1: On paper Philip Rivers Jersey , for a few years - but they still managed to get a first round bye! That’s testament to just how dominant the Patriots have been, but is that a statement you’d necessarily agree with? Is this Patriots team more fallible than in years past?Let’s go back 10 years: in 2008 and with Tom Brady sidelined due to an ACL tear, the Patriots went 11-5 but lost their division on a tiebreaker and ultimately missed the playoffs. This year, they went 11-5 during the regular season and are the second seed in the AFC. What I’m is that New England managing to get a first-round bye despite their worst record since 2009 is as much a testament to their own performance — they are, after all, just one Miami Hail Mary play away from being the top seed — as it is of the overall inconsistency of the AFC in 2018.That being said, I certainly agree that the Patriots look more vulnerable this year when compared to some of their past editions. While defense and special teams have settled late during the regular season, and New England now features Pro Football Focus’ top-ranked secondary left in the playoffs (ahead of the Chargers’), for example, the offense very much remains a work in progress and is still searching both its identity and a certain level of consistency.The main reason for that appears to be personnel turnover. Not only did New England lose its top two wide receivers and starting running back from a year ago, it also saw plenty of in-season turnover — from Julian Edelman’s suspension to Josh Gordon joining the team and leaving it again, to Rob Gronkowski’s struggles and Sony Michel’s and Rex Burkhead’s injury issues. The hope is that the team will finally find some stability heading into the playoffs.2: I was devastated to see the news that Josh Gordon may have relapsed again. That’s probably him done as a member of the Patriots, but how big a miss will that be for New England on Sunday?There is no denying that the Patriots are worse without Gordon on the field. While he never reached 2014 levels during his 11 games with the club this year, he was still a capable and consistent weapon — one that could win contested catches and challenge defenses in a way New England’s other offensive weapons couldn’t.In the two games since Gordon’s departure, the Patriots used Chris Hogan in his old spot as the number two wide receiver alongside Julian Edelman. While an experienced player that shares a certain chemistry with Tom Brady, Hogan is like a poor man’s version of Gordon: he’s neither that fast nor that physical nor has the same outstanding hands. He is a solid role player, sure, but is no big play threat like Gordon.In that sense, Gordon will be a big miss. Then again, the Patriots are masters of adapting and through the two games without Gordon they did just that with Hogan Womens Kellen Winslow Jersey , Cordarrelle Patterson and Phillip Dorsett taking on bigger roles in the offense. Are they as good as the ex-Brown? No, but they can still get the job done.3: Much has been made of the idea that Rob Gronkowski might be past his prime at the age of 29. What’s the deal there, and what kind of impact do you expect him to have on Sunday’s game?Earlier this week, we posted an article on Pats Pulpit titled ”Don’t expect Rob Gronkowski to have a big game against the Chargers.” The rationale behind it is as follows:The Chargers have a really good defense against tight ends and rank first in the league when measured by Football Outsiders’ DVOA statistic (Gronkowski, for comparisons, ranks 12th among tight ends)Gronkowski, who has caught 47 passes for 682 yards and three touchdowns during the regular season, is having a down year compared to the lofty standards he sat between 2011 and 2017.So what does this mean for Sunday? Obviously that the Patriots shouldn’t put all their eggs in the Gronkowski basket. While he might still have some positive plays, he does not appear to be the player any more — at least in 2018 — to consistently put pressure on defenses. He did it for stretches this year, against the Texans, Chiefs and Dolphins, but simply failed to string good plays together as a pass receiver.The reason for that can only be guessed without word from the organization, but I think that the ankle and back injuries he has been nursing for most of the year are still limiting him. While he could go off against L.A. with two weeks rest (especially on play-action passes down the seam against the Chargers’ cover 3 defense), it appears much more likely that he has to take a backseat to other options in the offense on Sunday.4: To me, it seems like Bill Belichick is the master of picking up players off the street and turning them into valuable contributors for the team. Are there any players that you could see having a major impact on the game