Belichick explains Chargers collapse in loss to Patriots

The New England Patriotsdefeated the Los Angeles Chargers in the Wild Card round with a 13-point victory that some experts believe did not reflect the dominant style of the team led by Drake Maye, the quarterback who had a slow start but soon found his rhythm to accomplish the mission.

For some, the Chargers' inability to capitalize on their opponent's mistakes and their weakness against defensive pressure sealed their fate, allowing Maye to gradually find his groove until winning the game 16-3, a result that will allow them to play in the Divisional Round on Sunday against the Houston Texans, who defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers.

While some believe the result was surprising, for former Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, there are several factors the Texans could exploit in an attempt to slow down the team coached by Mike Vrabel.

Bill Belichick's analysis: Playing from behind was LA's sentence

The former Patriots head coach, Bill Belichick, had already anticipated this scenario. On Jim Gray's Let's Go! podcast, Belichick explained why the Chargers were doomed if they lost early control: "I thought the Chargers would have problems if they had to play from behind, and they were never able to get ahead and have control of the game," he said.

Belichick pointed out that injuries to starting tackles Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt, combined with Justin Herbert's hand issues, made a comeback almost impossible. "Once it became a two-possession game, the passing increased and the pressure increased; that just didn't bode well for the Chargers," the strategist added.

After the game, Herbert accepted his share of the blame for the elimination. "I didn't play well enough and I didn't make any big plays."

Missed opportunities and the awakening of Drake Maye

Despite Drake Maye >starting the game by completing only 40% of his passes and even throwing an interception inside his own red zone, Los Angeles was unable to turn those advantages into points.

On the matter, Belichick was blunt: "They had a great opportunity early in the game, they didn't take advantage of it on fourth down, then they got the ball back after a turnover inside the 10-yard line and couldn't capitalize on that." According to the coach, those moments were the only chances to "change the script and force the Patriots to play from behind."

In the second half, the story was different. Maye settled in and completed 11 of 14 passes for 173 yards. "Once the Patriots played with the lead, Josh [McDaniels] really got the offense going and they were more consistent moving the ball," Belichick observed. The final blow came with a touchdown pass from Maye to Hunter Henry in the fourth quarter, finishing with 17 of 29 attempts, one touchdown, and 268 passing yards.