2) Herbert hopes to overcome injury, leaky OL vs. Patriots’ D
Justin Herbert has been a miracle worker at times for the Chargers, finding ways to thrive in spite of injury and poor protection up front. He sat out Week 18, protecting his broken left hand, and now the question once again is how good his protection will be against New England. Jamaree Salyer, the team’s third left tackle this season, sat out the past two games with a hamstring injury, though he’s luckily off the injury report. The Patriots will need a disciplined rush; Herbert has been terrific outside the pocket as a thrower and scrambler, able to get out of trouble and sting defenses, but he also has been sacked three or more times in 10 of his 16 starts. The Patriots’ sack percentage (6.64%, 20th) doesn’t tell the whole story, as their pressure rate (35.9%, per Next Gen Stats) ranks 10th, and it’s possible they get Harold Landry (knee; questionable) back. New England also has generally kept the big plays under wraps this season, allowing only 42 passes of 20-plus yards (tied for seventh-best) and only three plays of 40-plus (tied for second). The Chargers have a very balanced passing attack, with four receivers between 641 and 741 pass yards this season. Keep an eye on rookie tight end Oronde Gadsden II, who has shaky hands but explosive ability, especially against a New England defense that has struggled to contain good receivers at the position. The Patriots will give up some catches with their zone-heavy scheme, but between limiting explosive pass plays and having eyes on mobile quarterbacks, reducing their scramble potential, the Chargers might have to work their way up and down the field more gradually.
3) Which run game can provide the biggest boost?
The Chargers and Patriots each rank in the top half of the league of rushing yards and yards per carry, but they’ve taken different routes to get there. The Chargers hope to have Omarion Hampton back from injury — the running back is questionable due to an ankle injury but said he expected to play — and Kimani Vidal has added a layer of explosiveness to the backfield. However, the blocking hasn’t always allowed them to thrive consistently. Justin Herbert’s scrambling has helped to give those rushing totals a cosmetic boost at times, too. The Patriots’ run defense looks good on the stat sheet, allowing only 101.7 yards per game (sixth), but they’ve been carved up a bit late in the season by the likes of Breece Hall, Derrick Henry and James Cook. The return of defensive tackle Milton Williams appeared to help the run defense last week, and the Patriots are set to get linebacker Robert Spillane (foot) back from injury (though defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga will miss). New England has leaned more on the run game down the stretch, with Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson filling big roles. Stevenson has been on a heater of late, averaging 9.6 yards per carry and scoring six TDs in his past four games, and Henderson is the big-play dynamo with four TDs of 50-plus yards this season. Like the Chargers, the Patriots’ run blocking has been spotty at times, but the return of Campbell last week boosted the offensive line. The Chargers’ run defense has been very good this season, with Saquon Barkley the last one to really hurt them back in Week 14, but the Patriots likely will be patient with the run game and keep pounding away, especially if they gain an early lead.
