“Now let me welcome everybody to the wild, wild west, A state that’s untouchable like Elliot Ness”

After a heartbreaking loss to the Packers last Sunday the Patriots look to bounce back when they face the San Diego Chargers on Sunday Night Football. San Diego is coming off a stunning comeback win against the Baltimore Ravens when Phillip Rivers led the Chargers down the field for a last minute touchdown to seal the victory.

The Chargers had been struggling mid-season after a red-hot start and many had wondered if this would be another second half collapse by Phillip Rivers and Co. However after a 37-0 beating by the Dolphins in Week 8, the Chargers have rattled off three wins and look to be right back in the mix for a playoff berth.

The Patriots were rolling until last weeks beating against the Packers. And while many called it a moral victory and a sign that they can hang with the Packers, quarterback Tom Brady does not see it that way. “I just wish we won this one, I think we put a lot into this one. This was just a great test for us. I think the guys knew how important it was for our season.” Obviously the future Hall of Famer was upset about letting last week’s game slip away, but he along with the rest of the Patriots are on to San Diego.

Taking a look at this week’s matchup against the Chargers there are three things to look for if you’re a Patriots fan. The first is the Antonio Gates who is having another great season for the Chargers, racking up 574 total yards on 47 receptions, averaging about 12 yards per reception. Gates will likely be matched up with either Kyle Arrington or Logan Ryan and they will have there work cut out for them because this season the Patriots have fell victim against their opponents 3rd receiver.

With Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner the Patriots have the ability to take away two of the opponents top receivers. This week you can expect Browner to matchup against Malcom Floyd and Revis against Keenan Allen. That leaves Gates and Eddie Royal as leftovers for Arrington and Ryan. In the past opposing quarterbacks have taken advantage of that 3rd receiver and tried to exploit that, take for example last weeks game against the Packers. Revis and Browner did their jobs defending Randall Cobb and Jordy Nelson, but Aaron Rodgers was able to find Davante Adams most of the game which resulted in him totaling over 100 receiving yards.

The Patriots will need to tighten up their play against all the receivers in order to go far this postseason, as the playoffs grow nearer they are going to face more guys like Aaron Rodgers and Phillip Rivers, not guys like Ryan Tannehill or Geno Smith. This game has huge implications for the Patriots and their playoff seeding, so if they are able to lock down against those receivers they will be in a great position to leave San Diego with a win.

You also want to look for ‘big’ Vince Wilfork who is quietly having a pretty good season, even though he has yet to record a sack. His play (and his presence) allows offensive linemen to work to defend their quarterback, and in doing that Wilfork is able to create pressure so others can get to the opposing quarterback. This week Vince is matched up with Trevor Robinson, who is the Chargers 5th starting center this season. Wilforks skill level should be able to withstand Robinson and he should get his opportunities to get to the quarterback. Although he has yet to record a sack all season (yet he has an interception), look for Wilfork to have a big day against the Chargers.

The final thing to look for against the Chargers is the tandem of Chandler Jones and Dont’a Hightower. For most of the season the Patriots have been without Chandler Jones due to an injury suffered earlier this season, and as a result their pass rushing ability has not been that great. This week Jones practiced with the team and even answered questions from the media, which is a very strong sign that he may be ready to go this Sunday. If that is the case, then this would be impeccable timing for him to return. Having Jones return with a few weeks left before the playoffs begin allow him to shake off some of the rust he may have and give him the chance to sharpen up his skills before the playoffs begin in January.

For Dont’a Hightower things are a bit cloudy regarding his status for this weeks game, he was limited this week during practice due to an in juried shoulder suffered last week against the Packers. Hightower is listed as questionable for this week’s game against the Chargers and contrary to Jones who is also listed as questionable I believe there is a greater chance that Hightower sits and Jones plays this week. You have to think the Coach Belichick wants to protect his players with the playoffs on the horizon and if Hightower is not able to go then it would be better to let him rest this week and comeback for the last stretch of games against the three AFC East teams.

The Dirt Sheet:

I think the Patriots the biggest test for the Patriots will be defending Gates and Royal. If they are able to make the Chargers a one-dimensional team then that gives them a huge advantage throughout the game. San Diego has Ryan Mathews at RB and while he may be better then most backs in the NFL he can be stopped if the Patriots are able to shut down most of the Bolts receivers. For the Patriots, they’ll need to return to a more balanced style of football like we’ve seen in the past. During their six game winning streak they were a balanced offense thanks in large part to guys like Jonas Gray, Shane Verreen, and LaGarrette Blount. However last week the Patriots were only able to run the ball 18 times while throwing it 35, that sort of unbalance offense will make it easy for defenses to defend against quarterbacks even as good as Tom Brady. Look for a relatively low scoring game compared to other games this season, the Chargers defense is ranked in the top ten amongst the NFL however the Chargers offense has been lackluster as of late. They put up 34 points against the Ravens defense but before that they only put up 27 against the Rams, 13 against the Raiders, and 0 against the Dolphins. Prediction 28-21 Patriots.