Sep 14, 2007, 18:02 GMT
- Two popular picks to represent the AFC in Super Bowl XLII will engage in a potentially telling early-season test on Sunday night, when the New England Patriots host the San Diego Chargers in a rematch of a 2006 playoff thriller.
It was last Jan. 14th when the Patriots traveled to San Diego as the underdog in an AFC Divisional Playoff, with the Chargers riding a 10-game win streak and sporting an NFL-best 14-2 record entering its first battle of the postseason. But New England shocked San Diego that day, rallying from a 21-13 fourth quarter deficit to win, 24-21, and igniting a much-discussed series of events.
Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson publicly admonished several members of the Patriots for what he viewed as a disrespectful postgame celebration, and more than a month after the season, the San Diego organization used the continued playoff failings of head coach Marty Schottenheimer as an impetus to firing the coach.
Schottenheimer was eventually replaced by Norv Turner, who opened his tenure with the Chargers by defeating the Bears, 14-3, last Sunday.
New England also got off to a winning start last week, humbling the Jets by a 38-14 count, but the victory was overshadowed by a brewing controversy.
The NFL reportedly seized a video tape recorded by a member of the Patriots staff that included footage of the hand signals of the Jets' defensive coaches. On Thursday night, the league handed down a penalty for the violation of NFL policy that included a $500,000 fine for head coach Bill Belichick, a $250,000 fine for the organization, and the loss of either a first-round 2008 Draft pick (if New England reaches the playoffs this year) or a second- and a third-round choice.
SERIES HISTORY
New England has a 17-13-2 lead in its all-time regular season series against San Diego, but the Chargers handed the Patriots a lopsided 41-17 defeat at Gillette Stadium in the last such matchup, during Week 4 of the 2005 campaign. That game ranks as New England's most lopsided home loss of the Bill Belichick era. New England's last win in the regular season series was a 29-26 overtime affair in Foxborough in 2001.
The clubs have also met twice during the postseason, including last year's aforementioned New England upset and San Diego's 51-10 blowout of the Pats in the 1963 AFL Championship.
Belichick is 3-4 in his career against San Diego, including a 1-2 record while with the Browns from 1991 through 1995. The Chargers' Turner is 1-1 in his career against New England, including a road win for his Washington team in 1996 and a loss for his Raiders to open the 2005 campaign. Turner is 0-1 head- to-head against Belichick all-time.
WHEN THE CHARGERS HAVE THE BALL
Even on a day when he was held well below his rushing average, Tomlinson found a way to shine in last week's win over the Bears. Tomlinson got San Diego on the scoreboard with a 17-yard touchdown pass to tight end Antonio Gates in the third quarter, and scored his first TD of the year in the final frame when he scampered in from seven yards out. The reigning NFL MVP was held to 25 rushing yards on 17 carries for the day, but helped the cause with the TD pass and seven receptions for 51 yards out of the backfield. Tomlinson and Gates (9 receptions, 107 yards) caught 16 of quarterback Philip Rivers' 22 completions on the afternoon. Wideouts Vincent Jackson and Craig Davis will try to generate more of an impact this week after combining for five grabs and 43 yards against a tough Chicago secondary. Backup rusher Michael Turner carried 10 times for a team-best 41 rushing yards versus the Bears. The San Diego o- line allowed three sacks.
The New England defense was a question mark entering Week 1, as luminaries such as end Richard Seymour (knee) and safety Rodney Harrison (four-game NFL suspension) were out while top corner Asante Samuel was being reduced to a lesser role after holding out for most of the preseason. But the Patriots answered most of the questions about their abilities on that side of the ball, turning in five sacks against the Jets, shutting down the New York running game for the entire day (19 carries, 60 yards), and surrendering precious little in the way of big plays. Outside linebacker Mike Vrabel and end Jarvis Green did the most damage within the pass rush, combining for four-and-a-half sacks to go along with a total of 13 tackles in the win. In the secondary, cornerback Ellis Hobbs chipped in with six tackles, and turned in the highlight-reel play of the day with an NFL-record 108-yard kickoff return.
WHEN THE PATRIOTS HAVE THE BALL
Whether true or not, the Patriots looked like a team that knew exactly what defense was coming in last week's win over the Jets. Quarterback Tom Brady and Randy Moss were in synch from start to finish, connecting nine times for 183 yards and a touchdown in their first live situation with one another. Another offseason addition, former Dolphin Wes Welker, had six catches for 61 yards and a score in his formal New England debut. In all, Brady was 22-of-28 for 297 yards and three touchdowns without a turnover in the win, and 18 of his 22 completions went to players that were not on the New England roster last season. The running game provided a solid complement against the Jets, with four running backs combining for 131 yards on 34 carries (3.9 yards per rush for the afternoon). Laurence Maroney led New England with 72 yards on 20 totes in the contest, and backup Heath Miller scored his first touchdown of the year on a one-yard blast in the fourth quarter. Brady was not sacked in Week 1.
San Diego's offense garners most of the headlines, but it was the work of the team's defense that was the real key to the victory against the Bears. The Bolts forced three turnovers and came up with three sacks in the win, with safety Marlon McCree (5 tackles, 1 INT), linebacker Stephen Cooper (8 tackles, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery), and nose tackle Jamal Williams (4 tackles, 1 forced fumble) ranking among the standouts for Ted Cottrell's unit. Pro Bowl outside linebacker Shawne Merriman, who led the NFL in sacks with 17 a year ago, had a quiet day with three tackles and will look to get to Brady early in Sunday night's contest. San Diego held Chicago to 202 total yards in Week 1, including 80 yards on 26 ground attempts (3.1 yards per rush).
FANTASY FOCUS
Fantasy managers who took a wait-and-see approach on Randy Moss were kicking themselves in Week 1, as Moss reverted to a form the world hadn't seen since he was a member of the Vikings. It's tough to go wrong starting Moss, Brady, or even Welker, and you can count on Maroney getting plenty of offensive touches as well. Kicker Stephen Gostkowski and the Patriots defense tend to be safe plays also. For San Diego, there's no one in the world resting Tomlinson or Gates, and guys like Philip Rivers and kicker Nate Kaeding can get you some points too. You're starting one of these defenses if you own one. If you have both, start the Chargers, who generally cause more turnovers.
OVERALL ANALYSIS
Many will give the Patriots the advantage in this matchup of talented teams. First, because of the homefield factor, and second, because Belichick is twice the tactician that Turner is. But don't let last week's dominant performance against a mediocre Jets team fool you. With the new pieces on offense and Seymour and Harrison missing on defense, New England is not as good in Week 2 as it will be in Week 16, giving a San Diego club that basically had no turnover from last year's 14-2 unit the edge. The Chargers win this battle, though things could be very different when and if these two meet in the postseason.
Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Chargers 27, Patriots 20
© 2007 The Sports Network
Your Talkback on this Story