FOXBORO — Just when it seemed like the Los Angeles Chargers finally caught a break Sunday afternoon, the New England Patriots tightened their grip on the divisional-round matchup at Gillette Stadium.
After forcing the Patriots’ first punt of the game at the tail end of the second quarter, the Chargers let the opportunity go by the wayside with a muffed punt reception. New England proceeded to capitalize on the advantageous field position, capping off the short drive with a five-yard touchdown run by Sony Michel.
A first-half hat trick!@Flyguy2stackz's third TD give the @Patriots a 35-7 lead! #EverythingWeGot #NFLPlayoffs
📺: #LACvsNE on CBS pic.twitter.com/ZRmnNEWnUK
— NFL (@NFL) January 13, 2019
The push for paydirt marked the third touchdown of the game for Michel, who scored on each of the Patriots’ first two drives of the game. With his first-half trifecta, the 23-year-old became the third player in Patriots history to rush for three touchdowns in a playoff game.
As for his overall performance through two quarters, Michel prompted a tweaking to the NFL record books.
From @ESPNStatsInfo: Sony Michel is the 3rd player in the last 25 postseasons with three 1st-half rushing TDs (1993 Ricky Watters, 2013 LeGarrette Blount). He's the only player in the last 25 postseasons with 100 rushing yards and 3 rushing TDs in the 1st half.
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) January 13, 2019
Not bad for your playoff debut.
