Sports

Chargers to test Patriots

The Los Angeles Chargers face off in the AFC Wild Card against the New England

Patriots, kicking off from Gillette Stadium at 5:00 p.m. PT on Sun., Jan. 11. Mike Tirico, Cris

Collinsworth and Melissa Stark have the call on NBC, while Matt “Money” Smith, Daniel

Jeremiah and Shannon Farren will broadcast on the Chargers Radio Network airwaves

on KFI AM-640 as well as on SiriusXM 81 or 226 and on the SiriusXM app. Adrian Garcia-

Marquez and Francisco Pinto will present the game in Spanish on Que Buena Los Angeles.

Los Angeles heads to New England for the third-straight season, winning 40-7 last

year and 6-0 in 2023 to record the team’s first shutout since 2017. It marks the

fifth postseason matchup between the teams, with the Bolts winning the 1963 AFL

Championship over the Boston Patriots, 51-10.

The Chargers recorded their second consecutive 11-win season and postseason

appearance under Head Coach Jim Harbaugh in 2025. He is one of eight coaches in

NFL history to post multiple seasons with 11-plus victories for multiple franchises. The

offense is led by quarterback Justin Herbert, who has 3,727 yards and 26 touchdowns

on the season. The passing attack features three different receivers with at least 50

catches, 700 receiving yards and four touchdown grabs, the most in the NFL (wide

receivers Keenan Allen, Quentin Johnston and Ladd McConkey). On defense, outside

linebackers Tuli Tuipulotu (13.0 sacks), Odafe Oweh (7.5) and Khalil Mack (5.5) lead

the pass rush, while cornerback Donte Jackson (four), safety Tony Jefferson (four)

and safety Derwin James Jr., (three) have picked off opposing passers.

New England enters the game having won 14 games in the regular season, securing

the AFC’s No. 2 seed and an AFC East crown. The offense is led by second-year

quarterback Drake Maye, who threw for 4,394 yards and 31 touchdowns with eight

interceptions for a 113.5 passer rating. He completed 85 of his passes to wide receiver

Stefon Diggs for 1,013 yards and four touchdowns. On the ground, rookie running

back TreVeyon Henderson led the team with 911 rushing yards and nine touchdowns,

averaging 5.1 yards per attempt. On defense, safety Jaylinn Hawkins leads the unit with

four interceptions, while linebacker Harold Landry III paces the club with 8.5 sacks.

By The Numbers

5 The Chargers finished the 2026 regular season with 5-0 record in prime-time

games, the most in a single season in franchise history.

3 The Bolts led the NFL in 2025 with 115 third-down conversions, while the

defense was also the league’s best, allowing 70 conversions. Los Angeles is

the third team in 50 years to lead the league in both offensive third-down

conversions and defensive third-down conversions on the call

TELEVISION: NBC

Play-by-play: Mike Tirico

Analyst: Cris Collinsworth

Sideline: Melissa Stark

CHARGERS RADIO: KFI AM-640

Play-by-play: Matt “Money” Smith

Analyst: Daniel Jeremiah

Sideline: Shannon Farren

NATIONAL RADIO: WESTWOOD ONE

Play-by-play: Tom McCarthy

Analyst: Derek Rackley

SPANISH RADIO: QUE BUENA

LOS ANGELES (FM-105.5/94.3)

Play-by-play: Adrian Garcia-Marquez

Analyst: Francisco Pinto

CHARGERS MOBILE APP: Official team news, full game stats and live press conferences

are available on the Chargers mobile app. For more details, visit Chargers.com/app.

L O S A N G E L E S C H A R G E R S G A M E R E L E A S E

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