After getting to sit back, relax and enjoy the first round of the NFL playoffs, it’s time for the New England Patriots to get to work.
The Patriots on Sunday will host the Los Angeles Chargers, who dispatched the Baltimore Ravens in wild-card action this past weekend. The Chargers were one of the more consistent teams throughout the regular season, so the Patriots surely will have their work cut out for them in order to advance to an eighth straight AFC Championship Game.
While the weather could end up becoming a major factor in this highly anticipated matchup, there’s a good chance we’ll see an offensive affair at Gillette Stadium. And if you ask ESPN’s Louis Riddick, New England can put itself in a great position to win by sticking with the bread and butter of its offense.
“What it’s going to come down to is which one of those two quarterbacks plays the best,” Riddick said Sunday on “SportsCenter.”
“In particular, for the Patriots, how are they able to exploit the Chargers’ back seven, as far as the passing game is concerned because that’s where they’ve been so up and down. If they’re able to get those guys going and James White is the factor he’s always been in the passing game up there in New England where they don’t lose, I’ll take them.”
White hasn’t seen nearly the same amount of touches he received during his highly productive stretch earlier in the season, but there’s reason to believe he’ll see his fair share of looks in the playoffs. The versatile running back is a proven postseason performer, and the trust and chemistry he’s developed with Tom Brady is invaluable for the Patriots. Plus, with Josh Gordon gone, Rob Gronkowski struggling and Julian Edelman dealing with a tough case of the drops, New England could heavily lean on its crew of backs.
The Patriots and Chargers will keep off at 1:05 p.m. ET on Sunday.
