Steelers and Texans nearly at full strength for wild-card showdown The Associated Press PITTSBURGH
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Houston Texans and Pittsburgh Steelers were remarkably healthy heading into Monday night's wild-card playoff game.
The Texans and the NFL's top-ranked defense received a boost hours before the game when reserve safety Jaylen Reed, who had been out since late November with a forearm injury, was activated off injured reserve.
Wide receiver Braxton Berrios, quarterback Graham Mertz, linebacker Christian Harris, offensive guard Juice Scruggs, running back Jawhar Jordan and cornerback Alijah Huzzie were inactive for Houston.
The AFC North champion Steelers had wide receiver DK Metcalf available after he served a two-game suspension for making contact with a fan in Detroit on Dec. 21. They were also nearly at full strength.
Running back Kaleb Johnson, wide receiver Roman Wilson, quarterback Will Howard, defensive lineman Logan Lee, outside linebacker Jeremiah Moon, offensive tackle Jack Driscoll and cornerback Tre Flowers were inactive for Pittsburgh.
The Steelers were looking to end a six-game playoff losing streak, while the Texans were searching for the first road postseason victory in franchise history.
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Seahawks begin preparing for 49ers after both coordinators interview for head coaching jobs By ANDREW DESTIN AP Sports Writer The Associated Press RENTON, Wash.
RENTON, Wash. (AP) — Ahead of the Seattle Seahawks' first home playoff game in five years, and their first in front of fans since 2017, their top two coordinators each spent the end of last week interviewing for jobs elsewhere.
Offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak interviewed with the Baltimore Ravens , Atlanta Falcons and Miami Dolphins for their head coaching vacancies, while defensive coordinator Aden Durde did the same with the Falcons and Cleveland Browns . But Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald wasn't worried about his assistants' focus on their jobs ahead of Seattle's matchup with the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday.
The Seahawks had a bye as the No. 1 seed in the NFC, and Kubiak and Durde did their interviews on days the team was off.
“It worked out well that they had the two days off and they could kind of shift their focus,” Macdonald said. “Once it’s over, then that’s over and we’re able to move forward. So really fortunate we had the bye.”
Last week's practices, he said, consisted mostly of self-scouting and working ahead on potential playoff opponents. Now, Seattle has turned its focus to San Francisco, which ended Philadelphia's bid for a Super Bowl repeat with a 23-19 victory on Sunday.
“I think just watching it live, it was just an incredibly resilient win,” Macdonald said of the 49ers. “I mean, the team has a lot of character. They’re really tough. You know, but really it’s nothing new with these guys. It’s what you know. But it’s a heck of a win. Tough place to go and play and get a win.”
Arroyo and Bryant could return
Both tight end Elijah Arroyo (knee) and safety Coby Bryant (knee) are expected to practice this week. Arroyo, who missed the final four games of the regular season and landed on injured reserve, returned to practice last week and could play Saturday.
“Elijah is looking good,” Macdonald said. “He’s a possibility about coming back for this game.”
Bryant missed the Seahawks' last two games with a knee injury. Left tackle Charles Cross, who signed a four-year contract extension last week , is expected to be back in the starting lineup. Cross missed the last three games with a hamstring injury.
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Texans stifle Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers 30-6 for franchise's 1st road playoff win By WILL GRAVES AP Sports Writer The Associated Press PITTSBURGH
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Sheldon Rankins is well-versed in the Houston Texans' nondescript playoff history. The veteran defensive tackle is hell-bent on writing a different ending this time.
And he's hardly alone. The NFL's best defense is eager to prove it's a unit capable of winning a championship.
So far, so dominant and so, so good.
Rankins returned a fumble by Aaron Rodgers 33 yards for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter to break open a tight game, and the Texans beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 30-6 on Monday night for the first road playoff win in franchise history.
“We're here for it all,” Rankins said after Houston (13-5) won its 10th straight game. “I won't sugarcoat it, won't dance around that topic. We're here for the whole thing.”
The next step comes Sunday at New England (15-3), where the Texans will try to reach the AFC Championship game for the first time.
