Patriots vs Chargers Preview

Offense: If last week's game was any indication, it looks like the offense is starting to improve. Matt Cassel threw for over 250 yards and lead his team to 30 points in a road win over the 49ers. Although he also had a pair of interceptions, Cassel was much more comfortable throwing intermediate and deep passes, something he was hesitant to do when first becoming the starter. When Cassel delivered a perfect 60-yard touchdown pass to Randy Moss, it reminded fans of the high powered offense under Tom Brady and the score provided a spark for the entire Patriots team. The offensive line played well in the last game and will need to do so again against an aggressive Chargers pass rush. Blocking will need to be consistent for Cassel to have enough time to find receivers and look for opporunities down the field. Laurence Maroney and Kevin Faulk have been grinding out yards for the Patriots and generating first downs. Since the Chargers will attack the line of scrimmage and look to make big plays, the runningbacks will need to run straight towards the holes or gaps provided by the offfensive line. If an opening is not there, then the backs will have to make cuts and head upfield as quickly as possible. Any wasted movement or lateral running will result in a loss or yards or little gain. Both Randy Moss and Wes Welker will be thrown to frequently during the game and some yards after the catch will go a long way in sustaining drives and scoring touchdowns. Each receiver has the speed to get open and the ability to break tackles and create game changing plays. Ben Watson will try to be a possession receiver and provide shorter, consistent gains to help move the team along. The Chargers defense is one known for forcing turnovers at improtant stages of the game and against the Patriots they will have extra motivation from last year's playoff loss. Each unit will need to be at their best to stay competitive in this matchup.

Defense: So far, the defense has done just enough for the win, but are not dominating opposing teams like in the past. The defensive line has held runningbacks to short yardage on the majority of carries and stopping the run appears to be their strength. Linemen are pretty good at tackling backs upon first contact and don't let them escape up the field. Creating a pass rush is a weakness as the Patriots are near the bottom of the league in sacks and opposing quarterbacks are not hit as frequently compared to the past few seasons. There have been some changes to the defensive line but it seems they are not as aggressive compared to other NFL pass rushing units. The linebackers have done a decent job at covering receivers on shorter routes and have been able to limit the yards after catch on completions. They will be tested this week since the Chargers like to get the ball to receivers in space and let them create plays on their own. With all of the speed on the Chargers, it will be difficult to prevent long gains. Stopping the run on first and second down will be vital in getting the explosive Chargers offense off the field. If Tomlison and Sproles run free, it will be a long game for the defense. Phillip Rivers has a tendency to look for the big play in the passing game and knows his receivers can beat most defensive backs. He will be looking deep on many passes and the Chargers will want to jump out to an early lead at home. The Patriots should expect a lot of deep passes and runs early in the game and if they can keep the game close through the first half, then towards the end they have a great chance at pulling out the win. How well the defense plays in this matchup will show whether they are still capable of being one of the better units in the league.

By Chad Fukuoka
ProFootball-fans.com New England Patriots Correspondent