Courtesy of nfl.com
Kickoff: The Patriots will be hosting their first playoff game in six years tonight when they host the Los Angeles Chargers in the AFC Wild Card round. The Patriots have been rolling most of the season losing one game in the final 13 weeks of the season. The Chargers on the other hand come into this game losers of two straight game and are banged up.
Despite that, this could be a tough match up for the Patriots as Los Angeles presents match up issues across the board. It should an intriguing game. If the Patriots win this game, they will meet the winner of the Texans, Steelers game tomorrow night.
Here are four keys to the game.
1st Down: Get the ground game going early: The Patriots running game has been really good of late. They need to get it going early in this game and set a physical tone. Taking pressure off of Drake Maye will be key tonight. One of the ways to do it is to effectively run the football.
2nd Down: Smart pressure vs. Herbert: Justin Herbert is arguably the second best quarterback the Patriots have seen all season. He is one of the best in the game and despite being banged up, he is still a threat to run with the ball, especially when things break down. The Patriots front seven has to be disciplined and stay in their rush lanes. They cannot end up out of position and give Herbert escape paths.
3rd Down: Drake needs to be the man: The Chargers have an elite pass rush but their secondary struggles to cover, especially their corners. The Patriots passing game has been their strong suit all season long. Maye needs to play like the MVP candidate that he is and play well tonight. Tonight’s game sets the tone for the rest of the playoffs. The Patriots need to make big plays, especially early.
4th Down: Secondary must play well: The Patriots secondary will be challenged tonight by the Chargers skill group. Los Angeles does not have a number one receiver but all of their receivers had over 700 yards receiving this season. It is a balanced group that will challenge the Patriots secondary. Christian Gonzalez and company need to step up and play well.
Extra Points: The New England Patriots and the Los Angeles Chargers will meet in the postseason for the fifth time. The Patriots are 3-1 in the postseason against the Chargers. The Patriots and Chargers met in the 1963 AFL Championship Game played on Jan. 5, 1964, in San Diego with the Chargers taking a 51-10 decision. The Patriots have won the last three postseason meetings with a 24-21 win in San Diego in the AFC Divisional round on Jan. 20, 2007, a 21-12 in the AFC Championship game played at Gillette Stadium on Jan. 20, 2008 and a 41-28 win in an AFC Divisional Playoff game on Jan. 13, 2019 at Gillette Stadium.
New England leads the regular season series by a 24-16-2 margin. The Patriots and Chargers have played in each of the last two seasons at Gillette Stadium with the Chargers claiming both victories, a 6-0 Chargers win on Dec. 3, 2023 and a 40-7 win last season on Dec. 28, 2024.
The New England Patriots and the Los Angeles Chargers are an old AFL rivalry as part of the original eight teams from the American Football League. The series dates back to 1960, the inaugural season for each team. (Courtesy of Patriots Communications and patriots.com)
Final Drive: The Chargers will be a tough match up for the Patriots. Let’s not get it twisted however. This is a completely different team that the one Los Angeles has beaten the last two years. The Patriots are good. They are the better team and if they come to play tonight and don’t make mistakes, they will win this football game. It will be tight but the Patriots will pull it out in the end.