Patriots vs. Chargers: Gameday Preview

By Corey Burns in Featured, Patriots, Top Story ⋅ September 18, 2011 at 11:25am ⋅ Post a comment

Philip Rivers will look to continue on his solid performance in week one against the Vikings. (Associated Press/Denis Poroy)

The Patriots welcome the San Diego Chargers this Sunday for the 2011-2012 home opener at Gillette Stadium. Brady has a record of 4-1 against Philip Rivers and the San Diego Chargers, including the playoffs.

Both quarterbacks are coming off great games and are looking to lead their teams to a 2-0 record. Rivers threw for 335 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions against the Vikings a week ago, while Brady shined and threw for a career high 517 yards with four touchdowns. It’s safe to say the quarterback who plays better will keep their undefeated through the first two weeks of the season.

However, the quarterback isn’t the only factor to win this match-up. The Chargers defense held Donovan McNabb and the Vikings passing attack to a total of 39 yards. Granted, Brady and the Patriots is a little bit of a different story, however they still have to perform well against a good San Diego defense to earn a victory.

The Patriots defense has to step up this game, especially the defensive line. Rivers has the ability to pick apart any secondary in the NFL, and if they do not cause problems for him, he will have a field day against the Pats, guaranteed. The secondary can play great but they can’t cover a wide receiver forever.

The biggest key to success for the Patriots is to cause serious problems for Rivers and the offensive line. If they do so, Brady and the offense should be able to handle the rest and put up enough points to win. It is time for the New England defense to establish itself.

Tags: New England Patriots, Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers, Tom Brady