![]() After the team attempted just six rushes for 17 yards in the first half, it ran the football just four times for only two net yards in the second. Even when its turned the pass as its primary mode of transporting the football down the field, however, no lanes opened up for the running backs - at least none L.A. With the Patriots offense scoring touchdowns on its first four possessions, the Chargers were quickly forced to abandon the run. Defensive rush direction NFL Next Gen Stats All in all, the Patriots were able to impact the quarterback on 27 of his 53 dropbacks - a big reason for the defensive success the team enjoyed against one of the NFL’s better offenses. Led by Dont’a Hightower’s 10 (!) quarterback disruptions, the team never allowed Philip Rivers to get into any rhythm and successfully challenged the offensive line in front of him all game long. New England’s pass rush was outstanding against the Chargers. Los Angeles simply had no answer for the veteran, who appeared in his first playoff game in almost two years and had an outstanding performance as Tom Brady’s primary wide receiver. ![]() But while Cordarrelle Patterson’s lone target fell incomplete, Julian Edelman torched the Chargers’ beat coverage to the tune of nine catches for 151 yards. Three of New England’s pass catchers were below that number, while two were more open than that. The league average, for comparison, is 2.82 yards of separation. As can be seen in the graphic above, only tight end Antonio Gates and wide receiver Tyrell Williams - Los Angeles’ leading receiver with five catches for 94 yards - were open more than two yards at the time of being targeted. One reason for Philip Rivers’ below-average completion percentage is the tight coverage played by New England’s defenders. Another outstanding performance by the rookie. The right edge, of course, still stands out: Michel burst open for a 40-yard scamper that set up the aforementioned Burkhead scoring run. The first-round rookie ran the football 24 times for 129 yards and three touchdowns, and as can be seen was effective no matter which gap he opted to attack. The most productive ball carrier on the day was once again Sony Michel. ![]() Together with tight ends Rob Gronkowski, who essentially served as a third tackle at times and helped clear the edge on Rex Burkhead’s 6-yard touchdown in the second quarter, and Dwayne Allen as well as fullback James Develin, the group paved the way for 156 yards on 32 non-kneel-down carries (4.9 yards per attempt). New England’s offensive line had an outstanding day, and was especially productive in the ground game. Offensive rush direction NFL Next Gen Stats The majority of his passing yardage - he had just 121 yards through quarters one and two - was produced late in the game, when the Patriots opened up space underneath to help prevent against the big play. The Pro Bowler was held under 50% due to a variety of pressure packages and some strong man-to-man coverage down the field. Philip Rivers, on the other day, was mostly kept in check by New England’s defense. Hitting seven players on the day, Brady established a rhythm early by getting the football out of his hands quickly which in turn helped neutralize Los Angeles’ talented pass rushers. ![]() Tom Brady had a very productive day at the office on Sunday: the veteran quarterback efficiently targeted most areas of the field agains the Chargers’s cover 3 zone defense, all while spreading the football around well. Let’s dig a little deeper into New England’s playoff opener and analyze some advanced statistics from the contest. The New England Patriots left no doubt about their status as one of the NFL’s best teams on Sunday: they blew out the visiting Los Angeles Chargers 41-28 in the two teams’ divisional playoff meeting to punch their ticket to the conference championship game later this week. ![]()
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