that perhaps don’t get the love they deserve from the national media?The first player that came to my mind when reading this question was special teamer Albert McClellan. He was picked up after the Baltimore Ravens released him midway through the regular season and became a fixture on special teams — a player that regularly makes big plays whether it is tackles or blocks (he had two punt blocks in week 14 against the Miami Dolphins). With the Chargers having one of the NFL’s most dangerous returman in the fold, McClellan could play a big role.On the defensive side of the football, I’m going with J.C. Jackson. An undrafted rookie free agent, Jackson has grown every week and is now the Patriots’ top perimeter cornerback opposite Stephon Gilmore. While he still makes his fair share of rookie mistakes, the 23-year old has proven himself a ballhawk that has a natural feel to locate the football, as well as a physical press-man cornerback. It would not be a surprise to see New England use him one-on-one versus Mike Williams with a safety (possible Devin McCourty) shaded to his side over the top.Now that we have talked special teams and defense we should also go to offense http://www.thechargerslockerroom.com/authentic-lance-alworth-jersey , and my choice here is Trent Brown. Normally, I would take a skill position player but as Tom Brady’s blind side protector, Brown will play as big a role against the Chargers’ talented pass rush as any other man on the team. If the in-draft trade acquisition from the 49ers can continue his excellent season and in turn keep whoever lines up on the opposite side of him away from his quarterback, New England’s chances of winning should improve drastically.5: Personally, I think the Patriots will have the most success against the Chargers defense by playing power football, utilizing heavy sets and letting James Develin lead the way. Do you think that a gameplan that takes the ball out of Brady’s hands for the majority of the game is something that the Patriots would be comfortable with, or are we more likely to see Tom putting on a passing clinic?I agree that the running backs will play a big role in the game, but their roles might go beyond traditional running of the football. Just take a look at last year’s game between the Patriots and the Chargers when James White and Rex Burkhead combined to catch 12 passes for 153 yards as New England used the short passing game as sort of an extension to the running attack. It worked very well in 2017, and might do the same thing this week.But with that in mind, I have to point out that the Patriot are very well a team that is as good as any in the NFL at finding and exploiting mismatches. If New England sees a defensive alignment like the one the Chargers used highly effectively versus Baltimore last week I have little doubt they will run power on them: Sony Michel and James Develin in the backfield, with Rob Gronkowski — still an excellent blocker — and Dwayne Allen helping up front. The Patriots, as opposed to the Ravens, have a much more traditional running attack but one that can counter speed with power.And once a presence on the ground is established Brady might try a few shots deep off play-action. Primarily, however, I think the Patriots will use a power running game and a short passing attack to put pressure on the Chargers’ defense and get the football quickly out against an outstanding pass rush.(Bonus Question, if you’re up for it!): Could we get a score prediction for the game?I have been wrong plenty of times in my life, so maybe this will help Chargers fans. Anyway, I’m going 24-17 Patriots — because I simply can’t pick against a Brady-Belichick led team in the playoffs. Especially in Foxboro. And off a bye. Are you a Chargers fan? Obsessed with the NFL draft? Can’t wait to see Avengers Endgame? Then Louis Gorini has the perfect article for you!!" Chargers DraftComparing Chargers draft targets to Avengers Endgame charactersNew,4commentsAre you a Chargers fan? Obsessed with the NFL draft? Can’t wait to see Avengers Endgame? Then Louis Gorini has the perfect article for you!!PDTWorlds are colliding! You see the NFL draft is my sanctuary. When Avengers Endgame premieres next weekend and comes in contact with the NFL Draft on Thursday, my worlds collide. You know what happens then?!? BOOM! Seriously Dan Fouts Jersey , how am I supposed to choose between one of the most anticipated movie releases of all time and one of the most exciting NFL events of the year. I can either go see Endgame opening night and miss my favorite annual tradition of watching the draft live; or I can bypass Endgame to view the draft while putting myself at risk for some epic spoilers on social media. Much like a child of divorce parents, there is no right choice.Instead of going all Costanza here and flip out, I decided to embrace this collision. The draft rumor mill is in full effect now and a lot of experts and analysts are starting to predict which prospect lands with which team based on the news they are receiving. And as Chargers fans read these rumors and look at these mock drafts; there seems to be the same group of prospects associated with Los Angeles. So this got me thinking. Since the Chargers will be looking to add another piece to their Super Bowl puzzle next Thursday, why not compare these super hero-like men to those in Avengers Endgame...***WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD!?!?! NAH JK***Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY SportsDEXTER LAWRENCE- THE HULKThe Hulk is the most intimidating super hero among the entire universe. He is massive in stature, and his strength rivals any other Marvel character. What most don’t know is the Hulk also possesses super human speed and agility to go a long with his impossible to match strength. His combination of strength and speed was on full display in the first Avengers movie when he was seen jumping from one building to another to smash alien troops one moment and then single handily stopping an enormous alien ship with a single punch later on. All that being said, the Hulk is not completely invulnerable. In Infinity Wars, the Hulk bombarded Thanos with a series of haymakers which stunned the Mad Titan. But the Hulk relied solely on his brute strength and after Thanos was able to absorb the attack, he was able to counter and ultimately defeat the Hulk, leading to the absence of his character for the entire movie.Hulk Image from Thor Ragnarokhttps://www.usatoday.com/story/l...k/814420001/Dex Smash! At 6’4”, 342 lbs, Dexter Lawrence is a mountain of a man. This hulking figure is also one of the strongest prospects (his 34 3/4” arms benched pressed 225 lbs 36 times)to come out this year. However, he is not just a big blob (see what I did there comic book fans) that is impossible to move. Lawrence use his immense power and quickness (ran a 5.05 forty at the combine) to create havoc in the backfield (had 18 TFLs and 10 sacks during his three year career at Clemson). You hear the cliche all the time, but Dexter Lawrence is the perfect example of “A man this size should not be able to move like this.” The problem with Lawrence is identical to his counterpart above. Dexter far to often relies on his size/elite strength to generate a bull rush to overpower people. When he doesn’t win with power, which is rare, he fails to display a counter to overcome the Thanoses on the offensive line.Matt Cashore-USA TODAY SportsJERRY TILLERY- THANOSSpeaking of the Mad Titan, Thanos is the psychotic supervillain in the Avengers movie. Or is he? Thanos is obsessed with carrying out genocide to wipe out 50% of the universes population so that the ones remaining can prosper. His theory consists of over population leads to sickness, poverty, and starvation which could all be cured by eliminating half of the universe without prejudice. So is he really a mad man or someone who is just misunderstood? Regardless of how you see Thanos, you cannot deny that he is the most powerful villain in all Marvel which was evident in Infinity War where he easily neutralized a souped up Avengers squad to retrieve the Mind Stone from Vision.Marvel Infinity War Image from Forbes.com Article If Dexter Lawrence is the Hulk, then Jerry Tillery is Thanos. Tillery might not be as strong as Lawrence http://www.thechargerslockerroom.com/authentic-derwin-james-jersey , but he is a more skilled, well rounded, defensive tackle that would not have to come off the field on third down thanks to his pass rushing skills (17.5 TFLs and 11.5 sacks the last two years). Like the appearance of Thanos, it took Tillery a little while to bust out onto the scene to let his presence be known. Tillery came to South Bend as an offensive lineman but was switched to defensive tackle when he was a freshman at Notre Dame. The first two years with the Fighting Irish was pretty much a learning experience for the former offensive lineman. It wasn’t until his junior year where Tillery flashed his potential in games. Perhaps the most impressive film I have seen this year was Tillery’s performance against Stanford where he racked up 4 sacks and a forced fumble. Tillery ran through Stanford’s offensive line like Thanos did with the Avengers in the end of Infinity War. Just as he was dominant against Stanford, the following week Tillery was M.I.A against Virgina Tech. His inconsistency is one of his major flags. There are times where Tillery is the best player on the field, and then there are other times where Tillery must be in possession of the Space stone and will completely disapear from a game. The former