18 stats to know about the Chargers before the Patriots face them on Sunday

New England Patriots

The Chargers’ strengths lie in their defense.

By Conor Roche

January 10, 2026 | 4:12 PM

3 minutes to read

The Patriots are back in the playoffs, and they take on a Chargers squad in the wild-card round that has some pretty clear strengths and weaknesses.

Los Angeles’ offense is 20th in scoring and 12th in yards, but its defense is the strength of the team. The Chargers are fifth in total defense and ninth in scoring defense. Their defensive success, plus the play of quarterback Justin Herbert, helped the Chargers to 11-6 in the regular season, giving them the AFC’s No. 7 seed in the postseason.

Let’s take a look at some other numbers to know about the Chargers.

91.3: Justin Herbert has posted a 91.3 passer rating in the last four weeks after undergoing left-hand surgery. For reference, that number would be tied for 19th in the league among eligible passers this season. He’s thrown for 885 yards, five touchdowns, and three interceptions in the four games since he underwent surgery.

8.3: In terms of what to expect when Herbert throws the ball, don’t expect him to be super aggressive. His average depth of target (ADOT) is 22nd, and his aggressive percentage is 20th among the 45 eligible quarterbacks this season.

114.6: But when Herbert throws the ball downfield, he has been efficient. Herbert’s 114.6 passer rating on deep throws ranks eighth among quarterbacks who’ve made multiple starts this season.

54: The Chargers have played like a team that’s down its top two left tackles this season. Their 54 percent pass block win rate is the worst in the NFL.

69: Los Angeles is also bad at blocking to protect the run. Its 69 percent run block win rate is the second-worst mark in the league.

54: Herbert was the third-most sacked quarterback in the league this season, getting sacked 54 times.

8.6: The Chargers’ struggles in protection go beyond having to play backups at offensive tackle. Mekhi Becton has the worst pressure rate allowed among all guards this season at 8.6, according to Pro Football Focus.

700: No one on the Chargers eclipsed 800 receiving yards this season. However, they had three receivers eclipse the 700-yard mark (Ladd McConkey, Keenan Allen, Quentin Johnston) and a tight end (Oronde Gadsden) log more than 600 receiving yards. So, Herbert has been distributing the ball pretty equally.

19: None of the Chargers’ receivers stand out from a metrics standpoint. McConkey has the highest overall rating among the Chargers’ wide receivers in ESPN’s overall receiver score, which rates a pass-catcher’s ability to get open, make catches, and get yards after catch. He ranks 45th in the NFL in overall rating, but his open rating ranks 19th.

42.4: The Chargers have a 42.4 percent success rate on offense, which is the success of each play based on down and distance. That ranks 20th in the league, but is the third-worst mark among all playoff teams. The Patriots’ 44.3 percent success rate on defense, meanwhile, ranks 19th in the league.

4.1: The Chargers’ run defense has been pretty strong as of late. They allowed just 4.1 yards per carry over their final four games of the regular season. For reference, that would rank 10th in the league over the full course of the season.

75: Where the Chargers really stand out defensively is against the pass. Opposing quarterbacks have logged just a combined 75 passer rating against Los Angeles this season, which is the best mark among all defenses in the league.

16: Continuing on the strength of the Chargers’ pass defense, they’ve allowed just 16 passing touchdowns this season. That’s the third-best mark in the league.

19: Los Angeles also has the best touchdown-to-interception ratio among all defenses. With 19 interceptions, the Chargers are the only team in the league to have more interceptions than touchdown passes allowed this season.

40.89: While the Chargers’ success rate on offense is among the worst for teams in the playoffs, their 40.89 percent defensive success rate is among the best. That number is the eighth-best in the league and fifth among teams in the playoffs.

45: The Chargers are also pretty good at getting to the quarterback, with their 45 sacks this season ranking 10th in the league.

70: Chargers edge rusher Tuli Tuipulotu has been a big reason for their success at getting after the passer. His 70 pressures are the 10th-most in the league, per Pro Football Focus. He also has 13 sacks, which is the sixth-best mark in the league.

57.2: Drake Maye might want to avoid throwing at Chargers cornerback Donte Jackson’s direction on Sunday. Jackson’s 57.2 passer rating against is the fourth-best mark among cornerbacks who’ve played at least 200 snaps this season.