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SAN DIEGO - Route 1 is the Boston Post Road. It now may have a second name, the Super Highway.
With the Patriots outlasting the San Diego Chargers, 23-14 on Sunday night at Qualcomm Stadium, the Patriots retain the number one seed in the AFC despite Denver beating Buffalo earlier in the day. The Patriots now have three games left, two at home, all against AFC East teams, and if they win out, the AFC road to Glendale, Arizona goes through Foxborough, Massachusetts.
The win over the Chargers was anything but easy or routine. The Patriots trailed, 14-3 in the second quarter before they finished the game by scoring the last 20 points and suffocating Phillip Rivers and his vaunted squad of receivers. Penalties, turnovers and an inspired Chargers defense kept the Patriots at bay until the fourth quarter, but in the end the Patriots were able to make the plays needed to win the game.
This was a game that could very well have gone the way of the Chargers. Questionable play calling on the opening drive cost the Patriots a near certain touchdown. The Patriots once again won the coin toss, deferred, and were in a position to score on both the last drive of the first half and the first drive of the second half, but Tom Brady threw one of his worst passes of the season to end the first half. A pick-six by Devin McCourty was wiped out on a controversial penalty. The Patriots did not get their first first down of the third quarter until the final play, preceded by four three-and-outs.
 Jamie Collins called the defensive signals and also had eight tackles and two sacks for the Patriots. (USA TODAY Images) |
The Patriots opened the game by featuring LeGarrette Blount on power runs, and it was working wonderfully. Beginning at their own 7-yard line, the Patriots went on a 17-play drive, with Blount getting eight touches on the drive. On first and goal at the ten, Blount blasted up the middle for nine yards. On second and goal from the one, the situation screamed for a Blount run up the middle behind James Develin. Instead, Brady play faked to Blount and tried to hit Develin in the right flat. Develin had an open path to the end zone, but Tourek Williams jumped the route and batted the pass down. On third down, Brady attempted another pass but was sacked by Melvin Ingram. The Patriots had to settle for a chip shot field goal, but Blount could have easily delivered a touchdown.
In the second quarter, trailing 7-3, the Patriots were at the Chargers 49, third and three. Brady hit Brandon LaFell in the right flat for a first down, but was stripped of the ball by Jahleel Addae. Darrell Stuckey picked up the loose football and scampered 53 yards for a touchdown to make it 14-3 San Diego.
At the end of the first half, with the score 14-13 Chargers, the Patriots had the ball and seemingly in position to take the lead at halftime, then get the ball back to begin the second half. The Patriots had the ball at the San Diego 18 with 18 seconds left. A Stephen Gostkowski field goal gives the Patriots the lead, at the very worst. Instead, the "very worst" turned into an interception. Brady tried to float a touch pass to Rob Gronkowski in the left corner of the end zone, but Brady badly underthrew the ball and the ball settled into the arms of Manti Te'o. The Patriots began the second half with a three and out. The Patriots got zero points for those two key possessions and still trailed by a point.
Midway through the third quarter, a strange turn of events could have permanently shifted the momentum towards the Chargers. On the first play of their third offensive possession of the third quarter, Rivers tried to hit tight end Ladarius Green in the left flat on a crossing route. As soon as the ball got there, Browner blasted Green with a vicious but legal and clean hit which jarred the ball loose and snapped Green's neck backwards. The ball went airborne and landed into the arms of McCourty. He returned the pick 56 yards for a touchdown. But Browner was called for unsportsmanlike conduct, helmet-to-helmet contact. Replays clearly showed that Browner did not lead with his helmet, that he hit him flush and did not lead with his shoulder pads. Green's head snapping back perhaps influenced the call, but the call was questionable and certainly debatable, as well as potentially costly for the Patriots.
Something happened in the second quarter which greatly helped the Patriots in the second half, especially from a field position standpoint. On their second possession of the second quarter, the Patriots stopped the Chargers three-and-out. Brandon Bolden subsequently blasted through and blocked the ensuing punt by Mike Scifres. Scifres fell hard on his left shoulder and had to come out of the game. Faced with only 25 yards, the Patriots were able to get their first touchdown of the game with Brady hitting Gronkowski from 14 yards out. With placekicker Nick Novak forced into second half punt duty, the Patriots benefitted from substandard punting and the Chargers began four of their seven second half drives inside their own 15.
Julian Edelman helped the Patriots seize the lead for good in the fourth quarter. He opened the quarter with three catches for 29 yards to help set up a Gostkowski field goal from 38 yards to give the Patriots a 16-14 lead. On the next drive, it took only one play for the Patriots to go up two scores. Edelman ran a slant route on the right side, took a quick pass from Brady in front of Brandon Flowers, then zipped by Marcus Gilchrist who missed a sure tackle. Edelman took the pass to the house for 69 yards, and the Patriots were in control the rest of the way.
Brady finished 28 of 44 passing for 317 yards, two touchdowns, one interception and a 90.8 passer rating. Gronkowski and Edelman each had eight catches and a touchdown, but Edelman rang up 144 receiving yards. Rivers was 20 of 33 for 189 yards, one touchdown, one interception and a 73.9 passer rating.
The Patriots finish the season at home versus Miami, then on the road at the Jets, and finish at home with Buffalo. The Miami game will be revenge for the season opening loss, and weather could be a factor. The Jet game could be a trap game given how badly the Jets have played this year, and the Patriots usually do well against the Bills at home. All three games are winnable, but the Patriots still need to be on their game in all three instances. If the Patriots do win out, they clinch the top playoff seed in the AFC.
Bill Belichick will see to it that the guys take it one game at a time. But the Patriots can be forgiven if they can exhale just a tiny bit now that the tough part of the schedule is over.
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