The New England Patriots enjoyed a successful return to the postseason after defeating the Los Angeles Chargers, 16-3, on Sunday night. From the moment the game started, the Patriots' defense was ready to play, with multiple big stops early, including a goal-line stand after a Chargers interception kept the game scoreless. Late in the game, the Patriots' pressure mounted against a struggling Chargers offensive line, with Milton Williams securing the game-winning sack.
Williams and K'Lavon Chaisson led the way defensively, each having two sacks on the day. Christian Gonzalez had a great day, making things tough for the Chargers' wide receivers. One name who deserves credit for the Patriots' defense is interim defensive coordinator Zak Kuhr.
When Terrell Williams stepped away due to health concerns, Kuhr took over as defensive coordinator and helped deliver the best defensive performance of the season when it mattered the most. Kuhr helped exploit the Chargers' offensive line with stunts and blitzes that helped stop the Chargers' offense. During the postgame press conferences, Robert Spillane revealed what Chargers offensive players informed him: "That LA's offense had no idea what the Pats defense was doing," per Patriots.com reporter Evan Lazar.
Given how well the defense performed under Kuhr in the playoffs, the Patriots have a clear move to make regarding Kuhr.
Patriots Should Promote Zak Kuhr to Defensive Coordinator
Following the wild-card round, New England should promote Zak Kuhr to become the permanent defensive coordinator. For a unit that has battled injuries late in the year and still has some weakness, Kuhr stepped in and helped the Patriots' defense be a solid unit in his first season as a defensive coordinator. Kuhr has improved this year and should continue to get better with more experience and a stronger unit to lead.
If New England were to keep Kuhr as only the inside linebackers coach, a team with an open defensive coordinator role could easily poach him for that role. However, if the Patriots promote him, that wouldn't even be a possibility worth considering. We don't know if Terrell Williams will be able to return to the role full-time, so promoting Kuhr makes sense to help strengthen the continuity. You could even keep Williams on as an advisor for Kuhr to learn from.
Throughout the year, Kuhr has improved, and it would be a mistake to let some other team take him instead. It's rare for players to say the offense had no idea what the defense was going to do, and it's a good indication of how well Kuhr has done.
Heading into the divisional round, the Patriots will face the Houston Texans, with the AFC South team heading north to play in New England. The Patriots' divisional round game will take place on Sunday, Jan. 18. This will be another great chance for Kuhr to show why he should be the Patriots' permanent defensive coordinator.