The Los Angeles Chargers can wrap up a playoff spot for the second time in three seasons with a victory when they visit the New England Patriots in the first of three National Football League (NFL) games on Saturday.
Game time is 1 p.m. ET from Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, and you can watch it on the NFL Network or live stream it on fubo TV (FREE trial), Sling TV (discount), DirecTV Stream (add-on, FREE trial and discount), ESPN+, Peacock and Paramount+ (FREE trial).
The Chargers and Patriots will meet in Foxborough for the second straight season. Last season, Los Angles ended a seven-game losing streak to New England. The Patriots won 10 consecutive games against the Chargers from Dec. 2, 1973, through Oct. 14, 2001.
BetMGM NFL odds favor the Chargers by 4 points.
A win Saturday would send Jim Harbaugh to the postseason for the fourth time in the five seasons he has coached in the NFL.
Los Angeles (9-6) brings in the NFL’s stingiest defense, allowing only 18.3 points per game.
It will match up against a New England (3-12) offense that has produced at least 20 points only six times this season. The Patriots, losers of five straight games, are scoring only 17.3 points per game. That ranks 30th in the NFL. They are coming off one of their best starts of the season last week, jumping to a 14-0 lead over Buffalo. But the Patriots have scored 20 or more points in six of their 15 games.
WR Ladd McConkey — who leads Los Angeles with 69 receptions for 960 yards — can become only the third rookie in franchise history and first since Keenan Allen in 2013 to reach 1,000 receiving yards. McConkey, a second-round selection, also needs three catches to set the Chargers rookie record for catches (Allen had 71 in 2013).
- WATCH: NFL Network or live stream it on fubo TV (FREE trial), Sling TV (discount), DirecTV Stream (add-on, FREE trial and discount), ESPN+, Peacock and Paramount+ (FREE trial)
Running back Gus Edwards had a season-high 68 rushing yards last week and his sixth career game with at least two rushing TDs. Meanwhile, tight end Stone Smartt has 11 of his 14 receptions in the past three games.
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye. (AP Photo/ Jeffrey T. Barnes)AP
QB Drake Maye has thrown a touchdown pass in seven consecutive games for the Patriots, tying him with Jim Plunkett (1971) for the longest such streak by a rookie in franchise history. A touchdown pass this week against the Chargers will extend his streak and set a rookie team record with eight consecutive games with a TD pass. Maye has a 67.6 percent completion rate (213 of 315) so far in 2024. The highest completion rate for an NFL rookie quarterback was 67.8 percent in 2016 by Dallas QB Dak Prescott. The highest in a season for the Patriots is Tom Brady in 2007 at 68.9% (398 of 578).
Rhamondre Stevenson has a career-high seven rushing touchdowns in 2024. If he reaches 10 TDs, it will mark the 17th time in team history that a player has reached at least 10 rushing touchdowns in a season. Finally, Hunter Henry enters the week fifth on New England’s list among tight ends with 39 touchdowns. With one this week, he will be the fifth Patriots tight end to reach 40 TDs receptions with the team.
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