The New England Patriots (3-12) will host the Los Angeles Chargers (9-6) in Week 17 at Gillette Stadium.
The Chargers will be coming into Gillette with a lot on the line entering this matchup. As it stands, a win against the Patriots will clinch a playoff berth for Los Angeles. For New England, this will be another opportunity for head coach Jerod Mayo and the coaching staff to stay competitive and give the fans optimism going into next season.
The Patriots will enter this game coming off of arguably one of their more impressive performances this past Sunday against the Buffalo Bills. New England took an early lead against the Bills going up 14-0, but more impressively, scored in their opening drive. The Patriots weren’t able to reciprocate their play in the second half, however, which ultimately led to a 21-24 loss in Buffalo.
New England Patriots vs. Los Angeles Chargers: Keys to the Game
Whether it’s injuries or in-game matchups, these are the keys to the game between the Patriots and the Chargers.
Injury Report
The Patriots will go into its second straight game without slot cornerback Marcus Jones as he has been ruled out again with a “hip” injury. Another name to keep an eye on for the Patriots is safety Kyle Dugger. Dugger did not practice with the team on Tuesday or Wednesday. The safety was “limited” in practice on Thursday, with no update at the time of this writing.
Meanwhile, the Chargers will be a little short handed this week, as the team will be without running back Gus Edwards. Edwards was listed as “limited” throughout the week of practice until Thursday where he did not practice.
The chargers will have running back J.K. Dobbins back as he has been taken off of IR this week. He is expected to be active against the Patriots this Saturday.
Key Matchups
These key matchups are who fans should keep an eye on during this contest.
Ladd McConkey vs. Alex Austin
With slot cornerback Marcus Jones out this week, fans can expect to see Alex Austin getting more reps in the slot. Chargers receiver Ladd McConkey has had a very productive rookie year. More importantly, he’s getting most of his reps from the slot. McConkey has racked up 960 yards and five touchdowns of off 69 receptions this year.
Kayshon Boutte vs. Kristian Fulton
Kayshon Boutte is coming off his most impressive game in Week 16, finishing with five catches for 95 yards and a touchdown. Boutte has shown a lot of growth throughout his sophomore season. On the year, he currently has 39 catches for 444 yards and two touchdowns.
On the other side, you can count on the Chargers to put Kristian Fulton in coverage on Boutte. Fulton has had an impressive first season with the Chargers. He has been thrust into the CB1 role with the season-ending injury to cornerback Asante Samuel Jr.
Players to Watch
One player to keep an eye on for the Patriots is safety Marte Mapu. Mapu got the chance to show how good of a player he can be this past Sunday against the Bills. Mapu had a busy night, with seven total tackles, two pass deflections, a force fumble and an interception.
Meanwhile, a fun player to watch for the Chargers is safety Derwin James Jr. James has been playing at an elite level all season. The Patriots will need to watch out for James when trying to run the ball. The veteran defensive back ranks ninth among all safeties in run defense grade, per PFF.
Keys to Victory for the New England Patriots
If the Patriots want to win this matchup, this is what they will need to do.
Pressure Justin Herbert
The Patriots did a great job last week containing Josh Allen and not allowing him to extend too many plays with his legs. This week, the Patriots should be more aggressive and put pressure on Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert. To have success, they must force Herbert to get the ball out quick.
Don’t Go Backwards
The Patriots offensive line did a great job last week not committing too many pre-snap penalties. That allowed the offense to stay in a reasonable down and distance throughout the game. New England will have to keep that up, as they have not proven to be a team that can finish drives strong after getting one or two penalties.
Be Aggressive
New England will need to come out the gates swinging against the Chargers if they want to stay in this game. Drake Maye must make big throws and be aggressive in the redzone instead of settling on third and short.
