Chargers at Patriots: Highlights, score and recap

On Sunday at Foxborough, the New England Patriots defeated the Los Angeles Chargers. What did we learn from this Week 8 clash?

Both the Los Angeles Chargers and New England Patriots brought three-game winning streaks into Sunday’s matchup in Foxborough. Including a pair of postseason victories in 2006 and 2007, Bill Belichick’s squad has prevailed in three straight and six of the last seven meetings dating back to 2006.

While it would be easy to focus on a possible shootout between Philip Rivers and Tom Brady, it’s both team’s defensive units that have stepped to the forefront as of late. The Bolts and Pats have each allowed a combined 38 points in their last three outings.

So what did we wind up seeing on Sunday in New England? It wasn’t a thing of beauty, but the Patriots ran their winning streak to four in a row by holding on for a 21-13 win.

Highlights

Three Stars

1. Tom Brady

The Patriots controlled the football for 36:59 and the veteran quarterback and his team played turnover-free football. Brady hit on 32 of his 47 passes for 333 yards and one score (to Rob Gronkowski) as New England held on for the win.

2. Melvin Gordon

In a losing effort, the third-year pro provided the Chargers hope on Sunday. Gordon ran 14 times for 132 yards -including an 87-yard score in the 21-13 setback.

3. Jonathan Jones

The young cornerback had zero tackles on the afternoon. But Jones knocked down two passes and had the game-sealing interception deep in Patriots’ territory to ensure New England’s win.

More fansided.com: NFL power rankings, Week 7: Jaguars moving, Cardinals declining

Odds

Both the Chargers and Patriots brought three-game winning streaks into this match-up. However, it’s the defending Super Bowl champions that were 9-point favorites to cool off the Rivers and the Bolts. The over/under for this meeting stood at a respectable 49.

Next Week

Both the Los Angeles Chargers and New England Patriots will sit in Week 9. The next time we see Anthony Lynn’s club, they will once again be east as they visit the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Pats will also be on the road as well as they have a Sunday night date with the Denver Broncos.