Chargers Visit Patriots for a Saturday Kickoff
The NFL season is heading into the home stretch. As we enter Week 17, there will be games slated to be played on Saturday, and these games have massive playoff implications tied to them. Coming off their Thursday Night Football victory over the Denver Broncos, with a win this Saturday, the Los Angeles Chargers would clinch a playoff spot. The Bolts will travel to Foxborough for a date with the New England Patriots.
This game was flexed into the Saturday game slot because of the possible implications it may have. The Chargers will enter the contest with a record of 9-6. Justin Herbert is coming off a 312 total yards performance with two touchdowns. Herbert is chasing history on Saturday as he needs 153 yards to pass Peyton Manning for the most passing yards in a quarterback's first five seasons.
For the Patriots, they fought hard on the road against the Buffalo Bills. They found themselves ahead 14-0 early in the second quarter. The Bills would rally back to win 24-21 and drop the Patriots to a 3-12 record. Besides the poor record, rookie quarterback Drake Maye has been having a solid season. In 11 games, Maye has thrown for 2,159 yards and 14 touchdowns. He has been a threat on the run as well, adding 389 yards on the ground and two touchdowns.
An area for the Chargers to focus on is Maye’s susceptibility to throwing interceptions. In his last seven games, Maye has thrown seven picks. The Chargers have intercepted 14 balls this year, which ranks them in the top 10 in the NFL. Defensive backs will need to keep their hands active and attack the ball once thrown their way.
In a game that can be very meaningful to the Bolts, they could potentially be getting reinforcements. Jim Harbaugh announced that the 21-day practice window for running back J.K. Dobbins will be opened. Dobbins suffered a knee injury in Week 14 but has the chance to return to game action as soon as Saturday. The Chargers also signed veteran safety Eddie Jackson after Marcus Maye was placed on injured reserve. Win, and you are officially in. Simple as that for the Chargers, who seek a playoff berth for the first time since 2022. Harbaugh and his squad will look to secure this special Christmas gift on Saturday, with kickoff at 10 a.m. Pacific Standard Time.
