The road to the Super Bowl likely runs through a win against New England. Are the Los Angeles Chargers good enough to overcome the playoff juggernauts?
Philip Rivers, for all his wins and statistics with the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers, has never beaten Tom Brady. Despite relatively decent showings from his defense over the last two meetings (23 and 21 points allowed), the offense has never clicked enough to bring the team a win.
Thus, we’re going to take a look at areas the Chargers would need to improve on in all three phases to overcome the Patriots.
They are:
- Attacking the Patriot defense
- Home field advantage
- Avoiding costly errors/Special teams improvement
- Pressuring Brady up the middle (likely the most important)
Several x-factors will play into that potential match-up, but here we focus on those four crucial categories. Although New England has undergone numerous roster alterations, the main core still exists, and I will not address those changes. So, can the Chargers finally overcome the Patriots? Let’s take a look.
Utilizing all weapons to beat the defense
Bill Belichick has a history of keying in on a team’s best players and eliminating them completely. The Patriots, I believe, thought Hunter Henry and Melvin Gordon were those two players. The three games leading up to the Patriots game (NYG, OAK, and DEN) featured either one or both contributing significantly to the Bolts’ three game win-streak. In this game, both were held to 18 receiving yards. Gordon had a long run for a touchdown, but averaged only 3.46 yards per carry the rest of the way.
The best way to attack this defense is to utilize all of the available weapons. Henry will not appear this season, but Gordon, along with Keenan Allen, Tyrell Williams, and Travis Benjamin, would. New faces not featured in their previous game include Austin Ekeler and Mike Williams, along with a compliment of interior linemen. It’s a combination that should be effective, if used in the right way. The first (potential) scoring drive for the Chargers opened like this:
- Allen for 15 yards on an out route
- Direct snap to Gordon for five yards
- Rush by Benjamin to the right for seven yards
- Rivers rolls out, throws to Henry for seven yards
- Gordon rushes for two yards
- Brandon Oliver rushes for two yards
- Oliver for no gain
- Gordon for negative two yards
- Pass to Antonio Gates for 16 yards
- Missed field goal
That’s six different players getting involved in creative ways. The missed field goal (51 yards) was a product of a bad measurement, a timid fourth down call, and an inconsistent kicking unit. Ken Whisenhunt, who really found his groove over the second half of the season, would be wise to implement this kind of approach if the two teams were to meet again. There appear to be enough weapons, especially with new faces and a bolstered offensive line, to get the job done.