New England Patriots (3-4) at Chargers (4-2)
When: Sunday, 1:05 p.m.
Where: SoFi Stadium
TV/Radio: CBS (Ch. 2); 98.7 FM; 105.5 FM/94.3 FM (Spanish); Sirius 206
Line: Chargers by 4½ points
Notable injury designations: Chargers: RB Austin Ekeler (questionable; hip), LB Drue Tranquill (questionable; chest)
Patriots: LB Brandon King (out; thigh), TE Jonnu Smith (questionable; shoulder), LB Dont’a Hightower (questionable; ankle)
What’s at stake? The Chargers were embarrassed 45-0 by the Patriots at home last season. It will be hard to forget the largest margin of defeat in franchise history, but the Chargers can gain closure by defeating the Patriots on Sunday at SoFi Stadium. The Patriots, however, appear to be better than last year with rookie quarterback Mac Jones, the addition of edge rusher Matthew Judon and the return of linebacker Dont’a Hightower. Many of the Chargers’ players took part in last year’s blowout loss to the Patriots, but they’re also an improved team with a 4-2 record. Some of the Chargers want to forget the 45-0 loss, but many will be looking for revenge Sunday.
Who’s better? The Chargers have a better team because they have an abundance of players on offense and a healthy secondary. Despite the setback against the Baltimore Ravens, the Chargers showed enough in five of their first six games of being a top scoring offense. Jones doesn’t have as many playmakers as Justin Herbert, especially at wide receiver, but Jones is making it work with wide receivers Jakobi Meyers, Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne. The Patriots scored 54 points against the New York Jets last week and took the Dallas Cowboys to overtime two weeks ago. Jones has found a rhythm with tight end Hunter Henry and has leaned on running back Damien Harris. Herbert has wide receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, but they’ll need to bounce back from the ugly loss to the Ravens before the bye week. The Patriots have struggled in the secondary this season.
Matchup to watch: Chargers safety Derwin James versus Henry, who played five seasons with the Chargers before signing with the Patriots in free agency this year. Chargers cornerback Chris Harris Jr. said he’s excited to watch the former teammates battle on the field. James will likely rotate to different positions, but he could stick to Henry if he’s having a good game. Henry has caught a touchdown in the past four games.
Chargers win if: … They contain the Patriots’ rushing attack. The Chargers spent most of this week saying they evaluated the rushing defense during the bye week and are eager to display the corrections they made. But it might be easier said than done for a rushing defense that is allowing a league-worst 162.5 rushing yards per game. The Chargers could receive help from defensive tackle Justin Jones if he’s activated to the active roster from injured reserve. The Patriots deploy a rushing attack of Harris, Brandon Bolden, Rhamondre Stevenson and J.J. Taylor.
Fantasy sleeper: Look for Williams to get back on track for the Chargers after a disappointing performance against the Ravens before the bye week. Williams was dealing with knee swelling, but he said he no longer feels pain in his knee. The Chargers’ 6-foot-4 wideout was one of the NFL’s most productive players in the first five games of the season.
Prediction: The Chargers’ rushing defense will likely struggle against the Patriots’ rushing attack. But the best way to beat a run-first team is by scoring touchdowns at a rapid pace. Expect Herbert to take advantage of the Patriots’ depleted secondary and connect on a few downfield shots. The Chargers bounce back with a 27-20 victory against the Patriots and get some revenge for last year’s home shutout.