Other questions: Could the weather be an advantage for one team? Is this the week frustrations boil over? Could there be changes sooner than later on either sideline? Will Sunday’s story be more of a comedy than a drama? Can the Patriots score more than once?
The latest in the saga of the worst Patriots season in years begins to unfold at 1 p.m. Watch the game on CBS, and follow along here for updates, commentary, and analysis from the Boston Globe sports staff.
Patriots-Chargers: live updates
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Chad Finn’s players to watch and predictions — 12:54 p.m.
Patriots player to watch: Malik Cunningham. This is what it has come to: an undrafted rookie quarterback who was waived at the end of camp, returned, struggled in his previous opportunity, and has been practicing primarily at wide receiver is the most interesting thing about this offense. Hopefully Bill O’Brien has a package of plays cooked up for him, and hopefully Cunningham is more prepared to execute than he was against the Raiders.
Chargers player to watch: Let’s stick with Keenan Allen, whom I wrote at length about in the Unconventional Preview. One factoid about him that I did not mention: The Patriots drafted Aaron Dobson 17 picks before the Chargers took Allen in the 2013 NFL Draft. Ugh. (And Dobson went four picks before the Chiefs took Travis Kelce. Double ugh.)
Prediction: Chargers, 24-10. Jabrill Peppers wasn’t wrong, you know.
Pregame scenes and observations — 12:38 p.m.
• Patriots quarterbacks Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe ran on to the field together for warmups. They were then joined by Malik Cunningham.
One thing that seems all but certain: Zappe is preparing like he’s the No. 1 QB right now. Taking reps ahead of Jones and Cunningham.
QB reps in the early stages of warmups: 1) Zappe; 2) Mac Jones; 3) Malik Cunningham.
Malik Cunningham has practiced with multiple position groups during warmups. He was throwing with the QBs for several minutes, but just jumped into a 7-on-7 warmup drill as a receiver.
• Patriots OL in warmups: LT Trent Brown, LG Cole Strange, C David Andrews, RG Sidy Sow, RT Mike Onwenu.
• Jabrill Peppers, Ty Montgomery, and Jalen Reagor lined up as returners in warmups for the Patriots. Brenden Schooler getting returner reps as well, as is Myles Bryant.
Nicole Yang’s players to watch and prediction — 12:30 p.m.
Patriots player to watch: Bailey Zappe. All signs point to nothing changing even with Zappe starting, but the 2022 fourth-round pick has a chance Sunday to show he’s worthy of keeping around. Coach Bill Belichick said he’s not thinking about 2024, but it certainly feels as though Zappe’s future will be contingent upon how he fares in this game and beyond.
Chargers player to watch: Whichever Chargers receiver is matched up against J.C. Jackson. The rainy weather conditions may impact the play calling a little bit, but if Giants quarterback Tommy DeVito and receiver Jalin Hyatt were able to pick on Jackson, just imagine what Justin Herbert and Keenan Allen can do. Things didn’t end well with Jackson in Los Angeles, so it would not be surprising if the Chargers have extra motivation to stick it to him.
Prediction: Los Angeles, 24-17. The Patriots get a little bump from Zappe but still have to show a lot before they can be picked to win a game.
Chris Price’s players to watch and prediction — 12:13 p.m.
Patriots player to watch: Malik Cunningham. The Patriots are certainly doing a better job setting him up for success this time around than they did in that October loss to the Raiders – he’s at home, with a healthier offensive line, and facing some winnable situations. The rookie had a series of plays installed over the week that should cater to his skill set. Now, it’s up to him if he can execute.
Chargers player to watch: Austin Ekeler. The dynamic back is a huge part of the Los Angeles offense. This week, Lawrence Guy compared him to former Patriots back James White. If he can produce like White this afternoon, it could be a long day for the New England defense.
Prediction: Los Angeles, 17-13. The Patriots continue to fight with one hand tied behind their back. The defense, which has slashed its points per game allowed by almost a touchdown in the last month, remains as competitive as any in the league. If only the offense was trending in the same direction.
The Patriots quarterback situation — 11:53 a.m.
Quarterback Mac Jones, who has started all 11 of the Patriots’ games in 2023, is active. He has yet to take the field for any sort of pregame warmup, which is a bit odd because he’s active. I am curious to see how he handles the new backup role on the sidelines.
Also, say, Bailey Zappe needs to get benched for performance. Do the Patriots go back to Jones? Or give Malik Cunningham the reins? – Yang
Inactives: Deatrich Wise a late scratch — 11:41 a.m.
Patriots: WR Kayshon Boutte; WR Demario Douglas; CB Alex Austin; RB Jamycal Hasty; OL Verderian Lowe; DE Deatrich Wise Jr.
Chargers: RB Isaiah Spiller; DB Ja’Sir Taylor; OL Zack Bailey; TE Nick Vannett; WR Simi Fehoko; DL Scott Matlock.
