PATRIOTS 41 CHARGERS 28
The Chargers promising 2nd season in LA came to an embarrassing crushing loss to the Patriots yesterday in the AFC Divisional round playoff game. During warm-ups, the Bill Belichick has made a career out of finding a teams weakness and exploiting it to his advantage. The Charger coaches flat out facepalmed in their biggest game with this franchise. It is pure neglect how they conducted themselves in New England. I received a text right before the game from someone on the field. Some of the Chargers players were complaining about the cold.
The game started with the Patriots winning the coin toss. They normally defer to the 2nd half. But on this day they elected to receive. It must have been an omen that Belichick couldn't wait to attack the Chargers defense. Brady marched right down the field with a 14 play 75 yards taking 7:11 off the clock. The drive ended with Sony Michel marching in for the touchdown. Knowing the first series was scripted by Brady and Josh McDaniels Charger fans remained calm. The Chargers rushed four and dropped 3 back their cover 3 zone defense. This defense plays right into Brady strengths as a QB.
Brady surgically took the Chargers defense apart taking what they made so freely available with play-action fakes, screen passes and throwing to Julian Edelman over the middle. Drive after drive Tom Brady ripped the Chargers defense apart. Gus Bradley never adjusted his defense. He left them out there on an island. Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram couldn't get near Brady as Gus Bradley let Brady sit back there and embarrass his defense. The Chargers are sending 7 players to the Pro Bowl. If you don't know how to utilize the Pro Bowlers talent though. What is the point. The defense looked like two teams playing sandlot football. This kept the Chargers offense out of sync as the Patriots controlled the clock and scored at will. By the time halftime had come the Chargers were left with the emotion of being in shock.
Tom Brady has 31 unanswered points, 24 1st downs, 347 yards passing and controlled the clock 20:11- 9:49. The team that is 27-10 in the Playoffs and 19-3 at home in the Playoffs were leading 35-7. Tom Brady 13 Championship games in 17 seasons were about to add another. For the 48th straight year in the NFL, the Chargers are going to miss the goal of winning a Super Bowl. The Chargers coaching staff was schooled by a master on Sunday and the players were outplayed by a better "team". Should the Chargers just have stayed on the east coast instead of traveling back and forth between Baltimore and LA? Did Gus Bradley sabotage a great season and one of Rivers the last chances at a Super Bowl? Did the coaches start to believe the hype the media was spewing about the Chargers potential in 2018? We have the next 6 months to debate all of this.
There is no excuses for the embarrassing performance this team displayed on a national level. The coaches and the players didn't just lose, they got demolished for 60 minutes. The offensive line couldn't block as the Pats applied pressure to Rivers 70% of the time in the first half. At one point, the entire 46 man roster completely collapsed. The offensive line allowed 2 sacks, 10 QB hits and as Rivers was struggling late in the 3rd going 5-16 passing and their RB's rushed 10 times for just 19 yards.
The secondary was being ripped apart by Brady and the Patriots offensive line manhandled the pass rushers of Melvin Ingram and Joey Bosa. When Bradley finally tried man to man the defense got 3 and out and then a Patriots punt on the next drive. The damage was done by then. The lack of any talent at linebacker handcuffed Gus Bradley to do what he should have done anyhow. Jatavis Brown, Kyzir White and Denzel Perryman whom all three were transferred to IR earlier in the season were missed badly.
The Rams won their game and are gearing up to play in New Orleans with their chance at the Super Bowl. The Chargers couldn't muster up a Fight for their FightForLA mantra. If this was a boxing match it l would have ended by halftime.
The Chargers head for the offseason with their weaknesses exposed. The NFL doesn't handout good job contribution awards. The wins against KC, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and London games mean nothing. There is only one goal and it's the Super Bowl. For the 49th year, the Chargers will have to reload their roster to gear up for their 2019 FightForLA. Maybe this time, they'll bring gloves instead of mittens to the fight.
The Chargers made improvements both in San Diego and in LA increasing their fan base. The ratings for the New England game attracted a 17.2 rating in LA opposed to 29.7 in San Diego. That translates into 914,799 watched them in LA and 297,832 in San Diego. As fans watched the Chargers maybe feeling the effects of their 5th road game in 7 weeks. The stadium in Inglewood is scheduled to open in just 20 more months.
KEN BELSON NY TIMES INTERVIEW WITH DEAN SPANOS
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/11/sports/chargers-dean-spanos.html?fbclid=IwAR3cHQanjNxfI4VdrVjxVYMsNZ5bhmSAK39hyPmrLwnCaHhhQ_-YESpdah4
KEN BELSON NY TIMES INTERVIEW THE FANS AND MYSELF
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/12/sports/football/la-chargers-san-diego.html?fbclid=IwAR13J9WpPIylkqbl-a_yPWaY4EAWnwLdg8ZNJzyg9AZ_yTdVo3FuUeTR8K0
KEN BELSON NY TIMES INTERVIEW WITH DEAN SPANOS
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/11/sports/chargers-dean-spanos.html?fbclid=IwAR3cHQanjNxfI4VdrVjxVYMsNZ5bhmSAK39hyPmrLwnCaHhhQ_-YESpdah4
KEN BELSON NY TIMES INTERVIEW THE FANS AND MYSELF
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/12/sports/football/la-chargers-san-diego.html?fbclid=IwAR13J9WpPIylkqbl-a_yPWaY4EAWnwLdg8ZNJzyg9AZ_yTdVo3FuUeTR8K0
2019 Home Opponents
Denver, Kansas City, Oakland, Green Bay, Pittsburgh, Minnesota, Houston and Indy (One of these must be an international game. My guess it will be the Packers @ Chargers)
2019 Away Opponents
KC, Denver, Oakland, Tenn, Miami, Jacks, Detroit, and the Chicago Bears.
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