Sunday Night Football Week 14: TV Schedule, Live Stream for Patriots vs Chargers

The AFC's playoff race is extremely tight entering Week 14. The New England Patriots share the conference's best record of 9-3 with the Denver Broncos and are closely followed by the 8-3-1 Cincinnati Bengals. The San Diego Chargers share an 8-4 record with the Indianapolis Colts and are trailed by six teams that stand at 7-5.

Yeah, it's pretty crowded near the top of the standings. A loss by either of these teams could be devastating, as New England could lose its grasp on home-field advantage, and the Chargers could fall back into the thick of the wild-card race. This is a must-win scenario for both teams. However, there can be only one victor.

To ensure you don't miss a moment of the upcoming thrills on the gridiron, here's a look the game's complete viewing information, followed by a preview of this AFC showdown.

Viewing Information

When: Sunday, December 7

Where: Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California

Time: 8:30 p.m. ET

Channel: NBC

Live Stream: NBC Sports Live Extra

Preview and Prediction

We should expect Sunday night's contest to be settled through the air, as two very experienced and prolific signal-callers in Tom Brady and Philip Rivers are set to square off. Both have been very good this season. However, according to NFL on ESPN, they've been excellent in December:

The Patriots had their seven-game winning streak snapped in Week 13 against the Packers, losing 26-21 at Lambeau Field. All three of New England's losses this season have come on the road, and now the team must travel across the country to face the Chargers.

One big reason why the Patriots have struggled at times on the road this season is the decreased efficiency of Brady outside of Gillette Stadium. Here's a look at the quarterback's home-versus-away splits:

Split	CMP%	YDS	TD	INT	RAT
Home	67.2	1,823	17	2	107.8
Away	61.9	1,420	11	4	92.8

New England must enter this game in a run-first mindset. Establishing the run against San Diego's 14th-ranked run defense will keep the Chargers pass rush from pressuring Brady, allow the quarterback to utilize the play-action pass and keep Rivers and Co. on the sidelines. Still, with a crowded backfield, the Patriots will need to find out which running back has the hot hand—or feet—quickly.

While Brady's primary target has been tight end Rob Gronkowski, wide receiver Brandon LaFell has really begun to emerge in this offense. He's tallied 53 receptions for 712 yards and seven touchdowns already this season—all career highs—and he credited work ethic for his success during an interview with Shalise Manza Young of The Boston Globe.

Said LaFell, "I'm all about—if we miss something in practice, let's get it. Let's not, hey, we'll get it tomorrow—let's get it now, while we're out here. It's no need to complain or do something till tomorrow when you can do it today."

The duo of Brady and LaFell will need to hook up regularly to take down the high-octane Chargers.

Rivers led San Diego to an impressive road victory over the Baltimore Ravens in Week 13, passing for 383 yards and three touchdowns, including a game-winner to Eddie Royal with just 38 seconds remaining. This team must get out of the gate quickly to keep that momentum going.

Here's what the quarterback had to say about playing the Patriots, via San Diego's official Twitter account:

He's right. The team will need to execute perfectly.

A matchup between cornerback Darrelle Revis and wide receiver Keenan Allen will be very intriguing to watch. Revis has been one of the NFL's premier shutdown corners, and Allen has come on strong lately with two consecutive 100-yard performances.

While Allen's battle against Revis will be very important to the team's success, the Chargers will likely attempt to get the ball into Antonio Gates' hands early and often. The Patriots have struggled against opposing tight ends recently, allowing four touchdowns and three 100-yard games to the position over their last seven contests.

Gates has been resurgent in 2014, accumulating 47 receptions for 574 yards and nine touchdowns. Expect him to garner plenty of attention in the end zone—from both Rivers and the Patriots defense.

We should expect to see a shootout in San Diego, as two very capable offenses will be going head-to-head. However, the advantage here has to go to the Patriots. Brady simply has too many weapons at his disposal, and the Chargers may find it difficult to account for them all throughout a full 60 minutes.

Prediction: Patriots 30, Chargers 26