Chargers takeaways: Khalil Mack takes advantage of sad-sack Patriots offense

The star of the game was the Chargers’ JK Scott, who had eight punts that resulted in zero return yards for the Patriots.

The unsung hero was long snapper Josh Harris, a 12-year veteran who reliably got that wet ball to him through the whipping winds.

“On a day like today you need that leadership, you need that togetherness on the punt team when you’re out there a lot,” Staley said. “Hey, this is going to be the unit that can decide the game. I feel like the connection that those guys have on that punt team is really strong right now.”

Harris joined the Chargers last year after spending the previous 10 seasons with the Atlanta Falcons. The only other time he had played at Gillette Stadium was in 2017, when his Falcons suffered a 23-7 defeat.

“It’s a historic place,” he said. “So winning here is nice.”