The Patriots didn’t have two of their best pass rushers in Chandler Jones and Dont’a Hightower, but confused the Chargers’ offensive line with zone pressures.

Here’s our weekly look at the key plays in the Patriots’ game after reviewing the film.

With the Chargers playing Chris Watt, their fourth center of the year, the Patriots lined up LBs Jamie Collins and Jonathan Casillas over the “A” gaps for most of the game, but mixed and matched between rushing the passer and dropping off into coverage.

In the first quarter, Collins screamed through the “A” gap untouched for an easy third-down sack. But notice the two offensive linemen standing around and doing nothing. That’s the result of a great scheme and a lot of confusion.


And in the third quarter, Collins and Casillas both rushed the quarterback, while defensive ends Rob Ninkovich and Akeem Ayers dropped into coverage. Rivers never saw Ayers playing the passing lanes, and Ayers ended up with a game-changing interception.

Uncomfortable Brady

Tom Brady threw for 317 yards and two touchdowns, but this wasn’t his best effort, as he panicked in the face of the rush and didn’t see the field well.

Usually Brady locks onto Rob Gronkowski, but he never saw him streaking open across the middle here in the third quarter.

Brady has time in the pocket, but here he forces one to a covered Tim Wright instead of finding Gronkowski on the post.

And again in the fourth quarter, he throws incomplete to a covered Brandon LaFell on third down instead of finding Gronkowski wide open across the middle.

Edelman’s TD: How did it happen?

Julian Edelman had a game-clinching 69-yard catch-and-run touchdown in the fourth quarter.

The Chargers crowded the box before the snap. Here’s the crucial part of the play — Tom Brady’s tremendous playaction fake, which forces the linebackers to creep up toward the line of scrimmage.


Giving Edelman a ton of space to get open in the middle of the field.

And then just a really poor tackling job by Chargers DBs Marcus Gilchrist and Brandon Flowers, plus a key block by Brandon LaFell at the bottom of the screen.

The blocked punt

Nothing fancy here — Brandon Bolden beats Donald Brown around the edge.

And got right on Mike Scifres foot as he launched the punt. Great hustle by an unheralded special teams player.

Offensive snap counts Percentage is out of 935 total offensive snaps. Chargers Total Percent (out of 935) C Bryan Stork 77 600 64% QB Tom Brady 77 906 97% C Ryan Wendell 77 684 73% LT Nate Solder 77 895 96% RT Sebastian Vollmer 77 876 94% C Dan Connolly 77 785 84% TE Rob Gronkowski 74 701 75% WR Brandon LaFell 73 747 80% WR Julian Edelman 57 748 80% TE Michael Hoomanawanui 42 405 43% RB Shane Vereen 35 492 53% TE Tim Wright 35 271 29% RB LeGarrette Blount 31 66 7% WR Danny Amendola 18 345 37% FB James Develin 12 226 24% RB Jonas Gray 3 123 13% WR Matthew Slater 2 10 1% LG Marcus Cannon 1 324 35% RB Brandon Bolden 1 50 5% WR Brian Tyms 1 47 5% WR Aaron Dobson 0 56 6% G Josh Kline 0 179 19% RB James White 0 27 3% QB Jimmy Garoppolo 0 29 3% RG Jordan Devey 0 296 32% RB Stevan Ridley 0 187 20% OT Cameron Fleming 0 128 14% WR Kenbrell Thompkins 0 82 9% DATA : Sources Globe Staff