FOXBOROUGH, Mass. —
New England Patriots fans are still buzzing after Sunday night’s wild card win over the Los Angeles Chargers, and the excitement is building as the team prepares for the next round.
It was a busy day at Gillette Stadium on Monday as fans stopped by to pick up new gear after the Patriots’ wild card win.
Fans said the win wasn’t just about surviving the wild card. It was also about sending a message that the Pats are back after missing the playoffs for the past few years.
“It’s a great feeling,” one fan said. “I mean, we had ups and downs, but we turned it around and got a great coach and a great quarterback with a future ahead of him.”
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Coach Mike Vrabel suffered a minor injury following a celebration in the fourth quarter. Defensive tackle Milton Williams locked up the win with a late sack and ran over to Vrabel, but his helmet accidentally caught the coach on the lip.
“I’ve been hit harder,” Vrabel said during a news conference Monday.
Denise Tager, of North Hampton, was at the game Sunday night.
“It was wonderful,” she said. “It was such an experience.”
She said she’s excited to see what’s next for the team.
“Just to watch Drake Maye, I mean, he’s just come so far,” she said.
Fans from all over New England and the country were celebrating the big win. Roy Littlefield is from Maryland, but is nonetheless a Patriots fan.
“So, my dad grew up in Milford, New Hampshire,” he said. “And if you have a father who is a Boston sports fan, then you kind of grow into it.”
The Patriots and their fans are now waiting to see who they will play next. The Houston Texans are taking on the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday Night Football, with the winner taking on the Pats next week.