Posted by:

Bandit97

| 11:04 AM ET  01.19 |  AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

San Diego @ NEW ENGLAND



First off, I would like to congragulate Norv Turner for turning around this resilient Charger team after a bleak 1-3 start in the regular season, leading most of everyone to prematurely cast them out of any postseason hopes.  Much of San Diego's success have usually been derived from LT and occasionally Rivers, but now there is no denying that the emergence of their defense has positoned them for a shot at the AFC Championship.  The stout frontline that includes the likes Merriman and Phillips will have the imperative task of disrupting Brady in the pocket.  They cannot afford to give the NFL's MVP sufficient time as he is master of dissecting any defensive secondary regardless of how good they are.  Brady is very methodical, not to mention mistake free, when given time and such has been the case courtesy of an outstanding Pats offensive live that has protected him in the pocket all season.  Having a talented receiving corps that includes Moss, Welker, Stallworth, and Watson presents Brady a variety of options.  Such receivers posess the quickness, agility, and the ability to follow good routes should no doubt give the Chargers talented secondary a very difficult task.  The flamboyant play of Cromartie has been one of the main reasons for San Diego's success. He, along with McCree and Jammer, has been making the big plays at crucial points in the game.  Despite their success, the secondary has been vulnerable at times and it should be exposed in this game. Moss, Welker, and Stallworth are deep threat receivers who can change the pace of a game, and they the are weapons Brady's passing attack. 
The Charger D cannot overlook the run as Maroney has stepped into the spotlight admirably despite being underutilized for much of the regular season.  This balance makes the New England offense even more dangerous than they already are, as if opposing defenses aren't already overwhelmed with Brady's arm, now the rushing attack of Maroney is thrown into the mix .  If the Chargers have a shot at victory, they must force Brady and the offense  to commit mistakes wherever and whenver possible via turnovers, which is unlikely.  Belichick's squad has minimized their mistakes all year long as evident of their perfect season. Should they manage to force turnovers, it is essential that the Charger offense capitalize otherwise they won't have enough to hang with the NFL's number one offense.  LT must have a breakout performance, Rivers must be aggressive through the air and be on the same page with receivers Gates, Chambers, and Jackson. In the process, he cannot make ill advised decisions as this Patriots D is certainly as good as anyone on takeaways.  Gates and Rivers status is yet to be determined due to their injury, but I believe they should be ready come game time because the magnitude of this contest is too great for them to miss.  Belichick has made himself an artist of taking away the opponent's biggest threat, which in this case should be LT. However, LT is on a mission to bounce back and would love nothing more than to run all over Bruschi and company.  Something has got to give, and although I believe LT will have a great performance, Brady and company are just too good, too talented, and not to mention too perfect all season long.  The Patriots move on towards making history.                                                                                                       Patriots    34       Chargers      22