Kickoff: The Patriots will look to win their third game in four weeks when they take on the Los Angeles Rams. New England is coming off of an impressive 19-3 win over the Chicago. The defense led the way with 9 sacks of Caleb Williams. They only gave up 142 yards of total offense. 

The Rams are coming off of a tough 23-15 loss to the Dolphins on Monday. Los Angeles has been up and down this season but they still one of the top coaches in the NFL in Sean McVay and quarterback Matthew Stafford. They will pose problems for the Patriots defense.

Here are four keys to the game for the Patriots.

1st Down: Carry over last week’s defensive performance: The defense was dominant last week but it will be hard to replicate that performance this week. The Patriots need to find a way to get pressure on Stafford and they cannot give up chunk runs to Kyren Williams. If they do these things, they should be in good shape to win this game. 

2nd Down: Attack their struggling secondary: The Rams secondary has struggled this year. Los Angeles ranks 30th in average yards allowed per pass play at 7.6 yards. Drake Maye and his receivers are starting to get on the same page and this match-u would be a good to help them accelerate their development and help the Patriots win the game.

3rd Down: Stay patient with the run game: The running game finally came around last week against the Bears. The Patriots rushed for 144 yards collectively. The Rams give up 127.6 yards per game on the ground, which ranks 19th in the league. They will struggle to control the line of scrimmage. Offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt needs to stay patient with the run game and not abandon it. The Patriots will be able what they want to do offensively in this game. They just need to execute. 

4th Down: Control the line of scrimmage: The Patriots defense needs to control the line of scrimmage. The Rams running game has not been good this season and the biggest reason is their offensive line is struggling to re-establish the line of scrimmage. With Christian Barmore back, the front seven needs to be to control the line of scrimmage and force the Rams into long down situations. If they do, they will have another big day like last week.

Extra Point: The Patriots lead the overall series 9-6. They will will face the Rams for the first time since the 2020 season when the Los Angeles defeated the Patriots 24-3 at SoFi Stadium in a Thursday Night Football Game. The two teams have faced off in two Super Bowls. The Patriots won their first and last Super Bowl against the Rams. 

Final Drive: A month ago, this might not have been a winnable game. Now, it is. If the defense can build off of last week and the offense can make some plays against a struggling Rams defense, the Patriots could win their third game in the last four weeks. It will be a close, but they can pull it out.