This Game represents one of the last few Challenges a young team like the patriots will have to confront.
The Chargers are going to be a difficult opponent because the patriots havent shown they can stop the pass and Phillip Rivers is going to be the best quarterback the pats have faced so far this season.
Although the patriots defense seems to be improving, earlier in the season they let the likes of Ryan Fitzpatrick and Mark Sanchez throw all over them, Phillip Rivers has some absurd amount of passing yardage so far this season and thats without Vincent Jackson, there is a high chance that even without his primary weapons (or secondary weapons really) he can still pass for high yardage against the patriots young secondary.
The Chargers also rank number 1 in total offense and total defense, although they attained these ranks playing against sub-par teams such as the rams and the raiders.
it would be very easy for the patriots players to see the chargers losses against the raiders and rams and think they can just steamroll the chargers and that very well may happen, however the patriots need to take this game seriously, because Rivers is a threat, the patriots are on the road and this is the first time they will have been favored (for the most part) on the road, it is an important test for a young team and it will be important to see if they respond and put their foot on the gas like they needed to against the ravens.
The good news is that the realistic worst case scenario here is a shootout between the 2 teams, it is unlikely that the chargers can stop the patriots completely, while the patriots may be able to exploit the chargers weak offensive line and get some key sacks on rivers.
another discrepancy between these teams is special teams, no team has allowed more TD returns than the chargers and also, no other team has done better in returns than the patriots, the patriots will try to exploit this no doubt, combined with the fact that the chargers have a free agent kicker, there is a huge possibility that the patriots own the special teams game in this game either through TD returns, blocked kicks or excellent field position throughout the game, i have a feeling that we will have alot of good things to say about special teams once again after this game.
Rivers is the only one on the chargers who can win this game for them, they may do a bit of damage with the run, but it will be rivers who pulls it out if he can, belichick has been known to focus in on a teams main asset and shut it down, but he hasn't been in a position where the quarterback is that player all season, if the patriots can get to rivers consistently, they win, end of story.
in the end, i see the patriots getting a win one way or another, it will be all about how the patriots and how they respond to the situation they find themselves in, if they prepared for this game and took the chargers seriously all week, i see them winning either close or going away.
