WEEK 13 • SUN 12/06 • 4:25 PM EST - New England Patriots AT Los Angeles Chargers

The New England Patriots will attempt to get back to .500 this week when they begin a two-game stint in Los Angeles and a three-game road trip overall. After facing the Chargers on Sunday, the Patriots will stay on the West Coast to prepare for a Thursday Night Football game against the Rams. The Patriots will then play their final regular season road game at Miami in Week 15 before returning home for the final two weeks of the season.

SCOUTING THE MATCHUPS​

By Paul Perillo
When the Patriots run - Edge: Patriots
After several weeks of solid production on the ground the Patriots have been held in check by suspect defenses the last two weeks. Damien Harris remains the lead dog but for the second straight game he failed to reach the 50-yard mark, this time against a banged up Arizona front. Teams are stacking the box and forcing the Patriots to adjust, and other than a few occasional quick hitters toward the edges they have not been able to do so consistently over the last two weeks. Harris & Co. will get another chance to test a weak run defense in Los Angeles as the Chargers allow more than 120 yards per game and 4.8 yards per carry, the latter number ranking 30th in the league. The Chargers have veteran run stuffer Linval Joseph up front next to Justin Jones and Jerry Tillery in front of linebackers Denzel Perryman, Kenneth Murray and Uchenna Nwosu. That group has been banged up at times (Nwosu missed Sunday's game against the Bills) and struggles to keep good rushing attacks in check. They'll likely get a lot of work on Sunday against Harris, and perhaps Sony Michel, who did not get any carries in his first game back off IR. That duo will be operating behind an offensive line that will be without Isaiah Wynn for the second straight game as Jermaine Eluemunor and Justin Herron will continue to take his place.

When the Patriots pass - Edge: Chargers
Cam Newton is struggling to find any consistency in the passing game, and he's coming off one of the worst games of his career. He's been having trouble finding open receivers and dealing with the pass rush. With Julian Edelman out of the lineup, Newton has relied solely on Damiere Byrd and Jakobi Meyers, and that tandem struggled to create separation against the Cardinals. The Chargers secondary has performed well this season, ranking 10th in the league allowing 222.5 yards per game. Corners Chris Harris and Casey Hayward are solid while safeties Nassir Adderley, RayShawn Jenkins and Jahleel Addae are a capable group as well. Hayward missed last week's game against the Bills and was replaced by Michael Davis. The Chargers have been without standout safety Derwin James all season due to a knee injury. The Chargers should be able to contain the Patriots limited passing attack, especially if Joey Bosa can generate some pressure up front. He leads the team with 7.5 sacks on the season and can be a disruptive force off the edge. Unless Newton can find his rhythm, the Patriots will struggled to move it through the air in LA.

When the Chargers run - Edge: Patriots
Los Angeles struggled to run the ball with Austin Ekeler injured for most of the season. He returned last week after sitting out seven games with a leg injury, but in his absence the Chargers couldn't get anything going on the ground. Joshua Kelly and Kalen Ballage tried to fill the void but neither averaged better than 3.7 yards per carry. The Chargers rank 13th in the league with an average of 117 yards per game, but 29th with a 3.8-yards per carry average. Ekeler is a dual-threat runner and should give the Chargers more balance, but the Patriots have been tougher against the run as of late. The Cardinals game marked the fourth straight week the run defense was stout as Lawrence Guy, Adam Butler and Ja'Whaun Bentley have improved over that stretch. The Chargers will likely give Ekeler some opportunities but the Patriots have contained better rushing attacks than this in recent weeks, and that should continue in LA.