If Houston can replicate what it did at chilly Acrisure Stadium, it might get there. The Texans limited Pittsburgh (10-8) to 175 total yards, including 81 in the second half. Coach DeMeco Ryans called it the best defensive performance in the franchise's 24-year history.
“Every time we go out there, we show (we're the best),” said Houston cornerback Calen Bullock, who picked off what might be the final pass of Rodgers' Hall of Fame career and raced 50 yards for the final score. “We went out there and showed it today. I don't think they even scored a touchdown.”
No, they didn't. The Steelers managed just a pair of first-half field goals by Chris Boswell to lose at home on a Monday night for the first time since 1991. Pittsburgh and coach Mike Tomlin have now dropped seven straight playoff games, with Tomlin tying former Bengals coach Marvin Lewis for the longest postseason losing skid in NFL history.
“I don't necessarily compare it to any other moment,” Tomlin said. “It's the here and now, and certainly it's difficult. But that's what we sign up for. That's the life we live.”
C.J. Stroud turned it over three times but also threw a first-half touchdown pass to Christian Kirk, who had eight catches for 144 yards. Woody Marks had 112 yards rushing for Houston, which had been 0-6 on the road in the postseason.
“It's all about moving forward and trying your best to flush it and keep going,” Stroud said. “Every time we had to bounce back, we made more plays.”
Marks' 13-yard touchdown run with 3:43 to go sealed it, and Bullock got his pick-6 less than a minute later.
Rodgers passed for just 146 yards in the final game of his 21st season. Whether there's a 22nd is anyone's guess. The four-time MVP will take some time before deciding whether to return next fall.
While Rodgers' play down the stretch was one of the reasons the Steelers won the AFC North, he struggled in much the same way as his predecessors, Russell Wilson and Mason Rudolph, did.
“I'm not going to make any emotional decisions,” Rodgers said. “I'm disappointed. Obviously, it was such a fun year. A lot of adversity but a lot of fun.”
More adversity than fun in the end. Rodgers' final pass of the night was a forced downfield throw that Bullock stepped in front of, and Rodgers tried and failed to tackle Bullock on the way to the end zone.
The Steelers’ defense, long the biggest problem during a playoff victory drought that is nearing a decade, forced Stroud into numerous mistakes and kept Pittsburgh in the game until late.
The result, however, was the same as it has been for the Steelers and Tomlin since they fell to New England in the 2016 AFC championship game, with a long walk to the locker room and a longer-than-hoped-for offseason to figure out what went wrong.
Houston’s victory was hardly a thing of beauty, as a thrilling opening weekend of the playoffs ended with a rock fight between clubs trying to shed some ignominious playoff history.
The Texans survived the way they have much of the season, by letting the league's best defense smother their opponent.
The Steelers failed to capitalize on the miscues from a jittery Stroud, who fumbled twice and threw a pick. Pittsburgh scored just three points off those turnovers.
Not even the return of wide receiver DK Metcalf from a two-game suspension for making contact with a fan in Detroit helped. Metcalf finished with two catches for 42 yards and had a critical drop that cost the Steelers a chance to extend a 3-0 lead.
The Texans gathered themselves after an iffy start and took a 7-6 lead when Stroud finished off a 16-play, 92-yard drive by flipping a pass to Kirk for a 4-yard touchdown.
Unlike a heart-stopping fourth-quarter rally against Baltimore that earned them their first AFC North title since 2020, this time there was no late-game magic from Rodgers or his teammates.
While Tomlin, the NFL’s longest-tenured coach, is all but assured of returning for a 20th season if he wants — even if there were chants for his firing in the final moments — Pittsburgh heads into yet another offseason in search of a quarterback and answers to a playoff drought whose weight seems to grow by the year.
Houston, meanwhile, heads to New England as the hottest team in the NFL with a quarterback who will be eager for a chance at a reprieve and a defense that can keep a game close against any opponent.
Injuries
Texans: WRs Nico Collins and Justin Watson both went into the concussion protocol in the second half. S Jaylen Reed (forearm), who was activated off injured reserve early Monday, left briefly in the first quarter with a knee injury.
Up next
Texans: Face the Patriots for the first time this season.
Steelers: The NFL draft, which Pittsburgh is hosting in late April.
