The New England Patriots slugged it out with the Chargers to earn a 16-3 Wild Card playoff win at home. In this game, the Patriots' defense stepped up to save the day, and a key figure in that defense was the diminutive yet explosive punt returner and cornerback Marcus Jones.
Signed to a mid-season contract extension in October (a very astute move by Mike Vrabel), the All-Pro special teams player made two big plays, one of which was a game-changer.
After being carried for most of the season by the offense, Drake Maye and his offense struggled to get on track, scoring a meager six points on a pair of Andy Boregales' field goals in the first half of the game against the Chargers. Maye completed only 40% of his passes in the first two quarters, a far cry from the 72% he logged for the season before picking things up in the second half.
Yet it was the defense that took the honors for locking up the Chargers' top quarterback, Justin Herbert, and limiting his offense to a meager field goal. The Chargers had averaged 21.6 points in 2025 (20th in the NFL).
While they're not a top echelon scoring team, they were still stymied by the Patriots' aggressive defense, and Marcus Jones played a significant role in that performance.
Marcus Jones' two top plays helped lock down the Chargers' offense
When your offense is struggling, you'd better have a defense that can step up and hold down the fort. Against LA, the Patriots' defense stepped up in a big way. They notched six sacks, tying a team playoff record in the process. Marcus Jones had one of them and chipped in with another key third-down play.
ESPN's Mike Reiss highlighted one of Jones' big plays,
CB Marcus Jones (5-8, 188) vs. QB Justin Herbert (6-6, 236) on that third-down play -- that's a Pro Bowl/All-Pro level tackle to highlight the red-zone stop.
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) January 12, 2026
Red-zone D been an Achilles heel for the Patriots for much of the year.
Yahoo Sports' Bernd Buchmasser highlighted Jones' Herculean effort to tackle Chargers' quarterback Justin Herbert, on that play that prevented a touchdown and changed the game.
"Taking off through the left-side A-gap against a three-man rush, he (Herbert) had only one player between him and the first touchdown of the game...That player was Marcus Jones, who is giving up 10 inches and 48 pounds to the Pro Bowl QB...And yet, despite his size deficits, Jones managed to tackle Herbert short of the goal line. One play later, an incomplete pass resulted in a turnover on downs and the game remaining a scoreless tie."
Marcus Jones also adds a sack to his heroics
The Patriots' team's playoff-tying record of six sacks also tremendously impacted the outcome of a game where even one big play can change the direction and tilt the balance. Sacks are big plays, game-changing plays. When you notch six, you're giving your team a great chance to win.
Edge K'Lavon Chaisson and defensive tackle Milton Williams each had two sacks, and Anfernee Jennings chipped in with one. Yet, an unlikely source, the diminutive cornerback Jones, also had a sack on Herbert.
Marcus Jones is an All-Pro punt returner, the best in the NFL, and he also plays a terrific slot cornerback for the Patriots, often facing players who dwarf him in size. No matter, the explosively athletic Jones makes the grade. Against the Chargers, Jones sacked the massive Justin Herbert and forced a fumble that was unfortunately recovered by the Chargers. Regardless, he made his presence felt.
Marcus Jones was touted as a breakout cornerback in 2025 by Pro Football Focus, and he's been a top performer all over the field. He's a major asset to the Patriots as they seek to go deep into the playoffs and more. One thing is certain: if they do, Marcus Jones will have played a major role in it.