Former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick hopped on Sirius XM’s “Let’s Go” podcast with Jim Gray to share his initial thoughts on Sunday’s wild-card playoff matchup between the Patriots and Los Angeles Chargers.
The North Carolina Tar Heels coach explained some of the concerns he has for the underdog Chargers going on the road to New England.
“What’s the quarterback situation with Herbert? Broken hand and all, that’s definitely been a factor,” said Belichick, via ESPN’s Mike Reiss. “They’ve had some injuries on the offensive line. 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. If they can play from ahead, get control of the game, make it a tight game; they certainly have the defense — and if they have enough of a running game … I think they would certainly have a chance.”
The Chargers made the decision to rest their starters in the Week 18 regular-season finale with the hope that they’ll be well-rested and fresh for the first round of the playoffs.
But there are legitimate concerns regarding Herbert’s hand injury and the offensive line injuries. Can they hold up against the Patriots on the road?
Patriots quarterback Drake Maye will also have his work cut out when facing a tough Chargers defense. The Jim Harbaugh-coached unit will likely create problems for the Patriots’ high-powered offense. Whether Maye and company find the solution to those problems remains to be seen.
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