Patriots vs Chargers Prediction

New England Offense vs San Diego Defense
The Patriots better be ready on Sunday. They are going to face the fastest defense they have yet to face all season.

Much of the Patriots’ success banks on how their offensive line will perform. Facing a similar defense that boasted a lot of speed off the edges, the Patriots struggled as Jason Taylor and the Dolphins shut them out.

The Chargers defense has two very dominant linemen in tackle Jamal Williams and end Luis Castillo. Their work up front frees linebackers Shawne Merriman and Shaun Phillips to do their dirt.

The Patriots will have to protect Brady if they plan to accomplish anything in the passing game.

The Chargers cornerbacks can be had, but most opposing quarterbacks have not been allotted the necessary time to do so.

On the ground, the Patriots figure to be in tough against the league’s seventh-ranked rushing defense.

They will feed a steady dose of carries to Corey Dillon and Laurence Maroney in order to stay balanced against the Chargers. Dillon puts in some work to pick up tough yards and Maroney is the more explosive option. He has done a good job of working with small openings this season.

One positive sign in favor of the Patriots is that the Chargers allowed 125 rushing yards per game over the last four games of the regular season, opposed to 92.5 in their first 12 games.

The Chargers are a very aggressive defense, so expect the Patriots to use a lot of play-action to slow them down. They are susceptible to being fooled on these types of plays.

One other side-note, you can expect that former Charger and now Patriot Reche Caldwell will disclose all the inside info he knows about his former team.

San Diego Offense vs New England Defense
The Chargers have won 10 consecutive games heading into the playoffs and are as hot and healthy as it gets.

But there is one area of concern: quarterback Philip Rivers.

While he has done an excellent job of providing the balance in the passing game necessary to complement league MVP LaDainian Tomlinson, he has also faded as the season has progressed.

His quarterback rating has declined in each successive month, as the season has advanced, and so has his completion percentage.

No coach does a better job of confusing opposing quarterbacks than Bill Belichick and you can expect him to throw some curveballs for Rivers this week.

The Patriots have the league’s fourth-ranked rush defense and you have to figure that they will stack the box to curtail Tomlinson’s effectiveness. They want the onus to fall on the shoulders of Rivers.

The Pats will be missing their defensive leader, safety Rodney Harrison, once again this week. While the personnel drop-off to backup James Sanders has been subtle so far, the Pats can’t replace Harrison’s leadership.

Sanders will have his hands full with Chargers tight end Antonio Gates, who was Rivers’ favorite target this season.

Special Teams
The Chargers have an edge in special teams, albeit a slight one. They boast the better return units with Michael Turner and Eric Parker, and their kicking and punting is very good with Nate Kaeding and Mike Scifres. The Pats don’t lag too far behind in all of these categories, but place-kicker Stephen Gostkowski is still a rookie. This game could come down to a field goal.

Prediction
This looks like a classic Bill Belichick upset situation. They are facing a healthier, better team, who is rested off a bye week.

Furthermore, they have nine Pro Bowlers to the Patriots one. Even quarterback Philip Rivers beat out Tom Brady for a trip to Hawaii.

On paper, the Chargers are the better team, but Belichick loves the underdog role and has reaped the most out of his teams in these situations.

Patriots 24, Chargers 20

Pats vs Chargers Prediction
Eagles vs Saints Prediction
Seahawks vs Bears Prediction
Colts vs Ravens Prediction

More Betus.com Articles...