One moment, the Patriots were celebrating a playoff victory; the next, their head coach was bleeding thanks to an overzealous player. Defensive tackle Milton Williams exploded after the Los Angeles Chargers’ fourth‑down sack that effectively sealed the Patriots’ 16–3 playoff win. That sack not only confirmed the Patriots’ victory, it also left a noticeable bloody mark on the head coach, Mike Vrabel.

“Man, I was just turnt. That was just pure emotion,” Milton said in the post-game interview, “I think I headbutted everybody, but I forgot Vrabes didn’t have no helmet on.”

The accident happened when the celebration was in full swing. With two minutes left on the clock, Williams completed a sack in the fourth quarter on Justin Herbert for nine yards. The defensive tackle handed out helmet-to-helmet headbutts to teammates before locking in for a tight hug with his coach. Right before they parted, Williams landed a headbutt on Vrabel as well. In the process, he hit Vrabel’s face, leaving the head coach with a bloody lip. The HC took it lightly and showed zero frustration when reporters asked him about the incident.

“We talked to him about being willing to spill some blood out there and that the big dogs come out in January,” Vrabel said in his postgame interview. “I think Milton took that to heart in the way that he played the game, and he finished the game.”

The excitement was in the air with sacks flying all over. The franchise’s own quarterback, Drake Maye, was sacked five times while the team managed to land one more on Herbert, totaling six sacks (his second-highest sack tally this season). New England’s six sacks came from everywhere.
Marcus Jones and Anfernee Jennings chipped in one each, while Milton Williams and K’Lavon Chaisson delivered two apiece. Overall, the team held the Chargers to 120 passing yards and zero touchdowns.

Williams himself led the charge with two sacks, two tackles for loss, two quarterback hits, and three total tackles. Those numbers exploded past his regular-season totals of 3.5 sacks. It was only the second time this season Milton Williams recorded two sacks in a game, the first coming in a Week 2 win over the Dolphins.

Eventually, missing out on the top seed only made the Patriots’ case stronger. This win came in the only Wild Card game thus far not decided by a single score, showcasing Mike Vrabel’s mettle. It also further strengthened the growing Coach of the Year chatter as New England surged forward with authority.

Can Mike Vrabel win NFL Coach of the Year?

Mike Vrabel’s first season with the Patriots has been nothing short of transformative, turning a franchise that limped through 2024 with a 4-13 record into a Super Bowl contender that’s dismantling opponents with elite play. The first-year head coach’s ability to instill a winning culture in New England, despite inheriting a far from ideal roster, has already positioned him as a serious contender for NFL Coach of the Year honors.

Many analysts agree that the Patriots’ head coach is the right fit. Zak Keefer of The Athletic is one of them. He analyzed Vrabel’s chances in December 2025 and wrote exclusively about his conclusion.

“The Patriots’ Mike Vrabel has a case.” Zak Keefer wrote. “From 4-13 to 13-3, Vrabel has accomplished the same thing in New England, changing the entire outlook for a franchise in a matter of months.”

With a statement win against the Chargers and Pittsburgh or Houston waiting in the divisional round, Vrabel’s bloody lip captures it all. He is a coach who demands January intensity and now has the Patriots rolling toward a potential Super Bowl that could land him Coach of the Year recognition.