The Los Angeles Chargers had absolutely no idea how to beat the New England Patriots defense, and it was obvious in their 3-16 playoff catastrophe.
The Patriots sent extra pressure throughout the night, resulting in free rushers and a dirty pocket for Justin Herbert. Accordingly, they ran a heavy dose of man coverage that stifled the Chargers' pass catchers.
Whatever you want to say about the disappointing performance of Los Angeles's offense, New England's defensive coordinator Zak Kuhr put on an absolute masterclass.
This would be depressing enough on its own, knowing that the Chargers failed to put up a fight yet again in the playoffs. But with the revelation that Patriots linebacker Robert Spillane provided, it enters a whole new level of angst-inspiring.
#Patriots LB Robert Spillane said Chargers players came up to him after the game to tell him that LA’s offense had no idea what the Pats defense was doing. Zak Kuhr was in his bag.
— Evan Lazar (@ezlazar) January 12, 2026
Greg Roman was working with limited tools in his toolbox this season given the performance of the offensive line. But to put up a putrid performance like this in a playoff game should leave a lasting mark on Roman's resume, and Chargers players made their true feelings known in the wake of the loss.
Greg Roman shows yet again why he's not the right man for the Chargers
Three points. 207 total yards. 1-for-10 on third downs. 0-for-2 on red zone opportunities.
These are the numbers the Chargers offense put up against a Patriots defense that, on paper, represented a favorable matchup heading into the Wild Card Round.
New England lacked an imposing pass rush for much of the season. The inconsistency of both their run defense and their secondary (apart from Christian Gonzalez) left room for optimism.
Yet Los Angeles's "balanced offense" never found a way to make a play. Their receivers were smothered all game, and their answers to the blitz were non-existent. The run game was flat and uninspired, totaling just 87 yards on the night. 57 of those were Justin Herbert's.
This was the one game where the Chargers needed to have answers on offense, and they came up short all night.
Take their first redzone drive following the tipped interception by Daiyan Henley, for example. Herbert ran the ball three times, only for the team to dial up a pass that got completely shut down by the Patriots defense. They turned the ball over on downs on what turned out to be their best scoring opportunity of the game.
Roman has, admittedly, had a tall task in front of him with both Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater out for the season. However, he should have found some answers by now. It's what an offensive coordinator is paid to do.
This Chargers loss was downright embarrassing, and players have the right to both be confused and upset at the way the game was schemed up. While there is blame to go around, including to Justin Herbert, much of this falls squarely at Roman's shoes.
The players' comments to Spillane reflect that fact, and Los Angeles needs to take a good, long look at the security of his job this offseason as a result.