The Chargers are ready for the playoffs.

Here's what you need to know about the Bolts ahead of the Wild Card Round.

1. Who do the Chargers play in the playoffs?

The Chargers are set for a playoff date with the New England Patriots.

The Bolts earned the No. 7 seed in the AFC with an 11-6 record, meaning they will be on the road throughout the postseason.

New England won the AFC East with a 14-3 record and secured the No. 2 seed with a Week 18 win.

"New England ... all focus needs to be on that," Chargers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh said Sunday. "That's the type of game that does define your season. Put our focus and attention is on that."

Harbaugh was also quick to point out the Patriots strong record, which tied the Broncos and Seahawks — the respective top seeds in their conferences — for the most in the NFL this season.

"14-3. Going 14-3 in this league ... that's really impressive. Good football team," Harbaugh said.

2. When do the Chargers and Patriots play?

Get ready for postseason football in primetime.

The Bolts and Patriots will square of Sunday night as kickoff is at 5 p.m. (PT) from Gillette Stadium. The game will be broadcast on NBC and Peacock.

Is the kickoff time a good omen for the Bolts?

The Chargers went 5-0 in primetime games during the 2025 season, getting wins over the Chiefs and Raiders in the first two weeks of the season before walloping the Vikings in Week 8 on Thursday Night Football.

The Bolts then picked up a Week 10 home win over the Steelers on Sunday Night Football before outlasting the Eagles in overtime in Week 14 on Monday Night Football.

New England, meanwhile, was also perfect in primetime as the Patriots went 4-0 in night games in 2025.

3. What about the quarterbacks?

There might not be a better quarterback matchup in the Wild Card Round than this one.

Hence why the game is in primetime.

The Chargers are led by Justin Herbert, who did not play in Week 18 but was simply masterful for the Bolts this season.

Herbert played the season without Pro Bowl tackle Rashawn Slater and more than half the season without Pro Bowl tackle Joe Alt.

Add in other injuries along the offensive line, plus a depleted running back room, and Herbert had a big hand in leading the Chargers to 11 wins for the second straight season.

Oh yeah, did we mention he played the final month of the season with a broken left hand?

"To me, it was an MVP season with all the attrition we've had and what he's been able to do to lead the team to a playoff berth," Chargers Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman said last week.

He later added: "In terms of Justin and what he's had to deal with this year, I think it's a career-defining type of year."

Herbert threw for 3,727 yards with 26 touchdowns and 13 interceptions while also setting a career high with 498 rushing yards.

New England will counter with second-year quarterback Drake Maye, who is among the top candidates for the NFL MVP award.

Besides leading the Patriots to 10 more wins that they had a season ago, Maye was brilliant in 2025 as he threw for 4,397 yards with 31 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

The 23-year-old, who was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, also led the NFL with a 113.2 passer rating.

Both Herbert and Maye are looking for their first-career playoff win.

4. What injuries are the Chargers dealing with?

First off, the Bolts as a whole should be relatively healthy considering they did not play their starters in Week 18 against the Broncos.

Besides Herbert, Derwin James Jr., Tuli Tuipulotu and Bradley Bozeman were all inactive.

The Chargers also had a handful of key players who dressed but didn't see the field, a group that included Daiyan Henley, Khalil Mack, Zion Johnson, Trey Pipkins III, Mekhi Becton, Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston.

However, running back Omarion Hampton (ankle), left tackle Jamaree Salyer (hamstring) and safety Elijah Molden (hamstring) were all inactive because of injuries.

Cornerback Donte Jackson suffered an ankle injury in the first half and did not return, although Harbaugh said he was cleared to.

Additionally, outside linebacker Bud Dupree (hamstring) and wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith (hamstring) each left the game with injuries, as did safety Kendall Williamson (ankle).

5. What's a key early stat to know?

Both teams like to possess the ball.

Actually, they love to control the clock.

If you exclude Week 18 when the Chargers rested their starters, the Bolts finished first in the league in time of possession at 32 minutes and 55 seconds.

But the Patriots were fifth in that metric at 31 minutes and 20 seconds a game.

The early tell is that both teams are going to want to keep their offenses on the field to give their defenses a chance to rest and be opportunistic.