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Mike Tomlin and the Steelers face familiar questions after their latest early playoff exit By DAN SCIFO Associated Press The Associated Press PITTSBURGH
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers found themselves in a familiar spot.
Monday night's wild-card playoff game against Houston was close through three quarters, but Sheldon Rankins’ 33-yard fumble return for a touchdown allowed the Texans and their top-ranked defense to break it open and beat the Steelers 30-6 .
“Certainly a disappointing end to our season,” Tomlin said. “We’ve got to give Houston a lot of credit, in particular their defensive unit. I thought they ruled the day.”
Tomlin and the Steelers lost their seventh straight playoff game. It’s the longest active postseason losing streak in the league, and Tomlin matched Marvin Lewis of the Bengals for the longest playoff skid by an NFL coach.
The Steelers haven’t won a playoff game since beating Kansas City in the 2016 divisional round, and whether Tomlin will be back for a 20th season in Pittsburgh is once again an open question — one that Tomlin declined to address in the aftermath of the loss.
“I’m not in the big-picture perspective,” Tomlin said. “I’m just not in that mindset. I don’t think about the totality of it. You pour everything that you have into these performances and what goes on tonight.”
Pittsburgh lost a scheduled Monday night home game for the first time since Oct. 14, 1991, to the New York Giants. The Steelers were unbeaten in their past 23 such games.
Aaron Rodgers threw for 146 yards and the Steelers were limited to 175 yards of total offense. Calen Bullock scored Houston’s second defensive touchdown of the fourth quarter with a 50-yard pick-6 on what may have been the final throw of Rodgers’ 21-year career. The four-time MVP plans to take time before deciding whether to return for another season.
“I’m not going to make any emotional decisions,” Rodgers said. “I’m disappointed. It was such a fun year. Obviously, a lot of adversity, but a lot of fun.”
The Steelers forced Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud into a number of mistakes throughout the first three quarters. Stroud fumbled five times — he lost two of them — and threw an interception, but the Steelers couldn't manage a single touchdown.
Houston led 10-6 when Will Anderson Jr. sacked Rodgers, and Rankins picked up the ball and returned it to the end zone.
“I didn’t feel like we ever got the momentum on our side, honestly,” Rodgers said. “We had a lot of chances. Defense played really good in the first half. (Houston) has a good defense. But we had a lot of opportunities.”
A week earlier, Rodgers threw for a season-high 294 yards and the Steelers rallied in the fourth quarter to defeat the Baltimore Ravens and win their eighth AFC North title under Tomlin.
On Monday night, the home crowd booed Tomlin and the Steelers off the field, and chants for his firing could be heard in the final minutes.
“I don’t really care about that noise because they don’t know what (Tomlin) puts into this,” veteran defensive lineman Cam Heyward said. “They don’t know how he goes out of his way to prepare every man. They don’t know about the countless nights he is in there studying film. Coaches can only do so much. Players have to play better and in those critical moments, they have to step up.”
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Ravens interview Chiefs offensive coordinator, former Bears coach Matt Nagy for coaching vacancy The Associated Press OWINGS MILLS, Md.
OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — The Baltimore Ravens have interviewed Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy for their head coaching vacancy.
Baltimore fired longtime coach John Harbaugh on Tuesday. Since then, the Ravens have acknowledged interviewing Vance Joseph, Davis Webb, Klint Kubiak, Kevin Stefanski and the 47-year-old Nagy for the position.
Nagy was the coach of the Chicago Bears from 2018-21, going 34-31 and making the playoffs twice. He was AP NFL Coach of the Year in 2018, when Chicago won the NFC North.
He's also been on the staff for two Super Bowl-winning Kansas City teams, although the Chiefs fell to 6-11 this season.
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Purdy, 49ers eliminate defending Super Bowl champion Eagles with 23-19 win in wild-card game By DAN GELSTON AP Sports Writer The Associated Press PHILADELPHIA
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jauan Jennings hid his eyes behind sunglasses, but could not hide his emotions with the San Francisco 49ers set to play an NFC postseason rubber match in Seattle.
The 49ers wideout-turned-backup quarterback slammed his fists on the table and essentially told the Seahawks to bring it on. He leaned into the microphone and yelled, “CAN'T WAIT!” before he walked off with a knowing smile that perhaps the best in San Francisco was yet to come.
