The Chargers are looking for their first playoff win since 2018 on Sunday.
Here’s what Los Angeles needs to do on defense to win.
strong start
The Chargers have endured two slow starts in their last two games, allowing Houston and Denver to score a combined 24 points in the first quarter, only to have a combined 15 points over the next three quarters. New England’s offense is explosive, both on the ground (Trevyan Henderson had four rushing touchdowns of over 50 yards) and in the air, so Los Angeles’ ability to neutralize them after the opening kickoff will be crucial in determining the terms of their engagement.
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Stand in the red zone
While New England’s offense has the best EPA per game in the league, its efficiency drops off dramatically in the red zone, where the Patriots rank 17th in EPA per game this season. The running game in particular has languished through 20 games — New England ranks 30th among red-zone rushing offenses, according to Sumer Sports. Los Angeles has been one of the league’s best defenses at preventing red zone touchdowns. This will have to continue to force New England to settle down and keep the Chargers offense in the game.
Keep your roof intact
Los Angeles still has the league’s best defense against the deep ball, with Patriots quarterback Drake Maye catching nearly 30 percentage points lower when trying to go against two high-profile guns like the Chargers, but Jesse Minter’s unit has shown some weakness in that area of late. Patriots receiver Kayshon Boutte is in the 97th percentile this season – his average depth of target is 16.81 yards. If Butte or Kyle Williams (ADOT 19.05) match up with cornerback Cam Hart and can stack him vertically, the Chargers could be in trouble.
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Generate turnover (or two)
In all three of New England’s losses this season, Meyer had at least three interceptions and was sacked. Los Angeles’ pass rush should be able to deliver on that promise — the Chargers rank 10th in the NFL with 45 sacks, while Meyer ranks fourth in the NFL with 47 sacks. But Meyer has only eight interceptions this season and has done a good job of finding safeties for the Patriots, so forcing turnovers that put the Chargers in good position on offense could be a tough task.
This article originally appeared on Lightning Wire: Chargers’ defensive key to victory over Patriots
