Patriots vs. Chargers: Complete Week 14 Preview for San Diego
Since he became the starter in 2006, quarterback Philip Rivers has beaten the New England Patriots just once in his 11-year career and is 0-5 in head-to-head matchups with Tom Brady.
The last time San Diego came away with a "W" over the Pats was on Oct. 12 of 2008, just five weeks removed from a knee injury that ended Brady's season. Then-backup Matt Cassel stepped in and led New England to an 11-5 mark that season, but the Chargers capitalized off Brady's absence in that meeting with a 30-10 victory.
The Rivers-Brady rivalry hasn't drawn the same hype as some of the epic battles between Brady and Peyton Manning over the years, but as far as matchups go among AFC quarterbacks, you could make a valid argument that Rivers versus Brady comes in at a close second.
Sunday night's game in San Diego has the potential to shake up the playoff seedings in the AFC, and if the Chargers can pull off the upset, they'll do so under the bright lights of prime time.
Let's kick things off right with a preview for the host Chargers.
Chargers' Week 13 Recap
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Rivers and Eddie Royal hooked up for the game-winning touchdown in last Sunday's thrilling 34-33 win over the Baltimore Ravens.
The Chargers overcame a pair of 10-point deficits in the second half before producing the go-ahead score with 38 seconds left. Brandon Flowers tackled Kamar Aiken in bounds on the ensuing drive to let the clock run out on Baltimore's attempt at setting up a last-second field goal for Justin Tucker.
Rivers threw for 383 yards and notched his sixth three-touchdown-pass game this season while Keenan Allen had a game-high 11 receptions for 121 yards and two scores for San Diego. Ryan Mathews collected 40 yards rushing against a stout Ravens defense and added a touchdown run of 14 yards, his second score in the last three games since he returned from injury.
The Chargers defense did an admirable job of holding Baltimore to field goals in the first half, but penalties in the secondary gave Joe Flacco more field time. Shareece Wright and Marcus Gilchrist were flagged for coverage penalties on several occasions and Eric Weddle was cited for roughing the passer, which wiped off a defensive stand on third down.
Flowers, who has continued to prove his worth as a free-agent signing in the offseason, limited Steve Smith to one reception for two yards and made a couple of plays in the secondary, including his game-saving tackle on Aiken near the sideline. The win moved San Diego to 8-4 on the year, keeping the Chargers in the playoff picture for now.
News and Notes
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Pats Spending the Week in San Diego
Rather than return home to Foxborough following their 26-21 loss to the Green Bay Packers last week, the Patriots elected to go straight to their next playing destination, settling initially on UC San Diego's campus before moving their practice site to the University of San Diego.
The decision to spend the week in San Diego cuts down on travel and allows for more prep time for what's sure to be a pivotal game for the Pats in their hunt for home-field advantage in the postseason. Clearly, Bill Belichick and the New England coaching staff are taking the Chargers seriously, which makes this week of practice crucial for Mike McCoy's club.
Rivers, Brady Shine in the Month of December
The holiday season translates into winning records for both Rivers and Brady, and when the two quarterbacks take the field on Sunday, their combined record of 75-13 will join them.
Rivers, 30-6 in December, puts the team on his back late in the season, according to longtime teammate Nick Hardwick, and that pressure drives the Chargers quarterback to pump out wins. Brady acts in a similar fashion when it's crunch time, a mentality that has produced an astonishing 45-7 mark for the future Hall of Famer.
Bolts Preparing for Possible Fifth Different Starting Center this Season
It's not often a position like center is ravaged by injuries, but that's been the case for the Chargers, who have placed three centers on season-ending injured reserve.
Third-round rookie Chris Watt took over snapping duties for the recently injured Rich Ohrnberger, making two starts before suffering a calf injury in Baltimore over the weekend. Watt was replaced by Trevor Robinson in the second half of Sunday's game, and the former Cincinnati Bengal may be asked to start against the Patriots if Watt is unable to go.
Injury Report
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| Player | Position | Injury | Status |
| Ryan Carrethers | DT | Elbow | Questionable |
| Dwight Freeney | OLB | Not injury related | Questionable |
| Andrew Gachkar | ILB | Knee | Probable |
| Corey Liuget | DE | Knee | Questionable |
| D.J. Fluker | OT | Concussion | - |
| Chris Watt | C | Calf | - |
| Philip Rivers | QB | Chest | - |
CBS Sports did not list Fluker, Watt or Rivers on this week's injury report, but all three were included on the team's website. Fluker was a late addition to the injury activity after suffering a concussion in Wednesday's practice. Swing tackle Willie Smith took first-team reps in Fluker's place, per Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Watt is also in jeopardy of missing his start with a calf injury, leaving San Diego's O-line even more vulnerable than before with potentially two starters missing. Gachkar, who missed last week's game, is on pace to make his return to the lineup after fully participating in Thursday's practice, and Liuget sat out Wednesday's practice but returned the day after.