The 49ers are in for a playoff treat, thanks in large part to a pretty neat trick pulled off by Jennings.
Brock Purdy threw a go-ahead 4-yard touchdown pass to Christian McCaffrey late in the fourth quarter, San Francisco used a trick play on a TD toss from Jennings to McCaffrey, and the 49ers eliminated the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles with a 23-19 wild-card victory Sunday.
“We went to the Super Bowl,” Jennings said. “So, we’ve got to top that.”
Maybe if the Eagles watched that 49ers' Super Bowl loss to Kansas City after the 2023 season, they wouldn't have been so caught by surprise by the play. A former high school quarterback, Jennings threw a TD pass on a similar play in the Super Bowl and this one to McCaffrey put him on a list with Purdy, Joe Montana and Steve Young as 49ers QBs who have thrown for multiple career touchdowns in the postseason.
How's that for heady company?
The play was called “Skyy Bang reverse pass” — in honor of wide receiver Skyy Moore — and the double reverse was suggested by offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak.
“It was a hell of suggestion,” coach Kyle Shanahan said.
The not-so Philly special was quite a way to put a dagger in the Super Bowl champs' season.
The 49ers head to top-seeded Seattle next weekend for an NFC divisional playoff game. The NFC West rivals split the season series. BetMGM put the Seahawks as early 6 1/2-point favorites.
Purdy threw for 262 yards and got the road win in Philadelphia he failed to get three seasons ago when he was injured in a dismal outing in Philadelphia in a loss in the NFC title game.
Purdy had two passes intercepted in this one by All-Pro cornerback Quinyon Mitchell, but the Eagles scored just three points off the turnovers.
The 49ers could head to Seattle without star tight end George Kittle, who was carted off the field with a right Achilles tendon injury late in the first half.
The Eagles — who won a Super Bowl on a trick play — were foiled by one when Jennings was pitched the ball and rolled right and hit McCaffrey for an over-the-shoulder catch and a 29-yard touchdown . The score on the first play of the fourth quarter gave the 49ers a 17-16 lead.
“I looked up, the ball’s in the air and Christian tracked it," Purdy said. ”It was wobbling in the wind. The fact that Christian caught it over his shoulder, dude, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh.'"
Jennings had 66 yards receiving and 48 rushing in addition to his TD pass.
“JJ thinks he can make every play known to man,” Shanahan said.
The Eagles would only get Jake Elliott's 33-yard field goal in the quarter for a brief 19-17 lead.
Philadelphia was again doomed by a lethargic offensive effort under embattled offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo that cost it a shot at a repeat championship. Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts threw for only 168 yards and a touchdown and the Eagles failed to build off a 13-10 halftime lead by totaling only 36 total yards in the third quarter on 16 plays.
Hurts was incomplete on a last-gasp fourth-and-11 attempt with 43 seconds left that ended their final drive.
“I just didn’t make the play,' Hurts said. ”I own it. I own it all.”
The game never reached its offensive slugfest potential after the teams traded touchdowns on their opening drives.
Purdy, rendered ineffective by a torn ligament in his right elbow on the opening drive against the Eagles in a disastrous NFC title game loss three seasons ago, completed all three passes for 74 yards and capped the drive with a 2-yard touchdown pass to Demarcus Robinson.
The Eagles tied it on a 1-yard sweep by Dallas Goedert, their red zone go-to ace with 11 TD receptions who became the first tight end to rush for a score in NFL postseason history.
The Eagles turned again to Goedert on fourth down when Hurts hit him for a 9-yard TD that made it 13-7.
Eddy Pineiro kicked a 36-yarder for the 49ers that cut it to 13-10 at halftime.
The 49ers took it from there and hope to pull off their second road win of the season in Seattle.
“It’s just cool for everybody across the board to be able to have this kind of win and celebrate all the stuff that we’ve been through,” Purdy said.
Heat of the moment
Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown had to be separated from coach Nick Sirianni by chief security officer Dom DiSandro during a sideline blowup late in the first half. Brown ripped off his helmet in frustration and yelled more in Sirianni’s direction after the Eagles punted to end a drive.