When the Chargers pass - Edge: Chargers
Rookie Justin Herbert has been outstanding since replacing the injured Tyrod Taylor in Week 2. He's tossed 23 touchdowns against only seven picks while completing better than 66 percent of his passes. He's also passed for more than 3,000 yards and is the main reason the Chargers currently own the second-best passing attack in football. His main target is the underrated Keenan Allen, who leads the team with 85 catches for 875 yards and seven touchdowns. Allen isn't the flashiest receiver but his possession game between the numbers may be the best in the league. He'll require some extra attention from a Patriots secondary that has been rather uneven all season. Stephon Gilmore was solid against DeAndre Hopkins last week, but that was largely due to the pressure created up front that made Kyler Murray uncomfortable throughout. Herbert has seen his share of pressure as well, and he's also been forced to throw the ball into some tight windows. Mike Williams and tight end Hunter Henry also receive plenty of targets while Ekeler is a solid threat out of the backfield as well. The Chargers have moved the ball and put points on the board in most of their games this season, and the Patriots secondary will be tested in this one.

Special Teams - Edge: Patriots
Nick Folk continues to be a godsend for the Patriots. He connected on his second game-winner of the season, this one a 50-yarder as time expired to beat the Cardinals. He has now hit 19 straight field goals on the season. Where would the Patriots offense be without that production? He was not alone against Arizona, however. Donte' Moncrief (53-yard kickoff return) and Gunner Olszewski (58-yard punt return) turned in huge plays that led to points in a game where offense was tough to come by for New England. The Chargers have been solid in the kicking game as well with Michael Badgley. Badgley hasn't been quite as good as Folk but has missed just three of 29 PATs and five of 22 field goals, with the shortest miss coming from 47 yards so he's been almost automatic on routine kicks. K.J. Hill and Joe Reed have handled both kicks and punts for the Chargers this season and each has had some success. Hill has a 30-yard punt return to his credit while Reed took a kick back 46 yards earlier in the season. The Chargers coverage units have been a little leaky at times, however, and the Patriots momentum on special teams earns the visitors the edge.

BROADCAST INFORMATION​

TELEVISION: This week's game will be broadcast by CBS and can be seen locally on WBZ-TV Channel 4. Kevin Harlan will handle play-by-play duties with Trent Green as the color analyst. Melanie Collins will work from the sidelines. The game will be produced by Ken Mack and directed by Suzanne Smith.
SATELLITE RADIO:
Coming soon!
LOCAL RADIO: 98.5 The Sports Hub is the flagship station for the Patriots Radio Network. A complete listing of the network's 38 stations can be found here. Play-by-play broadcaster Bob Socci will call the action along with former Patriots quarterback Scott Zolak, who will provide color analysis. The games are produced by Marc Cappello.
 
Cam has been limited yesterday and today with an abdomen injury. He expects to play Sunday. I wonder if that happened on that huge hit at the end of the game that drew the 15 yard personal foul.
He'll play. Cam is pretty tough.
 
Tom Telesco, Nick Casserio & McDaniels all went to John Carroll University
Along with Jerry Schuplinski(NYG via Pats) and Greg Roman (Balt OC), the recently fired Caldwell, etc.

 
Abdominal muscle strains are painful...hurts to even stand up much less move. I've been there.
To your point, Bill was not dismissive of the injury saying they will make an adjustment if they have to. I am guessing they see how he can move/throw today and then decide if they need to give him more rest. That hit at the end of the game was like a truck smacking him.
 
