Drake Maye gives the Patriots a big edge in the upcoming NFL playoffs. (AP photo)

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — And now a new season begins – the one that really, really counts.

It’s been awhile, right Patriots fans? But when the team takes the Gillette Stadium turf on Sunday night, it won’t be for a regular season game, as the playoffs are back on the New England Patriots menu.

Where does this team rank going in? With their youth, will the playoff experience factor be a hindrance?

We won’t know until they take the field vs. the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday night.

“I think we’re trending in the right direction,” Patriots coach Mike Vrabel said. “That we have our moments. … I can point to numerous instances of us doing it (playing playoff type football). So again that’s – the only thing that’s important is what we’re able to do on Sunday night.”

The Patriots don’t fair too well historically in these home Wild Card games. They got bludgeoned by the Ravens here in January of 2010 and many will remember a coach named Vrabel took the Tennessee Titans into Gillette and came away with the win that signaled the end of Tom Brady’s Patriots career.

But Vrabel doesn’t feel his team needs any special guidance now that the postseason has arrived. Just do what they’ve been doing.

“I don’t think so,” he said. “I think just making sure that we continue to prepare the way we have, understand the details, make the corrections and understand a few plays will make the difference.

“Presented with the opportunity to make a play, that you’re going to have to make it. That’s kind of what we’ve done when we’ve won. Been able to turn the ball ove r (as in cause/get turnovers), been able to take care of it.”

There are a lot of questions going into this postseason as to where the Patriots really stand, considering their incredibly weak schedule. They’ve played four games against three current playoff teams, going 2-2 – and 1-2 at home. They lost to Buffalo and Pittsburgh here, and romped over the Panthers. Yes, we have to call them a playoff team. They also beat the Bills on the road.

The Chargers didn’t last long a year ago in the playoffs, losing 32-12 at the Houston Texans on Wild Card Weekend. Why? Justin Herbert threw four interceptions. The Chargers viewed the season as a foundation for future success.

They will have gone nowhere in a year’s time of they lose Sunday night with Harbaugh and Herbert still at the controls. They’d still be, well, the Chargers.

They smartly sat out Herbert and his broken non-throwing hand at Denver. They also didn’t play safety Derwin James, and outside linebacker Tuli Tuipulotu. But the Chargers really haven’t wowed anyone for much of the season. They give up 20.8 points a game and average one more point than that.

Everyone looks at L.A.’s offensive line as its major weakness. But on trial will be its defense, because the Patriots with Drake Maye can put up the points. They score in bunches.

The key will be whether the Patriots can force turnovers, whether they can make Herbert throw the ball to them rather than his teammates. He’s thrown 13 interceptions vs. 26 TD passes. Maye? Eight picks, which last we looked is really, really good. Turnovers usually decide playoff games and we say they’ll decide this one.

The Chargers defense has been tops in a lot of categories over the second half of the season. This won’t be a cakewalk unless the Chargers turn it over.

“They don’t give up a whole lot of first downs,” Vrabel said. “Stingy. “They’re going to make our – your going to get everything that you earn. You’re going to have to earn it. They’re just not going to give it to you.

“So, we’ll have to have great execution, make great decisions and be able to put some drives together to sustain. They’re jut not going to hand you two X-plays down to the 1-yard-line.”

The bottom line may simply be this: The Patriots have Drake Maye and the other teams don’t.

“He’s been everything that we’ve asked and he continues to get better,” Vrabel said. “He’s not satisfied. So, I know that our success of where we are right now today has a lot to do with Drake Maye.”

And with that, let the playoffs begin.

AFC

1. New England (14-3). 2.Jacksonville (13-4). 3.Denver (14-3). 4. Houston (12-5). 5.Buffalo (13-4).

NFC

1.Seattle (14-3). 2.L.A. Rams (12-5). 3. San Francisco (12-5) 4.Chicago (11-8). Philadelphia (11-6).