Injuries
Kittle was pushed out of bounds on a 6-yard reception and grabbed the back of his lower right leg. He was ruled out for the rest of the game.
Eagles running back Saquon Barkley ran for 106 yards, but was slow to get up on a run in the fourth quarter. He used the stationary bike on the sideline to stay loose.
Up next
49ers: The 49ers won 17-13 in Seattle in the season opener only for the Seahawks to return the favor with a 13-3 win in the season finale.
Eagles: Could make yet another change at offensive coordinator as they try not to waste more prime years from Hurts, Barkley and the receivers.
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This story has been corrected to fix the go-ahead touchdown pass to 4 yards, not 6 yards.
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Eagles' season-long issues apparent in playoff loss to 49ers, sideline spat between Sirianni, Brown By DAN GELSTON AP Sports Writer The Associated Press PHILADELPHIA
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A.J Brown dropped a third-down pass and was slow to get off the field when coach Nick Sirianni chased down the moody wide receiver on the sideline.
Brown and Sirianni bickered in a sideline spat that quickly forced chief security officer Dom DiSandro to intervene. Brown ripped off his helmet in frustration and yelled more in Sirianni’s direction — perhaps he could have used a good book — after the Eagles punted to end a drive.
Brown had nothing to say after the game – stay tuned for another possible cryptic social media post – his locker stall soon as empty as the offseason that awaits last season’s Super Bowl champions.
The Eagles were ultimately doomed in a championship repeat bid by another uninspired offensive output – the drops piled while the total yards failed to reach explosive heights – and they lost 23-19 to the San Francisco 49ers in an NFC wild card game Sunday.
Just trash littered the field after the game – courtesy of an unrelenting wind that threw a winkle into both team’s gameplan – rather than the confetti that fell on the Eagles only 11 months earlier in the Super Bowl in New Orleans.
With the same talent back for an encore, the Eagles never found any consistent offensive success in a game where many players thought they could flip the proverbial switch in the postseason.
Much of the blame sits at the feet of embattled first-year offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo – who had his house egged during the season – in a second-half effort against the 49ers where the Eagles never got any serious offensive production.
Jalen Hurts threw for only 168 yards and a touchdown and the Eagles failed to build off a 13-10 halftime lead by totaling only 36 total yards in the third quarter on 16 plays.
Hurts thew for only 75 yards in the second half. Saquon Barkley had only 35 yards rushing in the second half. The Eagles were just 2 of 9 on third downs in the second half. The biggest blow: The Eagles scored only six points in the second half.
“We didn’t make the plays when we didn’t make them,” Hurts said.
Indeed.
Jake Elliott missed an extra point in the first half that forced the Eagles to go for the winning touchdown on the final drive, rather than a tying field goal. Hurts was sacked and threw three straight incompletions to end a season where — even as mostly ugly wins piled — the Eagles never played like true Super Bowl contenders.
The Eagles also had four drops on third downs.
“It's been a common theme for us this year,” Barkley said. “We haven't done a good enough job of playing complete football. Putting two halves together. Sometimes you expect you'll get to this moment, and you'll figure it out.”
Brown, who had 1,003 yards receiving this season, had two drops on seven targets. He finished with only three catches for 25 yards.
With the drops, the stalled drives and heavy expectations weighing on the defending champs, it's little wonder frustration finally reach a boiling point.
Sirianni, who led the Eagles to the Super Bowl in two of the previous three seasons, said he rushed after Brown to get him off the field so they could punt.
Everything is cool between the two, Sirianni said. Honest.
“I love A.J. I think he knows how I feel about him. I have a special relationship with him,” Sirianni said. "We probably went through every emotion you can possibly have together. We’ve laughed together, we’ve cried together, we’ve yelled at each other. We’re both emotional. I was trying to get him off the field and that happens in this game.
"It happens in this game, but I love him.”
Do the Eagles love him enough to keep him for another season?
There doesn't expect to be much turnover for the NFC East champions — thought Patullo and Brown could both be on the move.
The Eagles rode their defense to an NFC East crown — well, that, and playing in an especially weak division — that masked so many deficiencies in the play calling. The Eagles finished the regular season just 24th overall in the NFL in offense; 23rd in passing and 19th in scoring.
