The New England Patriots are one of the most consistent franchises in all of professional sports. Since the beginning of the 2001 season, New England has made the playoffs 12 times and reached the Super Bowl five times, winning three of them. At 9-3, the Patriots seem destined for another postseason appearance, but face a tough test on Sunday Night Football against the San Diego Chargers.
Patriots vs. Chargers 2014 picks and predictions: New England favored on road
Tom Brady does not lose often, let alone two straight. Can San Diego get a key win against Brady and the Pats?
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New England is coming off a 26-21 defeat against the Green Bay Packers, making it all the more dangerous. The Patriots have only lost two games in a row twice since 2010, showcasing the resiliency that has made them winners for over a decade. Tom Brady will try to lead New England closer to another AFC East title, giving it six consecutive crowns. Brady has thrown for 3,243 yards and 28 touchdowns against six interceptions.
On the other sideline, San Diego takes aim at a playoff berth. At 8-4, the Chargers are currently the AFC's fifth seed but have a brutal schedule, playing the Patriots, Broncos, 49ers and Chiefs. Philip Rivers will have a tough test against New England's secondary, led by Darrelle Revis and Jason McCourty. Rivers was terrific last week, beating the Baltimore Ravens with 383 passing yards and a trio of touchdowns.
Over at USA Today, the seven analysts all believe the Patriots will walk away with a clutch road win. Pete Prisco and Will Brinson both side with San Diego, while the other six CBS Sports experts are picking Brady’s bunch. The Chargers received a little more love on ESPN, with four of the 13 predictions favoring them.
The men of SB Nation all went with New England, except for David Fucillo of Niners Nation. Fucillo sees the Chargers moving to 9-3 and perhaps challenging the Denver Broncos for AFC West supremacy.
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