How Mike Vrabel ended up with a bloody lip during Patriots' playoff win over the Chargers

"After Williams sealed New England's first playoff win since Super Bowl LIII with a fourth-quarter sack against Justin Herbert, the 6-foot-3, 290-pound defensive tackle left a path of destruction in his wake as he celebrated with his teammates along the sideline. After Williams dished out some helmet-to-helmet headbutts with some of his teammates, Vrabel went into embrace the key free-agent pickup - catching Williams' helmet right in the mouth."

"Despite taking a football helmet to the face, Vrabel laughed off the sequence while showing Williams the damage. For Vrabel, it was a fitting showing from Williams and a Patriots defense that made life miserable for Herbert and the Chargers offense all night long. "I was just turnt," Williams joked postgame. "That was just pure emotion. I think I headbutted everybody. But I forgot Vrabes ain't have no helmet on. He'll be alright though.""

"For Vrabel, it was a fitting showing from Williams and a Patriots defense that made life miserable for Herbert and the Chargers offense all night long. "We talked to them about being willing to spill some blood out there, that the big dogs come out in January," Vrabel said of his defense. "I think Milt took that to heart in the way that he played the game, in the way he finished the game. He came over and got me pretty good. That's what happens.""

Mike Vrabel displayed a fat lip after the Patriots' 16-3 wild-card win over the Chargers when Milton Williams' celebration helmet-to-helmet headbutts inadvertently struck the head coach. Williams sealed New England's first playoff win since Super Bowl LIII with a fourth-quarter sack on Justin Herbert and delivered energetic sideline celebrations. Williams finished with two sacks as part of a six-sack performance by the Patriots defense. Justin Herbert completed 19 of 31 passes for 159 yards. Williams described his actions as pure emotion and joked that he forgot Vrabel didn't have a helmet. Vrabel praised the defense's willingness to 'spill some blood.'

Read at Boston.com