“It's not on any individual,” Hurts said. “It's on us as a unit.”
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Maye throws late TD pass and Patriots' defense roughs up Herbert, Chargers in 16-3 playoff win By KYLE HIGHTOWER AP Sports Writer The Associated Press FOXBOROUGH, Mass.
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Patriots coach Mike Vrabel talked to his team about being prepared to bleed as New England entered its first playoff game since the 2021 season.
Then, shortly after Milton Williams sacked the Chargers' Justin Herbert on Sunday night to secure the Patriots' first playoff victory in seven years, Williams celebrated with a head-butt of Vrabel.
It knocked the first-year coach backward and bloodied his lip.
“The big dogs come out in January. I think Milt took that to heart,” Vrabel said. “He came over and got me pretty good. But that’s what happens.”
Drake Maye threw a touchdown pass to Hunter Henry in the fourth quarter, and New England's defense roughed up Herbert as the Patriots beat Los Angeles 16-3 in an AFC wild-card playoff game.
Andy Borregales kicked three field goals for the Patriots (15-3), who hadn't won in the postseason since their Super Bowl victory to cap the 2018 season. They’ll host the winner of Monday night’s game between Pittsburgh and Houston in the divisional round.
In his playoff debut, Maye completed 17 of 29 passes for 268 yards and ran for a team-high 66 yards.
“We made plays when we had to do it,” Maye said.
He also threw an interception and lost a fumble, but the Chargers (11-7) couldn't capitalize on those turnovers.
New England held Los Angeles to 207 yards of offense and sacked Herbert six times, with one of those resulting in a lost fumble that set up the Patriots' TD.
“It's on us, what we do. I've been saying that all season,” Williams said. “We can control the game. If we do what we need to do up front, we're going to win.”
This is the second straight season in which the Chargers have lost in the wild-card round. Herbert finished 19 of 31 for 159 yards and was his team's leading rusher with 57 yards as he fell to 0-3 in the playoffs.
Herbert was just over a month removed from surgery to repair a broken bone in his nonthrowing hand.
“There was no issue,” Herbert said. “I just have to do a better job holding on to the ball.”
Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh said his quarterback wasn't 100 percent.
“He’s a warrior. He just gives it everything he has, all the time,” Harbaugh said, acknowledging that Herbert was limited by his hand injury. “It’s an issue, but he doesn’t flinch, like a warrior would.”
The last time the Chargers failed to score a TD in the playoffs was their 21-12 AFC championship game loss to the Patriots during the 2007 season.
The Patriots drove into the red zone on their first possession of the third quarter, but the drive ended when Maye was strip-sacked by Odafe Oweh and De'Shawn Hand recovered for the Chargers.
After Los Angeles punted, Maye connected on a pass to Kayshon Boutte that went for 42 yards to set the Patriots up on the Chargers 27. But New England settled for a 39-yard field goal that stretched their lead to 9-3.
Early in the fourth quarter, Maye used a 16-yard pass to Boutte and a 13-yard burst by Rhamondre Stevenson to set up his precise 28-yard TD toss to Henry that put the Patriots in front 16-3.
The Chargers picked up back-to-back first downs to open their ensuing drive. But when Herbert dropped back to pass on the next play, linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson strip-sacked him and fell on loose ball.
Los Angeles had one final possession, but it ended with Herbert getting sacked by Williams on fourth down.
“It’s playoff football. It’s going to get ugly. It’s going to get nasty. But you’ve got to keep going,” Williams said.
Patriots get 3 the hard way
The opening quarter had lots of action, but it took until early in the second quarter for the Patriots to end a scoreless stalemate.
With New England pinned inside its own 10 after a Chargers punt, Maye had a pass intended for Austin Hooper tipped by Teair Tart and intercepted by Daiyan Henley.
Los Angeles started with the ball on the Patriots 10 but was stopped on fourth-and-2 when Herbert misfired a pass to Keenan Allen.
The Patriots took over and got some breathing room via a 48-yard catch-and-run by Stevenson.
Thirteen plays and a fourth-down conversion later, the drive ended with Borregales' 23-yard field goal.
