Things have gone from bad to worse for the New England Patriots.
New England has lost seven of its past eight games and, after struggling to officially name a starting quarterback last week, could be set to deal with more turmoil when it faces the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday afternoon in Foxborough, Mass.
Patriots coach Bill Belichick waited until game day to reveal who would be his signal-caller for last Sunday’s game against the New York Giants. He opted to stick with QB1 Mac Jones, but the move backfired.
Jones completed 12 of 21 passes for just 89 yards with two interceptions before being benched in the second half. Bailey Zappe took over, but he failed to generate a spark with 54 yards and an interception as New England (2-9) fell 10-7.
It marked the fourth time this season that Jones has ended up being benched in favor of Zappe.
If the revolving door under center wasn’t a big enough concern, Belichick made it clear no one’s job is safe with Los Angeles (4-7) coming to town. He went the entire week without naming Jones or Zappe the starting quarterback.
“I’m not going to make any announcements on our lineup at any position,” Belichick said. “So, it doesn’t matter what the position is. We’ll see how practice goes, see if everybody is ready to go.
It seems like the New England Patriots are in the midst of a rough patch, as they have lost seven of their last eight games. With the uncertainty surrounding their quarterback situation, it could lead to even more turmoil when they face off against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
Last week, Coach Bill Belichick waited until game day to announce the starting quarterback for the game against the New York Giants. He chose Mac Jones, but the decision backfired as Jones struggled and was eventually replaced by Bailey Zappe, who also failed to make an impact. This was the fourth time this season that Jones has been benched in favor of Zappe.
Belichick has made it clear that no one’s job is safe, and he has not named a starting quarterback for the upcoming game against the Chargers. Zappe has been taking first-team snaps in practice, but he has not confirmed if he will start on Sunday.
On the other hand, the Chargers’ playoff hopes are not looking too good after losing three consecutive games. While their situation is not as dire as the Patriots’, they are still struggling.
Head Coach Brandon Staley is confident that his team can make a push to secure a second consecutive playoff berth. However, the Patriots have often proved to be a challenge for the Chargers, who have lost 10 of their past 11 games against them. They will be looking to break the rut, including three playoff losses.
Unfortunately, Los Angeles could potentially be without star wide receiver Keenan Allen, who is questionable to play due to a quadriceps injury. This could make things even tougher for them. Tight end Nick Vannett, offensive lineman Zack Bailey, and defensive backs Ja’Sir Taylor and JT Woods were ruled out, while tackle Trey Pipkins III is questionable.
For the Patriots, receivers Demario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte were ruled out. Tackles Trent Brown and Riley Reiff, guard Sidy Sow, running back Ezekiel Elliott, linebacker Chris Board, and defensive lineman Deatrich Wise Jr. are considered questionable.
OUD SCORE PROJECTION
PREDICTION
The Point Spread on LA Chargers opened at -4.5, but the market moved the spread to -5, or even -5.5 at some sportsbooks.
The LA Chargers should be able to eliminate, very weak New England Patriots offense, and win comfortably. Despite our close projection for this game, statistic don’t really show how bad the Patriots are now, because of it, Los Angeles Chargers -5 is our pick on this game.
The line for Total opened for this game at 42.5, but bettors expect a low-scoring affair in New England. The current line for Total in this matchup is 39.5, and bookmakers still can’t find bettors for OVER to balance the books. Based on it UNDER 39.5 is our recommendation.