FOXBORO — Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh said he has no regrets squandering his team’s best chance of getting a touchdown in Sunday night’s 16-3 loss to the Patriots.

Instead of settling for a field goal, Harbaugh decided to keep quarterback Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles offense on the field on a fourth-and-goal from two yards out with 5:17 left in the first quarter.

The decision backfired as Herbert failed to connect on a short pass to veteran wide receiver Keenan Allen.

“Looking back on it, if you don’t get it, it would have been three more points where we got zero,” Harbaugh told reporters postgame. “If we had gotten it, we just needed one touchdown at the end of the game, I would have been kicking myself had I not done it and gone for it.”

The sequence came after Chargers defensive lineman Teair Tart tipped a pass from Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, falling into the hands of linebacker Daiyan Henley.

Deciding to go for it proved to be a rare move by the usually conservative Harbaugh.

The Chargers second-year head coach had only gone for it on fourth down inside the opposing 10-yard line once in the regular season, coming in Week 7 while down 23-3 against the Colts.

When asked if there was something specific about the Patriots defense that prompted the decision, Harbaugh responded, “That’s how analytics work, to go for it in that situation. It’s not the right decision because you didn’t score the touchdown, but in the same situation, you’ve got to take a shot.”

The Patriots capitalized on the failed conversion and touchdown attempt right away.

On the first play of the ensuing drive, Maye found running back Rhamondre Stevenson for a 48-yard gain to put New England at midfield. Thirteen plays later, kicker Andy Borregales put the Patriots ahead, 3-0, on a 23-yard field goal with 6:40 left in the first half.

Herbert, who was held to just 159 passing yards, said he didn’t see anything different from the Patriots defense than what he saw on film ahead of the wild-card matchup. The Chargers went 1-for-10 on third downs.

“It’s on us to go out there and execute,” Herbert said. “We always say that we have score point in the red zone, convert on third down and limit turnovers, we didn’t do any of those today.”

Harbaugh added, “I can stand here and say that the Patriots played very well, and they did a great job, and I want to congratulate them.”