Injuries
Patriots: CB Carlton Davis left in the first half with a toe injury but returned. ... CB Christian Gonzalez left in the second half with a head injury.
Up next
Chargers: End of season.
Patriots: Host either Houston or Pittsburgh next Sunday.
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Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh says 'Those that stay will be champions.' QB Justin Herbert isn't sure By JIMMY GOLEN AP Sports Writer The Associated Press FOXBOROUGH, Mass.
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh still believes he can take his team all the way. Quarterback Justin Herbert isn’t so sure.
After a 16-3 loss to New England in the wild-card round of the NFL playoffs on Sunday night, Harbaugh said he told the team, “Those that stay will be champions.”
“Not looking at this as an end,” he said in a somber postgame news conference that undermined his professed optimism. “It’s another beginning.”
But when Herbert followed his coach to the podium, he couldn’t smile through his third playoff loss in as many tries. The Chargers have not claimed a postseason victory since winning in the wild-card round in 2018. (They lost to the Patriots the following week.)
Asked if he was still confident that he could make a playoff run or even win one postseason game, Herbert said, “I don’t know.”
“I haven’t figured it out yet, and it hasn’t happened,” he said. “So we’ll have to re-evaluate it and see what happens.”
A year after a 32-12 loss to Houston in which Herbert completed less than 45% of his passes and was intercepted four times, the 2020 Offensive Rookie of the Year led the Chargers to just a single field goal. He completed 19 of 31 passes for 159 yards and was the team's leading rusher, scrambling 10 times for 57 yards.
But he was also sacked six times, losing 39 yards.
The Chargers only got deep into Patriots territory twice — the first time in the first quarter when Daiyan Henley intercepted a tipped pass from Drake Maye and set up the Los Angeles offense at the New England 10. The drive stalled at the 2, Harbaugh went for it on fourth down, and Herbert’s pass fell incomplete.
“We just have to be able to score and we didn’t do that today,” the quarterback said. “That’s on us as an offense. When we get those opportunities we have to do everything we can to get ball in the end zone, and we let the defense down today.”
Among the problems: The best team in the NFL on third down this season, converting 115 times, went 1 for 10 on Sunday night, and 1 for 3 on fourth down. (The only successful third-down conversion was a 1-yard QB sneak that was initially ruled short but was overturned on replay to give Los Angeles the first down.)
It was the second straight week the Chargers failed to score a touchdown. Asked if offensive coordinator Greg Roman was the right person to be calling plays, Harbaugh said, “Right now I don’t have the answers.”
“We’re going to look at that, at everything,” he said. “It really falls on me that we weren’t at our best tonight. I don’t have the answers. I wish I did. We’ll work hard. It’ll be a new beginning.”
Herbert broke a bone in his left — non-throwing — hand in a Nov. 30 victory over the Raiders, but he played through the injury and led Los Angeles to four straight wins. The Chargers lost to Houston in Week 17, then Herbert sat out the regular-season finale to heal.
Getting back on the field on Sunday, Herbert wasn’t able to reverse his playoff luck, missing receivers and taking sacks when there was no one open to throw to. He was strip-sacked twice, losing one fumble in a sequence that wound up costing the Chargers 2½ minutes on the clock and 46 yards of field position when they needed two touchdowns to win the game.
“The training staff did a great job getting me ready to go,” Herbert said. “As long as they felt safe and comfortable — and I did as well — there was no issues. Just have to do a better job holding on to the ball.”
But Harbaugh acknowledged that the hand was a problem.
“He’s a warrior. He just gives it everything he has, all the time,” the coach said. “It’s an issue, but he doesn’t flinch, like a warrior would.”
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Matthew Stafford ends record-tying longest wait for first-team AP NFL All-Pro honor By JOSH DUBOW AP Pro Football Writer The Associated Press
Matthew Stafford has spent a career accumulating staggering numbers with more than 64,000 yards passing, more than 400 TD passes and a Super Bowl title.
One accolade he hadn't achieved until this season was being named a first-team AP NFL All-Pro. Stafford was picked for the team on Saturday, ending the longest wait ever for a quarterback to get that honor for the first time.
