The New England Patriots were a force in the AFC during the regular season, but they enter the playoffs with plenty to prove.
Drake Maye, potentially the league's MVP in only his second season, will make his playoff debut on Sunday night when the Patriots host the Los Angeles Chargers and play for a trip to the divisional round.
Fortunately for Maye, he can lean on some coaches who have been in this position before. Head coach Mike Vrabel went to the playoff three times with the Tennessee Titans, while offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels called plays during long stretches of Patriots dominance with Tom Brady.
While Justin Herbert brings more NFL experience to the table, he is also looking for his first playoff win. Herbert is 0-2 in his playoff career, but he is hoping the combination of a terrific defense and previous playoff mistakes can help him get over the hump in his third appearance.
Here's how to watch Patriots vs. Chargers in the wild-card round on Sunday night.
What channel is Patriots vs. Chargers on today?
- TV Channel: NBC
- Live stream: Peacock
The Patriots and Chargers will face off in the typical "Sunday Night Football" slot on NBC. Mike Tirico (play-by-play) and Cris Collinsworth (color analyst) will be on the call from Foxborough, with Melissa Stark serving as a sideline reporter.
Those looking to stream can do so on Peacock. Peacock’s sports programming features live coverage of NFL Sunday Night Football, the NBA, Olympic and Paralympic Games, Big Ten football and basketball, Notre Dame football, Big East and Big 12 basketball, Premier League soccer, golf, and more.
Patriots vs. Chargers start time
- Date: Sunday, Jan. 11
- Time: 8 p.m. ET
Sunday night's game between the Patriots and Chargers will kick off at 8 p.m. ET from Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachsetts.
Patriots vs. Chargers radio coverage
- Radio station: SiriusXM channels 226 (Chargers), 229 (Patriots)
The game can be listened to nationally on SiriusXM. Channel 229 will provide the Patriots broadcast while the Chargers broadcast will air on Channel 226.
New customers can often get their first month of SiriusXM for free. Listen to every NFL game live, plus college football, MLB, NBA, NHL, NASCAR, and more. Stay updated with all the news and analysis from SiriusXM NFL Radio and other sport-specific channels.
NFL wild-card weekend schedule
Saturday, Jan. 10
| Matchup | Time (ET) | TV channel |
| Rams vs. Panthers | 4:30 p.m. | Fox |
| Packers vs. Bears | 8 p.m. | Amazon Prime Video |
Sunday, Jan. 11
| Matchup | Time (ET) | TV channel |
| Bills vs. Jaguars | 1 p.m. | CBS |
| 49ers vs. Eagles | 4:30 p.m. | Fox |
| Chargers vs. Patriots | 8:15 p.m. | NBC |
Monday, Jan. 12
| Matchup | Time (ET) | TV channel |
| Texans vs. Ravens/Steelers | 8:15 p.m. | ESPN/ABC |