NFL GameDay Crew Unanimously Picks Patriots To Beat Chargers

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The New England Patriots are set to play their first playoff game since 2022 on Sunday night against the Los Angeles Chargers. And while the Pats rattled off 14 wins in the regular season, there’s no doubt that this game will present them with the biggest challenge they have faced all season long.

Much has been made about the historically easy schedule that New England faced this season. Along the way, though, when they were called upon to pick up big wins, they managed to do that, which should bode well for them in the playoffs.

The Chargers are a bit banged up heading into this contest, but they still are going to give the Patriots everything they can handle. New England is favored to come out on top, though, and that led to the NFL GameDay crew unanimously picking them to beat Los Angeles.

New England has a lot working in its favor ahead of this game. Not only will it be playing in front of its home crowd at Gillette Stadium, but the Pats have been on an absolute tear for much of the year, as they have lost just once over their past 14 games.

What happened in the past doesn’t matter at the end of the day, though. The Patriots are going to be tested by the Chargers on both sides of the ball. On offense, Justin Herbert is capable of going toe-to-toe with Drake Maye, while their defense is a scrappy unit that will aim to show Maye looks he’s not familiar with.

If the Pats can play at the level they have played at for much of the year, though, they will have a good shot at making the NFL GameDay crew look smart for selecting them to win. Kickoff for this contest is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on Sunday night.