Even with the Chargers’ playoff hopes within the air final week, Chargers linebacker Daiyan Henley didn’t pay a lot consideration to NFL video games on TV throughout a uncommon off weekend after a Thursday sport in opposition to the Denver Broncos.
“It didn’t really matter,” Henley stated, “because I’m like, we can’t lose anymore anyway.”
Buoyed by a key win over the Broncos, the Chargers (9-6) want a victory Saturday in opposition to the New England Patriots to formally clinch their first postseason berth since 2022. They’re already within the playoff mindset, nonetheless, whereas chasing their third 10-win season within the final 15 years.
Reinforcements might be on the best way for the late-season push as cornerback Cam Hart (concussion), operating again J.Okay. Dobbins (knee) and security Elijah Molden (knee) returned to observe this week. Hart and Molden missed final Thursday’s sport whereas Dobbins has been on injured reserve for a month.
The Patriots (3-12) have misplaced 5 consecutive video games to fall out of playoff rivalry, with three losses coming by six or fewer factors, together with a 24-21 defeat final week to the Buffalo Payments.
Rookie quarterback Drake Maye helped the Patriots take a 14-0 lead over one of many AFC’s prime Tremendous Bowl contenders, however the Patriots turned the ball over on their first three drives of the second half, together with a lateral move that bounced off operating again Rhamondre Stevenson’s palms and was recovered ultimately zone for a Payments landing.
Maye has thrown a landing move in seven consecutive video games, tied with Jim Plunkett for the longest such streak by a rookie in Patriots historical past. Nonetheless, the third-overall pick of North Carolina additionally has had at the least one move intercepted in every of these video games.
