5 Things to Watch For In New England Patriots vs. Los Angeles Chargers AFC Wild Card Game
Heading into the NFL Wild Card round this upcoming weekend, the matchup between the New England Patriots and the Los Angeles Chargers has many storylines surrounding this game. Here are the five things to look out for heading into this game.
1. Chargers Offensive Line Against Patriots Stout Defense
For a team that has been without its two best tackles for the majority of the season, the Chargers have been able to scrape by, even with having the most injured offensive line in football. However, that banged-up line will be heavily tested by one of the best defenses and pass rushes in the NFL.
The Patriots finished the regular season ranked 7th in overall defense and 11th in pass-rush percentage. Those rankings, combined with Head Coach Mike Vrabel’s ability to dial up timely pass rushes, could force the Chargers to limit how many drop-backs star QB Justin Herbert takes over the course of the game.
The silver lining for the Chargers is that the Patriots’ rushing defense is ranked among the worst in the league. New England has ranked 30th in run defense since Week 12 of the regular season. If the Chargers can establish a solid run game with or without rookie Running Back Omarion Hampton in the lineup on Sunday, it could allow them to buy more time for Herbert to find his receivers against the Patriots’ sticky secondary.
2. Drake Maye’s Playoff Inexperience
The Patriots are more than well-suited on the offensive side of the ball to challenge the Chargers’ elite defense, but it will fall on their budding young superstar QB, Drake Maye, to solve the Chargers’ defensive puzzle. The Chargers’ defense has held opposing QBs to a passer rating of just 74.8, which ranked second in the NFL.
The MVP favorite will have his hands full with a banged-up offensive line himself, but much like the Chargers, the Patriots have been able to chug along despite their injuries. As is the case with most young quarterbacks, if Maye can find his rhythm and execute in key spots, he will put the Patriots in a prime position to win their first playoff game since 2018.
3. The Chargers’ Motivation To Finally Win a Playoff Game In the Herbert Era
While not something that can be calculated with a certain stat, the Chargers will be more than motivated to exorcise the playoff demons of years past in the Herbert era. The previous two times the Chargers made the playoffs with Herbert, they lost 32-12 to the Houston Texans in the Wild Card Round last season. The Chargers also blew a 27-point lead against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2022 Wild Card Round.
Make no mistake about it, this is a Chargers team that is looking to make up for last year’s poor showing in the playoffs, and that motivation alone will play a big factor in the game for Los Angeles.
4. Patriots’ Mediocre Home Record
During the time of the Tom Brady-led Patriots dynasty, the safe confines of Gillette Stadium consistently ranked as one of the toughest places to play. While Foxborough is still one of the better home-field advantages in the league, that home mystique of old hasn’t been there for the Patriots this season.
All three of the losses the Patriots suffered this season came at home to the Buffalo Bills, Pittsburgh Steelers, and the lowly Las Vegas Raiders. The Chargers finished the season with a respectable 5-3 road record, with key road wins against the Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys. These two things also go hand in hand with the final thing to watch this game.
5. Foxborough’s Legendarily Bad Weather
Looking ahead at the forecast for Sunday’s game in Foxborough, the bone-chilling temperatures will very much be in the Patriots’ favor as opposed to the more warm-blooded Los Angeles Chargers.
However, like with all weekly forecasts, take the projected 39-degree temperature at kickoff for Sunday’s game with a grain of salt. Chargers’ fans may want to send some prayers Mother Nature’s way that the weather does not turn for the worse heading into Sunday’s game.
Final Thoughts
According to FanDuel Sportsbook, the Chargers are 3.5-point underdogs against the Patriots. Other betting sites such as Caesars Sportsbook and BetMGM currently have the overall point total for the game sitting just a hair above 46 points, indicating that the game will be rather low scoring. The combination of the previously listed five factors, as well as the projections by sports betting giants, projects that the game between these two teams will be an ugly but exciting one on Sunday night.
