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The Chargers made the playoffs with an easy win over the Patriots

Posted on by Taylor Reeves
The Chargers made the playoffs with an easy win over the Patriots

  • Mike Reiss

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    Mike Reiss

    ESPN staff writer

      Mike Reiss is an NFL reporter for ESPN covering the New England Patriots. Reiss has covered the Patriots since 1997 and joined ESPN in 2009. In 2019, he was named Massachusetts Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. You can follow Reiss on Twitter at @MikeReiss.

  • Kris Rhim

December 28, 2024, 3:58 p.m. ET

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — When New England Patriots coach Jerod Mayo decided to punt from his team’s own 28-yard line in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s game, trailing by 30 points with 11 minutes to play, the few began Patriots fans who were still left chanted “Fire” Mayo.

It was a game like that on Saturday as the Los Angeles Chargers dominated the struggling Patriots in front of an empty crowd at Gillette Stadium to claim a 40-7 win.

It was the Patriots’ second home loss by more than 30 points this century. The win secured the Chargers a playoff spot and gave them double-digit wins for the third time since 2010.

The loss dropped the Patriots to 3-13, their second straight 13-loss season, but it moved them closer to a top pick in the NFL Draft. The Patriots end their season next week with a home game against the Buffalo Bills.

The Chargers will travel to Las Vegas for their season finale against the Raiders, a game that could have implications for playoff placement. The Chargers would secure fifth place with a win over the Raiders and a loss to the Steelers next week.

Describe the game in two words: Thunderous blow. Saturday’s win was the Chargers’ best performance of the season, earning a season-high 40 Points. A week after the Patriots nearly beat the Bills, the Chargers pressured them from the start of that game to secure a playoff spot.

Promising trend I: JK Dobbins looks healthy. Dobbins was one of the best running backs in the NFL, but a sprained left MCL sidelined him for the Chargers’ final four games. In his first game Saturday, he appeared to be back to his old self as he scored a touchdown and gained 76 rushing yards, more than any Chargers running back had in his absence.

Promising Trend II: The offensive line protected Herbert. This had been an issue all season, and without starting right guard Trey Pipkins II, it seemed like it might continue Saturday. But the Chargers had one of their best blocking games of the season. The Patriots pressured Herbert on just six of his 39 dropbacks (15%), his second-lowest pressure rate in a game this season (12% in Week 11 against the Bengals). — Kris Rhim

Next game: at Raiders (TBD, Sunday)

Quarterback Drake Maye left the game on the Patriots’ third offensive play after Chargers defensive back Cam Hart’s helmet touched Maye’s helmet, causing shock on a day when the team was never competitive.

Maye remained lying down after the hit and then visited the medical tent and locker room to be checked for a concussion. He finally returned in the second quarter and was one of the few reasons for Patriots fans to watch a game that the Chargers controlled throughout.

Cornerback Christian Gonzalez – arguably the team’s two best players along with Maye – wasn’t so lucky. He left the team in the second quarter to be checked for a concussion and was later ruled out.

The game was a disappointment for the Patriots, who were hoping to gain momentum after playing hard in a 24-21 loss to the AFC East champion Bills last week. Instead, it sparked more questions about first-year head coach Jerod Mayo and the direction of the franchise.

Describe the game in two words: No fee. The Patriots made 15 offensive plays in the first half, the fewest of any team in a first half in the last five seasons – a reflection of their inferiority from the start.

Key game: Trailing 10-0 midway through the second quarter, an errant pitch from Maye to receiver DeMario Douglas was recovered by Chargers safety Derwin James Jr. and quickly turned into a touchdown, giving the Chargers a 17-0 lead. It was the Patriots’ 22nd giveaway of the season and their league-worst 29th fumble.

Amazing statistics: With his 36-yard touchdown strike to Douglas, Maye now has three touchdown passes of at least 35 air yards this season, the most such touchdown passes by a Patriots quarterback since Tom Brady had three in 2009.

Biggest gap in the game plan: Mayo said in a radio interview before the game that Antonio Gibson would start at running back over Rhamondre Stevenson after Stevenson fumbled for a league-leading seventh time last week, but Stevenson ended up being the starter. Maybe Mayo made a mistake – otherwise the Patriots seemed to have forgotten to follow their own plan. Stevenson completed the ball with two runs for 1 yard. Gibson caught some scrap action and managed 63 yards on 12 carries.

Silver linings: Cole Strange, the Patriots’ 2022 first-round pick who spent his first two seasons at left guard, made his first career start at center and seemed to settle in well. Strange suffered a torn patellar tendon last December and returned to the game-day roster just last week at Buffalo as a backup option along the offensive line and on the field goal protection unit. So this was his longest outing since the injury and he showed that he could be a viable option at center in the future. – Mike Reiss

Next game: vs. Bills (TBD, Sunday)

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