Stafford just completed his 17th season in the NFL since being drafted first overall by Detroit in 2009, eclipsing Fran Tarkenton's 15-year wait for his first All-Pro honor in 1975.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, only two other players had waited 15 years or more for their first All-Pro selection with Stafford tying kicker Gary Anderson for the longest wait. Anderson was also named All-Pro in his 17th season in 1998 when he made all 35 field goal tries and 59 extra points in the regular season before missing a potential game-sealing kick that helped cost Minnesota in the NFC title game.
The All-Pro selection could also boost Stafford's Hall of Fame case. No modern quarterback has ever made the Hall without getting one of these honors: first-team All-Pro; AP NFL MVP; AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year or Super Bowl MVP.
Stafford now has one and could add another when the MVP is announced at NFL Honors on Feb. 5. From 2013-23, the first-team All-Pro quarterback also won the MVP but that streak was snapped last year when Josh Allen won the MVP after Lamar Jackson was picked as the All-Pro.
Stafford got 31 of the 50 first-place votes from the same panel that picks MVP with New England's Drake Maye getting 18 and Allen one. Stafford was named on 49 ballots with 18 second-place votes, while Maye was on 47 ballots with 29 second-place votes.
The 37-year-old Stafford was the old man on an All-Pro team that had a strong youthful bent with 22-year-old slot cornerback Cooper DeJean the youngest on the squad. Twelve other of the 31 players to get first-team honors are 25 or younger, with 12 more others between ages 26 and 29.
The only other thirtysomething besides Stafford were edge rusher Myles Garrett, who turned 30 late last month; 32-year-old safety Kevin Byard; 33-year-old offensive linemen Garett Bolles and Joe Thuney; and 34-year-old fullback Kyle Juszczyk.
Broncos lead the way
The AFC's top-seeded Denver Broncos also had the most All-Pros.
Denver had a franchise record-tying four first-team selections — double the total of the next highest team — with offensive linemen Garett Bolles and Quinn Meinerz; defensive tackle Zach Allen and special teams standout Devon Key getting picked.
The only other seasons when the Broncos had four first-team selections were 1977 when the team made its first Super Bowl and 1996.
Among the other playoff teams with multiple first-teamers were the Rams with Stafford joined by prolific receiver Puka Nacua; San Francisco' with its backfield of Christian McCaffrey (all purpose) and fullback Juszczyk; Houston led by defenders Will Anderson Jr. and Derek Stingley Jr.; and Chicago with left guard Joe Thuney and safety Kevin Byard.
The Eagles got second-year cornerback Quinyon Mitchell and second-year slot cornerback DeJean on the first team. It marked the seventh team that a team had its top two picks from a draft class earn first-team All-Pro honors within their first two NFL seasons, with Indianapolis the last to do it when Quenton Nelson and Shaquille Leonard made it as rookies in 2018.
Three of the nine teams with multiple first-team All-Pros came from teams that missed the playoffs, including three-win Tennessee getting defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons and rookie punt returner Chimere Dike getting picked. Detroit had right tackle Penei Sewell and linebacker Jack Campbell; while Baltimore had safety Kyle Hamilton and punter Jordan Stout.
Five teams had no first or second-team selections with the Carolina Panthers the only playoff team without one after winning the NFC South with an 8-9 record. The other four also had losing records with Las Vegas, the New York Jets, Tampa Bay and Washington getting shut out.
Patriots shut out on first team
The New England Patriots finished tied for the best record in the NFL with Denver and Seattle but had no first-team All-Pros to show for it.
The Patriots became the first team since the AP began awarding All-Pro honors in 1940 to win at least 14 games in a season and have no first-team picks.
New England did have two second-team selections with Maye getting the spot at quarterback and Marcus Jones at punt returner.
The Patriots came close to an All-Pro shutout in 2016 after winning 14 games but Matthew Slater made it as the special teams player. That New England team went on to win the Super Bowl.
Rare rookie makes All-Pro
Dike was the only rookie to earn first-team All-Pro honors this season after averaging 17.3 yards per punt return with two touchdowns.
He became the fourth rookie since 2000 to earn All-Pro honors with the three others among the best in the league at their positions.
Las Vegas tight end Brock Bowers pulled it off last season, with Sauce Gardner doing it in 2022 and Micah Parsons in 2021.
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