The New England Patriots’ opponent for the AFC Divisional Round is set, and we’ve got good and bad news for Pats fans.
After the Chargers beat the Baltimore Ravens 23-17 on Sunday in the AFC Wild Card Round, Los Angeles now will travel to Foxboro to face Tom Brady and Co. on Jan. 13.
First, for the good news. In his career, Philip Rivers never has beaten the Patriots when Brady was the quarterback. The North Carolina State product is 0-7 in his career against the Patriots signal-caller, including an 0-2Â record in the playoffs.
The first postseason battle came in the 2006 AFC Divisional Round when the 14-2 Chargers hosted the Patriots with a berth in the AFC Championship Game on the line. Rivers went 14-for-32 for 230 yards and an interception, while Brady went 27-for-51 for 280 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions in New England’s 24-21 win. The then-San Diego Chargers probably should have won, as they led 21-13 with 6:36 to play when Marlon McCree picked off Brady. But wide receiver Troy Brown stripped McCree and the Patriots recovered to give New England new life. Two minutes later, Brady hit Reche Caldwell for a 4-yard touchdown and Kevin Faulk ran in the two-point conversion to tie the game at 21. Stephen Gostkowski kicked a 31-yard field goal with 1:10 left to give the Pats the win.
Brady and Rivers met again in the 2007 AFC Championship Game with the Chargers quarterback playing on a torn ACL. On one leg, Rivers went 19-for-37 for 211 yards and two interceptions. Brady once again had a below average game against San Diego, going 22-for-33 for 209 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. New England won the game 21-12.
To recap, Brady is 2-0 in his career against the Chargers in the playoffs, but hasn’t been the deadly passer Patriots fans have become accustomed to seeing. He has completed just 58.3 percent of his passes (49-for-84) with four touchdowns and six interceptions in the two games against the Bolts.
While New England got the win in both games, Brady and Co. needed a Chargers fumble and a Rivers injury to help it advance each time and they’ll certainly need Brady to be better to advance to an eighth straight AFC Championship Game.
LA will come to Gillette Stadium looking to spring the upset behind a defense led by star rushers Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram, and a secondary that doesn’t get the credit it deserves with rookie safety Derwin James and cornerbacks Casey Hayward and Desmond King. It will be anything but a cakewalk for a Patriots team that has looked like a far cry from the dominant force it usually is.