Some notes on the Chargers’ defense:
  • Still Bradley’s base Cover 3 for the most part, so there should be voids the Patriots can throw into;
  • LE Joey Bosa will certainly need to be dealt with (hello Mike Onwenu), but the Chargers have two of their best players, DE Melvin Ingram and S Derwin James on IR. Even LB Kyzir White went on IR recently. The unit is short on talent now.
  • Besides Bosa (52, 7.5 sacks), no one has registered more than 27 pressures (6-6, 295-pound DT Jerry Tillery).
  • Rookie LB Kenneth Murray, who I mocked to the Patriots if they stayed there (forget I had Devin Asiasi to them as well) and went in that spot with the Chargers-Patriots draft-day trade, is off to a slow start there. He’s playing all the time, but he makes a lot of mistakes with his eyes. Does really flash as an athlete. We’ll see if the Patriots could have used him on Sunday.
  • The other LB, Denzel Perryman, has always been one of my favorites. Just love watching him play. But play-action will be a big asset for Patriots.
  • Michael Davis is solid at one cornerback spot. Weird seeing longtime Broncos slot Chris Harris Jr. in that uniform.
  • Chargers have the lowest blitz rate (16.5 percent) in the league. That will be a change for Newton, since teams have come after him more and more each week (season-high 60.9 percent last week vs. Cardinals).
  • Against the Dolphins (a good comp with Patriots connections), the Chargers matched 12 personnel with nickel. Patriots need two TEs and go with bully ball.
CHARGERS OFFENSE
  • WR Keenan Allen is just excellent at everything. One of the best route-runners you’ll see. His instincts are off the charts.
  • Offense is 12th in DVOA, 7th in passing and 28th in rushing.
  • The offensive line is a train wreck. LT Jordan Trevi, LG Forrest Lamp, C Dan Feeney, RG Trai Turner (what happened to him?!), and RT Trey Pipkins make the Cardinals look like a bunch of Pro Bowlers. If Bryan Bulaga and Turner are healthy, the right side is not that bad.
  • I like the OC, Shane Steichen. He makes good adjustments and has a sound scheme. They just have no line.
  • Justin Herbert is pretty good for a rookie, and most teams defend him like a Josh Allen — that he can and will run. Herbert’s legs are definitely part of the offensive scheme, and teams don’t man cover as much as a result.
  • The Dolphins fooled him a few times with Tampa 2, with an interception and another near-pick. That’s good for the Patriots because that’s a zone scheme they use a lot.
  • Herbert falls victim to pre- and post-snap looks. He can predetermine where he’s going with the ball and get into trouble. Of their 24 sacks allowed, PFF put eight on him. That’s a lot.
  • But, man, he has all the tools. He made a ridiculous throw flat-footed for about 25 yards against Miami. I would expect McDaniels to be watching Herbert closely, if there ends up being an opening with the Chargers after this season.
  • This offense is much better and harder to defend with RB Austin Ekeler‘s return last week.
  • Both TEs, Hunter Henry and Virgil Green, will be free agents after this season.
From Bedard
 
The prospect of playing Jarrett Stidham, or at least getting a good look at what he could do with a full week of reps, has gained some steam as the Patriots barely cling to playoff hopes. When Newton was listed on this week’s injury report for the first time— he was limited in practice with an abdominal injury — there’s some thought this could be an opening for Stidham.

A couple of things about that, I’ve heard nothing that indicates there’s been any movement internally in this regard. The injury to Newton is minor, and he’s more likely to come off the injury report soon than anything else, which is what Bill Belichick seemed to indicate today.
“Yeah, we’ll just update it as we go through the week here,” Belichick said. “And, depending on how it goes, if there’s an adjustment we need to make, we’ll make it.”

This is not to give cover for Newton to save face, should the team want to play Stidham, I can tell you that much. As far as I’ve been told, there hasn’t been much consideration about Stidham to this point, and there won’t be until the Patriots are officially eliminated from playoff contention. Stidham has not been charging hard from the outside in practice or anything.

It’s hard to understate how much the team — players and coaches — love Newton and what he’s brought to the team behind the scenes. That alone has earned him a wide berth, especially from Belichick, who adores Newton (or really anyone else who plays hard and is accountable while making peanuts). And the fact that he’s played at least reasonably well since bottoming out against the 49ers — his passer ratings have gone from 81.1, 99.0, 114.3 to 102.6 before Sunday — while the team has won three of four, means a move is not imminent. Sorry.
Also from Bedard.
 
The prospect of playing Jarrett Stidham, or at least getting a good look at what he could do with a full week of reps, has gained some steam as the Patriots barely cling to playoff hopes. When Newton was listed on this week’s injury report for the first time— he was limited in practice with an abdominal injury — there’s some thought this could be an opening for Stidham.

