Right now, all that is on my mind are two things: me procrastinating on my homework, and the Patriots vs. Chargers game. Every Sunday I’m stressed out for the Patriots game, but when the playoffs come around my stress levels triple. There is also more reason for me to be stressed out because the Patriots are having their worst season since 2009 when we were eliminated in the Wild Card Round to the Baltimore Ravens. Since we are in the Divisional Round, I suppose that we are technically having a better season since 2009, but I am still not confident in what the Patriots can do; especially against the opponent we’re facing.

      The Chargers are a complete team whose only weakness seems to be their linebackers. They have a hall of fame quarterback, two good running backs, talented wide receivers, a decent o-line, good TE’s (even better if Hunter Henry plays), a very good defensive line (with both Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram), really good cornerbacks (with Casey Hayward and Desmond King), and solid safeties. This will be the toughest game that the Patriots have played all year. Our cornerbacks are going to have to shut down Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, for they are two very good receivers that Stephon Gilmore, J.C. Jackson, and Jason McCourty will to cover. I think that Gilmore will match up with Allen, maybe sometimes with safety help, but I think he will be covering him 1-1. Jason McCourty should be covering Mike Williams with the help of safety Duron Harmon. I think it should be Harmon because Patrick Chung is the best matchup against the TE’s that the Patriots have, and Devin McCourty should stick to reading the quarterback in the middle of the field. The Patriots run defense will also have to vastly improve because Melvin Gordon III is no joke. He is a running back who is very talented, fast, and likes to fight for extra yardage. Our defensive line will have to take away the outside, and then be tough, and physical inside so he doesn’t power through our d-line.

      Now to our offense. It may not be a secret anymore that Tom Brady isn’t having his best season. He has thrown 11 interceptions for the first time since 2013 where we lost in the AFC Championship Game in Denver, against Peyton Manning and the Broncos. Brady will have to be smart with his throws, be more comfortable with taking a hit in the pocket, and have trust that his receivers can get the ball. The standout play for Tom Brady this season was in week 12 against the Jets where early in the game he went deep to Gronk as he was getting hit, and Gronk—being the absolute beast he is—snatched the ball away from the defender and scored a touchdown. This was a great example of Tom Brady standing the pocket and waiting for something to emerge in the coverage without caring about taking at hit, and trusting Gronk to be Gronk again. That being said, the O-line will have to be outstanding against the Chargers because of their incredible pass rush. While I think Tom Brady should be more accustomed to being hit in football, he shouldn’t be pummeled every play. Our running game also has to be strong in order to set up a good play action for big gains. James White should be used a lot in mismatches with linebackers, and Sony Michel should be used for running situations, while Rex Burkhead can be used for both. Overall, our team is going to have to execute very well and play to the best of our ability. If we are able to win this game, we know that the Patriots are capable of beating the Kansas City Chiefs, so if we win today; we have a good chance of making it to Super Bowl LIII.