Notre Dame defensive tackle is a polarizing player. It is evident Tillery plays with an intense mean streak. However, it is this competitiveness that has attributed to his label of being a dirty player. In his match up against rivals USC, Tillery was seen kicking and stepping on Trojans throughout the game. He also was suspended for the Fiesta Bowl for violating team rules. Just like Thanos was obsessed with balancing the universe, Tillery is obsessed with dominating the competition: “I don’t just want to make it to the NFL. I want to be the best at it. This is obviously a good defensive line class. I don’t want to be just among them. I want to be the best one out there, the best one in this league. I want to make a Pro Bowl, I want to win a Super Bowl, I want to wear the gold jacket some day. I want to be great!” After reading that I pondered a question; is Tillery really a bad guy? Or is he just misunderstood?Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY SportsCHRISTIAN WILKINS- CAPTAIN AMERICACaptain America is the unquestioned leader of the Avengers. He possesses above average strength, speed, agility, and durability and while he isn’t the strongest or fastest Avenger out there, he always finds a way to win thanks to his determination. Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, is also a master tactician, strategist, and field commander. When you pair up his determination with his high intelligence Womens Antonio Gates Jersey , it is easy to see why Captain America always put his team and himself in a position to carry out a successful mission.Captain America Civil Warhttps://www.inverse.com/article/15197...ca-civil-warThe Clemson Tigers have had a formidable defense for the last couple of years which has helped them win numerous National Championships. The face of that defense has been none other than Christian Wilkins. Wilkins was a locker room leader among many talented and highly touted prospects. Yes Wilkins displays a good combination of speed and power, but he wasn’t the biggest or quickest on the defensive line. He was the prototypical example of a prospect that does everything well but nothing great. However, he earned the respect from his peers with his non stop motor on and off the field. On the field, Wilkins used his blend of size and speed a long with his non stop determination to collect over 40 TFLs and 16 sacks during his career at Clemson. Off the field, the former Tiger showed his superior intelligence when he earned his college degree in just two and a half years. Over the last couple of years, Wilkins’ effort and intelligence have been the main reasons why the Clemson Tigers have carried out the successful mission to win it all! Jason Getz-USA TODAY SportsKALEB MCGARY- WAR MACHINEWar Machine is the loyal friend of Iron Man. During a falling out with long term friend Tony Stark, Lt. Colonel James Rupert Rhodes, aka Rhodey, took it upon himself to commandeer one of Stark’s battlesuits and make some additional enhancements to make it his own. And while some of the upgrades were cool and exciting; one can’t help to think that War Machine still plays second fiddle to the original Iron Man. Unfortunately for Rhodey, all the additional fire power and bells and whistles were not enough to avoid his fate in the epic battle scene of Civil War. War Machine was in pursuit of Captain America and needed some assistance from Vision to shake Falcon off his tail. Unfortuantely, Vision missed with his shot and War Machine was not fast enough to dodge the blast and was struck by Vision’s beam which lead to his free fall and ultimately his paralysis. War Machine bounced back from this tragedy and learned how to walk again so he can continue fighting side by side Iron Man in Endgame.War Machine Civil Warhttps://laprensa.peru.com/espectaculo...-war-76439Kaleb McGary is not among the tier one offensive tackles in this years draft but still would be considered an upgrade over what the Chargers have at right tackle. The former Washington Huskie has plenty of fire power to his game as he has shown dominance in the running game. That being said, it is his pass sets that needs some refinement. Speed rushers give McGary trouble due to the fact that he lacks quickness in his pass pro sets. So like War Machine, Kaleb McGary is just not fast enough to avoid trouble. But also like War Machine, McGary has shown mental toughness to persevere through the adversity that he has experienced in life. Kaleb has overcome a heart arrthymia, a sick father with multiple sclerosis, and less than ideal living conditions when he and his family were forced to live in an RV after being forced off their farm. All that didn’t discourage McGary, instead, it has fueled him to continue protecting the most important thing in his world, his quarterback.