Jim Harbaugh is not buying the underdog noise. As the Wild Card round creeps closer, the Los Angeles Chargers’ head coach is studying the New England setup closely. And the more he watches, the more alarms go off. From the body language to the way they finish plays, something feels familiar.

On Monday afternoon, Harbaugh explained, he sees Mike Vrabel all over this group.

“His teams play as he played,” Harbaugh said on Monday afternoon. “I do notice that. Tough, gritty, physical, smart, fast. They kind of like to hit like he liked to hit. That’s what I’ve noticed.”

Sunday night will put them on opposite sidelines, but this is not a new rivalry. More than 25 years ago, Harbaugh and Vrabel went at each other between the white lines three times.

Back then, Harbaugh was hanging on at the end of his playing days. He was slinging it for the Colts and later the Ravens. At the same time, Vrabel was just getting started as a young linebacker with the Steelers.

Soon after retiring, Harbaugh crossed paths with Vrabel again. This time, as a coach, Vrabel was wearing Patriots colors.

Fast forward to last season. The Chargers walked into Gillette and embarrassed New England with a 40-7 blowout against a Jerod Mayo-coached team. However, Harbaugh is not expecting anything close to that this time. Not with this version of the Patriots. Not with Vrabel setting the tone.

That respect shows in the numbers Harbaugh pointed to next.

“The most important categories they’re top five, top 10 — Points per game, run defense,” Harbaugh said. “It’s not a lot of takeaways; that’s not in the top 10, but it’s really good, sound. Able to play a 3-4 team that can play as a 4-3 team, a 4-3 team that can go to a five-man line.”

Simply put, Pats Nation is getting a team built for playoff fights. And the Bolts better be ready.

Jim Harbaugh praises Patriots ahead of matchup

The New England Patriots locked up the No. 2 seed in the AFC, and Jim Harbaugh made sure to respect that grind. Right after Sunday’s game, he did not dance around it; he said it straight.

“14-3,” Harbaugh said post-game on Sunday, via the team’s website. “Going 14-3 in this league, that’s really impressive. Good football team.”

It sounded less like hype and more like a warning. Pats Nation heard it loud and clear.

As soon as the final whistle blew, Harbaugh immediately shifted the team’s focus, making it clear there was no time for a victory lap.

“New England, all focus needs to be on that,” Harbaugh added. “That’s the type of game that does define your season. Put our focus and attention on that.”

Of course, the challenge starts under center. The Patriots ride with Drake Maye, an MVP-caliber quarterback who changes games fast. The Bolts know that slowing him down is easier said than done. Still, preparation did not wait as Khalil Mack revealed the work had already started. The film was rolling before the team even touched down.

The Chargers know this offense demands answers early.

“Getting ready for an MVP-caliber QB coming up this next week,” Mack said, via The Athletic.

Meanwhile, the oddsmakers agree this will be tight. Reports list New England as a 3.5-point favorite at home. Now the question is simple. Can Jim Harbaugh back up his respect with a playoff statement against the Patriots?