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Bill Belichick details how Chargers could be ‘in a lot of trouble’ against Patriots
A broken bone in Justin Herbert's hand and a banged up offensive line could be troublesome for Los Angeles.
The Patriots are on a completely different level than they were when the Chargers demolished them 40-7 at Gillette Stadium last December.
They’ve catapulted from last place in the AFC East to division champs, earning the right to host Los Angeles in the wild-card round on Sunday night.
Former Patriots coach Bill Belichick weighed in on the Chargers chances during an appearance on Sirius XM’s “Let’s Go!”
It could be a long day if Los Angeles has to throw the ball too much.
“What’s the quarterback situation with (Justin) Herbert?” Belichick said, as transcribed by ESPN’s Mike Reiss. “Broken hand and all, that’s definitely been a factor. They’ve had some injuries on the offensive line.”
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“If the Chargers have to play from behind, and pass block and try to protect and throw the ball 35, 40 times, I think they’re going to be in a lot of trouble.”
Herbert broke a bone in his hand on Nov. 30 during the Chargers’ win against the Raiders. He played the next five games before sitting out the regular-season finale loss against Denver. The Chargers are 4-1 in Herbert’s last five games, but he has only had one multi-touchdown game over that stretch. He has topped 300 yards just four times this season.
The Chargers lost both starting offensive tackles — Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater — to season-ending injuries.
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Last week, in a piece titled “How the Chargers offensive line turned into a woe,” ESPN reported that the Chargers have tried 29 different offensive line combinations this season which is third-most in the NFL. They have allowed 60 sacks, which is fourth-most in the league.
Avoiding a situation where they have to become one-dimensional to get back into a game would be key for the Chargers, Belichick said.
The Patriots have had issues stopping opening drives this season. Keeping things close enough to stick with the run game throughout would make things easier on Los Angeles.
“If they can play from ahead, get control of the game, make it a tight game; they certainly have the defense,” Belichick said. “And if they have enough of a running game … I think they would certainly have a chance.”
The Patriots are a 3.5-point favorite heading into their first home playoff game since Jan. 2020. Nine of the Patriots’ 17 regular-season games were decided by a touchdown or less. The game is set to kick off Sunday night at 8 p.m. at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough.
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