The New England Patriots’ return to the playoffs after missing out since 2021 turned out to be a grinding, defensive struggle. In the end, New England beat the Los Angeles Chargers by a 16-3 score for the six-time Super Bowl champion franchise’s first postseason victory since beating the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl 53 seven years earlier.
In that game, a completely different Patriots team, led by legendary coach Bill Belichick and future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady, also held their opponents to a single field goal, winning 13-3.
In their 2025 return to the playoffs, the team that scored the second-most points in the NFL (490) in the regular season saw a surprise when it was held without a touchdown by the Chargers until 9:51 of the fourth quarter.
Patriots Defense Dominates Wild Card Game
The Patriots defense reigned supreme, allowing no touchdowns while sacking quarterback Justin Herbert six times, allowing fewer than 100 rushing yards and a net total of under 150 passing yards.
“The only other team in the Super Bowl era to do all of that in a playoff game was the 1985 Bears against the Giants,” according to Opta Stats.
One of the main reasons for the Patriots’ extraordinary defensive performance was the elite outing turned in by Patriots 2023 first-round draft pick Christian Gonzalez, the Pro Bowl cornerback out of Oregon.
According to NextGen Stats, Gonzalez played 26 coverage snaps Sunday night against the Chargers and was targeted five times by Herbert. The 23-year-old did not allow a single catch.
“Gonzalez has allowed a league-low minus-9.7 receptions over expected this season, including the playoffs,” according to NextGen.
‘Gonzo’ Forced to Leave Game Early
Unfortunately, Gonzalez was forced to exit his first career playoff game prematurely, suffering what was initially announced as a head injury in the fourth quarter.
After announcing his status to return to the game as questionable, the Patriots then downgraded “Gonzo,” as he is known to teammates and fans, to out.
As is customary for players who exit with head injuries, Gonzalez was held back from speaking to the media after Sunday night’s game. But before departing, he told Zack Cox of The Boston Herald that he felt “fine.”
Cornerback Enters Concussion Protocol
Gonzalez may have claimed to be “fine,” but according to the NFL, he is anything but. According to Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel, speaking in a weekly radio interview, as of Monday Gonzalez was placed in the league’s concussion protocol.
Longtime Patriots insider Mike Reiss of ESPN.com called the step “standard when a player isn’t cleared to return to the game.”
Nonetheless, his new injury status appears to place Gonzalez’s availability for Sunday’s Divisional Round playoff game — against either the Houston Texans or Pittsburgh Steelers, depending on which team wins Monday night’s final Wild Card Round game — in serious jeopardy.
According to a 2022 study, the median number of days for an NFL player to clear the concussion protocol and receive clearance to play is nine. That recovery timeline would put Gonzalez on the sidelines until Jan. 20. The Patriots’ next game is scheduled for Jan. 18.
Of course, some players clear concussion protocol within one week — as did the Patriots’ rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson between Week 16 and Week 17. But with other studies showing average recovery times of 19 days after suffering a concussion, the Patriots and their fans should expect Gonzalez to sit out the team’s first Divisional Round playoff game since the 2018 season.
Patriots Christian Gonzalez Expected to Miss Divisional Game After Elite Outing