Chris Price’s analysis: All three quarterbacks on the Patriots roster – Mac Jones, Bailey Zappe, and Malik Cunningham – are active on Sunday.
Rookie receivers Demario Douglas (concussion) and Kayshon Boutte (shoulder/illness) were ruled out on Friday. Between Douglas not being available and his track record with Bailey Zappe, it will likely mean more targets for veteran DeVante Parker. I’d also expect Tyquan Thornton to get some more chances in the passing game as well.
Deatrich Wise Jr., who had “illness” added to his injury report Sunday morning, was one of several members of the roster who were felled by a bug that impacted a few others. Josh Uche and Anfernee Jennings will have more on their plate this afternoon with Wise down for the day.
Cornerback Alex Austin, who has taken healthy scratches since he arrived early last month, will sit again this afternoon. Running back Jamycal Hasty, another recent acquisition, is also a healthy scratch. And offensive tackle Vederian Lowe completes the group of healthy scratches.
Among the notable actives is left tackle Trent Brown. The veteran has been in and out of the lineup with multiple issues over the last month-plus, including knee, ankle, and chest issue (he was on the injury report this week with ankle and chest injuries).
Tale of the tape — 11:20 a.m.
If styles make fights, then at least Patriots-Chargers has that going for it.
The Chargers have one of the better offenses in the league, ranked 11th in the NFL with a 347.5-yard per-game average and eighth in scoring at 24.5 points per game behind quarterback Justin Herbert. Their defense, meanwhile, leaves much to be desired and is ranked last in the NFL with an average 390.6 yards allowed per game. Los Angeles has allowed 24.5 points per contest this season.
On the flip side, the Patriots’ offense is about as bland as it gets. Ranked 25th in total offense (293.5) and second-to-last in scoring (13.5 points per game), the Patriots have had four games in which they’ve scored fewer than 10 points, and just one game in which they’ve scored more than 20.
But the Patriots do have a solid defense that has kept them close in many games. New England is eighth in total defense (316.8 yards per game), although just 21st in points allowed at an average of 22.5.
A few other key stats comparisons:
Total yards gained: Patriots 3,228; Chargers 3,822
Total yards allowed: Patriots 3,485; Chargers 4,297
Total touchdowns: Patriots 16; Chargers 31
Field goals: Patriots 12-18; Chargers 17-18
Takeaways: Patriots -8; Chargers +3
Good seats still available at Gillette — 11:00 a.m.
The combination of lousy weather and lousy teams means there are plenty of tickets available on the secondary market for Sunday’s game at Gillette Stadium.
A search of Ace Tickets shortly after 10 a.m. Sunday shows a low price of $32 for seats in the upper deck, while lower-bowl seating begins at $84. Prices on StubHub are in the same ballpark.
On TicketMaster around 11 a.m., seats in the 300s were shown as low as $10.
Patriots add to injury list — 10:45 a.m.
The Patriots have made an addition to their injury report, adding “illness” to the injury description for Deatrich Wise Jr. His status for the game remains questionable. The Patriots’ final injury report on Friday listed Wise with a shoulder injury.
Other injury designations:
Out: WR Kayson Boutte (shoulder/illness); WR Demario Douglas (concussion)
Questionable: LB Chris Board (back); OL Trent Brown (ankle/chest); RB Ezekiel Elliott (thigh); OL Riley Reiff (knee); OL Sidy Sow (ankle); DL Deatrich Wise Jr. (shoulder/illness)
How to watch/listen — 10:30 a.m.
Sunday’s game will be televised on CBS (Channel 4 in the Boston market), with Spero Dedes calling the play-by-play, Adam Archuleta as the analyst, and Aditi Kinkhabwala as the sideline reporter.
On radio, Sports USA has the national broadcast, and the game will be aired on Boston-area radio station 98.5 The Sports Hub with Bob Socci and Scott Zolak on the call.
Patriots wearing throwback uniforms — 10:15 a.m.
Sunday will be the second time this season the Patriots have worn their throwback uniforms, featuring red jerseys, white pants, and helmets featuring the “Pat Patriot” logo. These uniforms are based on those from the 1984-1992 era, and they were also worn occassionally from 1994 to 2012.
The Patriots are 7-2 in throwback uniforms, although the two losses came in the last two games they’ve been worn – vs. the Bills in 2022 and vs. the Dolphins in September.
Sunday’s forecast — 10:00 a.m.
According to AccuWeather, there will be rain and drizzle throughout the afternoon at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough. The high temperature will be just 46 degrees, and that’s expected to be reached right around kickoff at 1 p.m. Maximum wind gusts are projected to be 17 m.p.h.
Of course, everything depends on how you look at it.
Matt Pepin can be reached at [email protected]. Amin Touri can be reached at [email protected]. Christopher Price can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him @cpriceglobe. Chad Finn can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him @GlobeChadFinn.
Daniel Miller is a sports fanatic who lives and breathes athletics. His coverage spans from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis for sports enthusiasts.