Freeney had his usual rest day on Wednesday, and Carrethers is still recovering from a dislocated elbow, which has held him out of two games already.
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X-Factor and Matchups to Watch
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Eric Weddle and Marcus Gilchrist versus Rob Gronkowski
Defensive coordinator John Pagano used the term "game wrecker" when referring to Gronkowski and admits there's no stopping the Patriots tight end from getting his touches, but his unit will focus on limiting those touches come Sunday night.
At 6'6" and 265 pounds, Gronkowski is a matchup nightmare for any defensive back, and once he catches the ball, bringing the behemoth down has proved to be no easy task—he's managed 345 yards after catch on the season, second-best among tight ends.
Weddle stressed the importance of limiting Gronk's YAC, per Eric D. Williams of ESPN:
"He’s going to make plays on us. But we have to try and limit it as best we can up the field, challenge as many throws as we can and limit his YAC -- that’s the biggest thing. If he does make catches, at least try to gang tackle him. It’s going to be a challenge, but we’re up for it.
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Keenan Allen versus Darrelle Revis
Allen has gone up against some of the league's best corners this season, beginning with Patrick Peterson in Week 1 and Richard Sherman in Week 2. He also met Brent Grimes in Week 9, but Allen's greatest head-to-head matchup could be his biggest yet. San Diego's No. 1 receiver will meet "Revis Island" for the first time in his career this Sunday, setting up a potential obstacle in the Chargers passing game.
Allen propelled his team to a win last week with a big day against the Ravens, as he's just recently begun his return to form. But if Revis shuts down Allen like he's expected to, that leaves Rivers in a real pickle without one of his most productive weapons. The weight of the passing game would then fall on Royal, Malcom Floyd and Antonio Gates.
Corey Liuget versus Dan Connolly and Nate Solder
Effectively pressuring Brady is the key to slowing New England's high-powered offense, and while Dwight Freeney and Melvin Ingram seem like the most likely candidates to do that job, I'm taking Liuget on a whim.
According to Steve Palazzolo of Pro Football Focus, Connolly gave up five pressures on 38 pass attempts last week, and it was the combined efforts of he and Solder that surrendered a pivotal sack on third down in the loss to the Packers.
Liuget hasn't gotten much help on the defensive line this season, but he has found ways to disrupt the rhythm of the opposing team's offense. Just this past week, he got into the Ravens backfield for three run stuffs. This could be Liuget's opportunity to deliver if he can get the better of his matchup on Sunday night.
Chargers' X-Factor: Antonio Gates
With Allen working against Revis and Floyd possibly bottled up by physical corner Brandon Browner, that leaves only Gates and Royal as suitable X-factors for San Diego's passing game.
NFL Films senior producer Greg Cosell believes the deciding factor of Sunday's game will be based on how the Patriots choose to match up with San Diego's receivers man-to-man. When Allen has struggled, it has usually amounted to big games for Gates, who showed up big time on third down last week.
Prediction
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Looking back at how the Packers snapped New England's seven-game winning streak, the play of Aaron Rodgers was a huge part of Green Bay's success, along with Eddie Lacy's 21 carries for 98 yards. The Packers controlled possession for 36:35 with a balanced attack, limiting the time Brady had to work with. Green Bay's defense managed just one sack, but they hurried Brady and hit him six times. The only knock on the Packers was their inability to score touchdowns in the red zone (0-for-4).
The Chargers have the formula to beat the Patriots, but it all comes down to execution. San Diego will need a big game from Rivers, for starters. The offensive line has looked shaky, but that hasn't stopped the Chargers quarterback from moving the ball downfield. Ryan Mathews will also be vital to his team's success, as an effective run game will be needed to win the time of possession battle.
On defense, all San Diego can hope for is limiting the damage done. The Chargers were able to hold Baltimore to field goals in the red zone last week, and that same effort will be needed against New England. Brady and the Patriots offense are averaging 31.5 points, while San Diego has held opponents to 20.8 points.
San Diego is a three-point underdog at home this week, per Odds Shark, and the implications surrounding the outcome are huge for both teams. The Chargers need wins to keep their postseason hopes alive, but the Patriots are 9-0 in games following a loss dating back to 2012 and the possible absences of two key starters on the offensive line could spell trouble for San Diego.
Prediction: Patriots 23, Chargers 21
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