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For the first time in more than two decades, the New England Patriots prepare for their first NFL playoff game without Bill Belichick. Under first-year coach Mike Vrabel, who played for the Patriots during Belichick's illustrious reign, New England won the AFC East behind an MVP-caliber showing from quarterback Drake Maye.

Appearing on this week's Let's Go! podcast, North Carolina's first-year coach said the Los Angeles Chargers have a "chance" to upset the Patriots in the wild-card round.

"If the Chargers have to play from behind, and pass block and try to protect and throw the ball 35, 40 times, I think they're going to be in a lot of trouble," Belichick said. "If they can play from ahead, get control of the game, make it a tight game, they certainly have the defense. And if they have enough of a running game … I think they would certainly have a chance."

This weekend marks the Patriots' first playoff appearance since 2021 and the first time New England is coached by someone other than Belichick in the postseason since 1998.

Herbert underwent surgery in early December to correct a fracture in his non-throwing hand. In his last four starts since, Herbert has five touchdown passes and three interceptions. He did not play in Los Angeles' season finale for rest purposes.

"What's the quarterback situation with Herbert? Broken hand and all, that's definitely been a factor," Belichick said.

The Belichick-Patriots relationship

An enforcer for the Patirots at linebacker during Belichick's tenure, Vrabel said he passed on an opportunity to join his former coach's staff in New England earlier in his career, citing timing reasons.

"Yeah, we had had a conversation and then I ended up going to Houston and I felt like that was the best thing for me at that time," Vrabel said earlier this year on the Scoop City podcast. "Was to go there and kind of learn from from Bill O'Brien, which I did, I learned a lot and he helped me, you know, prepare me for the opportunity at Tennessee. And then, you know, like I said, always the when the time was right, if it was if it all worked out, you know, we could we could come back here."

Vrabel since turned around a struggling franchise since Belichick's departure in short order, transforming a 4-13 team after the firing of Jerod Mayo to a legitimate Super Bowl contender.

Belichick watched from afar, though his relationship with his former franchise appears a bit icy. Earlier this year, Belichick made his feelings towards his former employer in New England known when he confirmed that Patriots scouts were prohibited from visiting his new program in Chapel Hill. His reasoning for closing the doors was that the Patriots had made it clear to him that he is not welcome back at their facility in Massachusetts. 

That comment, however, raised some eyebrows around New England and Vrabel, at the time, said that was not the case since Belichick had been around the Patriots' grounds since exiting in January 2024.

"Nothing surprises me," Vrabel said on his weekly WEEI appearance in early September. "I would imagine that Bill, I mean, he came back for, to the best of my knowledge, Tom's (Brady) ceremony. So I guess he's welcome back based on the fact that he was there. I'll just go by that. Since his departure as the head coach here, he's been back. I'll leave it at that."

Belichick later said it was "clear" he's not welcomed at New England's facility and left it at that.