FOXBORO, Mass. — Trey Flowers had a terrifying dream during the New England Patriots’ playoff bye week, and it wasn’t about ghosts or spiders or killer clowns.
No, this particular dream featured a truly frightening antagonist for the Patriots defensive end: poor containment in the running game.
“Over the bye, I had a dream about setting the edge,” Flowers said with a smirk after returning to work Monday. “I didn’t set the edge, and I woke up. It was a nightmare. It turned into a nightmare.”
Needless to say, Flowers is doing all he can to ensure that same scenario does not play out on the field this Sunday.
The Patriots’ divisional-round opponent, the Los Angeles Chargers, ranked seventh in the NFL in yards per carry during the regular season, with Pro Bowler Melvin Gordon and emerging second-year pro Austin Ekeler both averaging more than 5 yards per rushing attempt.
(Both players also are talented pass-catchers, combining for 89 receptions for 894 yards and seven touchdowns during the regular season.)
Gordon racked up a career-high 132 rushing yards when the Patriots and Chargers met in Week 8 of the 2017 season, 87 of which came on a play straight out of Flowers’ nightmares. Cassius Marsh — who’d be cut less than a month later — broke contain and was swallowed by a pulling guard, springing Gordon for the second-longest rushing touchdown of 2017.
Neither Gordon nor Ekeler was able to gain much traction against the Baltimore Ravens’ formidable front in the wild-card round, as the two combined for 69 yards on 28 carries.
The Patriots’ defense wasn’t nearly as stout against the run as Baltimore’s was during the regular season (29th in the NFL in yards allowed per carry), but the unit did show notable improvement in late-season wins over the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets after some historically poor performances in the three weeks prior.
“It’ll be a tough task, but any time you’re facing a team like this in the playoffs, it’s going to come down to stopping the run,” Flowers said. “It’s going to come down to the physicality of the game, so that’s what we’ve got to make sure we bring.”
Flowers also will play a pivotal role in combating a dangerous Chargers passing attack led by veteran quarterback Philip Rivers. The impending free agent easily is the Patriots’ best pass rusher, setting a career and team high in sacks this season with 7 1/2 and ranking 12th in the NFL with 65 total pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.