A couple of things about that, I’ve heard nothing that indicates there’s been any movement internally in this regard. The injury to Newton is minor, and he’s more likely to come off the injury report soon than anything else, which is what Bill Belichick seemed to indicate today.
“Yeah, we’ll just update it as we go through the week here,” Belichick said. “And, depending on how it goes, if there’s an adjustment we need to make, we’ll make it.”

This is not to give cover for Newton to save face, should the team want to play Stidham, I can tell you that much. As far as I’ve been told, there hasn’t been much consideration about Stidham to this point, and there won’t be until the Patriots are officially eliminated from playoff contention. Stidham has not been charging hard from the outside in practice or anything.

It’s hard to understate how much the team — players and coaches — love Newton and what he’s brought to the team behind the scenes. That alone has earned him a wide berth, especially from Belichick, who adores Newton (or really anyone else who plays hard and is accountable while making peanuts). And the fact that he’s played at least reasonably well since bottoming out against the 49ers — his passer ratings have gone from 81.1, 99.0, 114.3 to 102.6 before Sunday — while the team has won three of four, means a move is not imminent. Sorry.
Also from Bedard.
Newton tried as hard as he could to give that game away on Sunday after both the defense and STs balled out. I don't think it is far fetched to think the Pats might want to make a switch this week especially given how formidable the Chargers D is. I do like the idea of Stidham dropping back and taking apart that Cover 3 ala Brady. The question is whether he can do it or not at this point. But this would be a great game to see what he has got.
 
Newton ailing while they are going to the left coast for 2 games in 4 days is a great time to get a look at Stidham against LAC then a rested Cam against LAR.
 
The Pats are a couple of plays away from being the Chargers. They are also a couple of plays away from being the Bucs. They appear to be favored due to LAC getting the homefield 3. There are no fans or few fans though. I don't know the LA rules.
California? and you don't know the rules? No one within 50 miles of the stadium and while at home watching the game you must keep your mask on, except when eating then you can lower your mask to take a bite but then it must immediately be put back into position to chew.... Unless of course you are Gavin Newscum , then you can go out to restaurant to celebrate someone's birthday with no masks and sitting shoulder to shoulder with 15 people. :thumb:
 
Lazar's game plan vs the Chargers



Here’s a game plan for the Patriots on both sides of the ball against the Chargers:

WHEN THE PATRIOTS HAVE THE BALL

In the 2018 postseason, former Patriots quarterback Tom Brady led New England to 41 points versus a Chargers defense that many thought would give the Pats problems.

Although McDaniels already has the blueprint, Brady dissected Gus Bradley’s defense with only seven of his 44 pass attempts traveling more than ten yards in the air.

Screen-Shot-2020-12-03-at-3.54.14-PM.png


With Cam Newton at the helm now, New England, due to Newton’s struggles with short accuracy and timing, is far more efficient on deeper throws than passes of the shorter variety.

Furthermore, the Chargers are a cover-three heavy defense, playing three deep with four under on 36.5 percent of their coverage snaps, the third-highest percentage in the league.

Do you go with a short passing script that you know will work against the Chargers’ soft cover-three zones, or try to hit throws down the field that come more naturally to Newton?

The best answer is probably a little bit of both, and of course, incorporating a running game that’s getting mostly silenced by loaded boxes due to the Pats’ passing struggles.

Los Angeles’s defense ranks 17th against the pass in DVOA, but their run defense is 31st. Still, as we found out against the Texans, it’s a different ball game against New England’s offense.
 
California? and you don't know the rules? No one within 50 miles of the stadium and while at home watching the game you must keep your mask on, except when eating then you can lower your mask to take a bite but then it must immediately be put back into position to chew.... Unless of course you are Gavin Newscum , then you can go out to restaurant to celebrate someone's birthday with no masks and sitting shoulder to shoulder with 15 people. :thumb:
Woah. I am a right coaster for life. Don't really care what happens in Cali as long as they keep it there.
 
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