabel taking part in in two of these video games. The final time the Patriots gained a house playoff recreation got here within the 2018 postseason on the expense of the Chargers.
These are totally different instances, however Harbaugh nonetheless understands the robust problem that awaits the Chargers.
“I count on a playoff-type of environment,” Harbaugh stated. “We’ve all seen that so much, particularly in Foxboro. Getting ourselves ready bodily, mentally is the duty at hand.”
