Fans present at the Gillette Stadium witnessed a completely unexpected set of events during the recent clash between the New England Patriots and the Los Angeles Chargers. Despite holding a season record of 11-6, they couldn’t handle the Patriots’ defense, ultimately losing with a final score of 16-3. The dismal performance immediately put offensive coordinator Greg Roman’s job under the microscope, forcing head coach Jim Harbaugh to publicly address his future with the team.

“We’re gonna look at that and everything,” Harbaugh said, while denying a direct and confirmed answer to the query.

The Los Angeles Chargers struggled to generate offense on Sunday night as they dropped a 16–3 decision to the New England Patriots despite a strong performance from their defense. They repeatedly found themselves in favorable situations, including multiple turnovers forced, but somehow couldn’t translate those chances into points.

Quarterback Justin Herbert also faced consistent pressure throughout the game as the Patriots’ pass rush overwhelmed an offensive line troubled by injuries. Herbert was taken down six times and completed 19 of 31 passes for 159 yards. He did not throw a touchdown and led the team in rushing with 57 yards, highlighting the offense’s overall lack of production.

The Chargers’ offense never fully clicked under Roman. Even with Justin Herbert playing at an elite level, the unit finished just 12th and then 20th in total yards over the last two seasons, which didn’t match the talent on the roster. Injuries played a role, but the bigger issue was that the system never opened things up for Herbert, limiting the variety and freedom a quarterback of his ability should have had.

The poor protection also resulted in his injury. In the fourth quarter, Justin Herbert took a hard hit and immediately showed discomfort, holding his midsection as he came off the field, which raised concern. While he was clearly in pain, he didn’t receive medical treatment on the sideline, and the broadcast noted it appeared to be an arm-related issue. After being checked briefly, Herbert stayed on the bench and remained in the game, easing fears of a serious injury. Later, in a presser, 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.”

These troubles, along with the offensive issues, brought their OC Greg Roman under heavy scrutiny. He joined the Chargers in 2024 alongside head coach Jim Harbaugh. Roman spent more than two decades connected to the Harbaugh family. This dates back to his early coaching days with the Carolina Panthers.

He later worked under Harbaugh at Stanford University, followed him to the San Francisco 49ers, and eventually served as offensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens under John Harbaugh before arriving in Los Angeles. While no clear verdict is offered on the OC’s future yet, it still remains to be seen if he joins the league of several coaches hanging around in the hiring window.

Mike Vrabel explains how the defense made Justin Herbert’s life miserable

Justin Herbert’s performance was heavily limited during the recent clash against the Patriots. With a pass completion of 61.3%, the quarterback could only secure 159 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions. The Patriots’ coach, Mike Vrabel, saw his team’s unbreakable defense as the reason behind Herbert’s limited numbers. According to him, the defensive unit did well enough to make the QB’s time “miserable”.

“I thought they played extremely well,” Vrabel said. “I thought they were committed to stopping the run. I thought the sudden change was critical. We were playing a very good defense and we turned the ball over far too many times. But what our defense was able to do early in that game, in the red zone inside the five-yard line, inside the nine-yard line, really set the tone for the rest of the game.”

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The recent win not only helped the Pats advance to the divisional round but also ended a 7-year-long drought for the team. After their Super Bowl victory in 2019, the Patriots couldn’t secure a playoff win until this season. While major opportunities lie ahead of them to recreate those historical moments, it still remains to be seen if the team’s defense maintains this level of play.