New England Patriots Gameday: 3 wild predictions that could happen
Welcome to “Sack”-boro
With frigid temperatures, the talk of this game will be the New England Patriots defensive line, particularly their edge rushers.
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The most underrated element of the Patriots entire team is their ability to pressure the quarterback. Many experts are focusing on the sack totals and the fact they don’t have any big-name defenders. But the number actually show the Patriots are near the top of the league in pressure percentage.
They have faced some scrambling quarterbacks who were able to get away from that pass rush, but Philip Rivers is not that type of quarterback. If the secondary play is solid, that extra time Rivers will have to hold the ball will allow for the rush to get there.
The Patriots defense, not the Los Angeles Chargers defense will have more sacks in this game. Trey Flowers, Deatrich Wise, Adam Butler and Adrian Clayborn (if active) will consistently be around Rivers. Some exotic blitzes will also create chances for Kyle Van Noy and Dont’a Hightower to make plays on the quarterback.
How Philip Rivers adjusts will be the key in this game. If he is able to get off some quick dump off throws that result in big plays, it could cause Bill Belichick and Brian Flores to ease up a little. Even with that, Rivers will hit the ground more than Tom Brady will in this game.