Patriots’ Milton Williams leaves Mike Vrabel bloody after game-ending sack celebration

The New England Patriots ended the Los Angeles Chargers’ season in the NFL Playoffs with a violent, game-sealing sack by Milton Williams, and the celebration that followed became just as memorable. Williams sprinted straight to Mike Vrabel in pure adrenaline. He hugged him and jumped into him. His helmet caught Vrabel’s lip. Blood showed for a second. Nobody stopped smiling.

And a well-deserved embrace from his coach

LACvsNE on NBC
Stream on @NFLPlus + Peacock pic.twitter.com/KAG8g9gs5s

— NFL (@NFL) January 12, 2026

Williams later admitted what happened, saying, “I was turnt. I forgot he didn’t have a helmet on.” That quote fit the scene for the Patriots: loud, loose, and real.

Milton Williams, with a smile, on splitting Mike Vrabel’s lip after his game-sealing sack: “I was turnt. I forgot he didn’t have a helmet on.” pic.twitter.com/onQi2EUqDM

— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) January 12, 2026

The hit was not malicious. It was emotion spilling out. Vrabel even smacked Williams’ helmet right after, more playful than angry. Cameras later caught Vrabel checking his lip when he noticed a little blood. He shrugged it off. The sack had ended the game. That mattered more than anything. The Patriots were moving on. The Chargers were done.

Just a little blood for Vrabel pic.twitter.com/ZXp3OKKEZ7

— NFL (@NFL) January 12, 2026

Why that moment mattered for the Patriots

That split second said a lot about the Patriots. In that moment, Milton Williams did not look for a camera or a teammate. Instead, he went straight to his coach. That shows trust. It also shows connection. He had just delivered the biggest play of the night, and because of that, he wanted to share it with the man who put him in position to make it.

Meanwhile, Mike Vrabel took it in stride because he understands that fire. He wants players who care that much. More than that, he wants the Patriots to feel the moment. In the NFL Playoffs, emotion is not a weakness. It becomes fuel.

After the bump, Vrabel smacked Williams’ helmet and later noticed the blood on his lip.

Under those stadium lights, the Patriots looked like a team playing for each other, not just the scoreboard. Moments like that build belief. They also build identity. And in turn, they make fans lean forward.

So now, the question hangs in the cold air of January—if this is the edge and unity New England brings when it counts, how far can these Patriots really go?

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