Live blog: Patriots-Chargers game updates

BOOM. Olszewski takes it 70 yards for the touchdown. A thunderbolt of a return — that was set up by blocks from Slater and Berry — gives the Patriots a 14-0 lead here with 14:02 to go in the first half. Whoa. There are all sorts of questions about the state of the Patriots, but special teams has been really solid for most of the season.

Bleh. A forgettable series there for the Patriots — the exact opposite of what they accomplished on that first offensive sequence. The Chargers will get the ball back here as the first quarter comes to a close. New England leads 7-0: Newton is 3-5 for 13 yards, while Damien Harris has six carries for 36 yards and one catch for 15 yards.

Watched a lot of Herbert over the course of the week in anticipation of this game, and what I saw over the course of the last few days has played out here in the early going. Smart, talented, poised. He’s got good pocket presence. One of the things that allowed the five rookie quarterbacks who have beaten Belichick  to achieve success is the fact that they were smart and made good decisions against New England. We’ve seen that in the early going from Herbert. That being said, the Chargers just stalled on third down, and missed a field-goal attempt. The Patriots are up 7-0 with 1:25 left in the first quarter, and will get the ball at their own 36-yard line.

From a play-calling perspective, I love the way the Patriots’ offense started this afternoon, with a series that included two direct snaps to Damien Harris that gave the Patriots a 7-yard pickup and a 5-yard gain. It was one of several highlights on that first drive for the young running back out of Alabama, a series that included a 15-yard pickup on a screen pass. (Harris had 51 yards from scrimmage on the opening drive.) There was also a nicely executed fourth-down pickup by Newton. After a delay inside the 5-yard line, it’s 7-0 with 7:50 left in the first quarter on a 1-yard dive from Newton. It’s the 10th rushing touchdown of the season.

Superman. #GoPats

📺: #NEvsLAC on CBS
📱: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app: https://t.co/5w0t6mAzQq pic.twitter.com/PWDKZcQj5M

— NFL (@NFL) December 6, 2020

Los Angeles wins the toss and defers. Patriots start with the ball. Time for the foosball!

The Patriots are going to win this one. It’s not going to be a blowout, but given the Belichick-Gus Bradley dynamic, as well as the fact that rookie QBs have almost always struggled against Belichick, they’ll still come away with the victory. Herbert will still get his numbers, but I’ll go Patriots 34, Chargers 27.

Little help? – 4:15 p.m.

The Patriots could have used losses from Cleveland, Miami, Indy, and/or Las Vegas, but it doesn’t look like any of that will happen. There’s still the possibility of getting some help if Dallas beats Baltimore. But so far, not a lot of help from the rest of the league when it comes to New England’s playoff chances.

Saw a few different spreads this week, all of which favored the Chargers. Our pals at Odds Shark had Los Angeles as a 2-point favorite in this one, which still feels off to me. I don’t know if I’m just looking at this one through a New England prism, still seeing the team that beat the Cardinals last week, or what. But I think the Patriots win this game this afternoon for a few reasons, including the fact that, at least historically, rookie QBs in their first start against Belichick have struggled. Only five first-year quarterbacks have beaten Belichick in their first game against the Pats: Mark Sanchez, Geno Smith, Ben Roethlisberger, Russell Wilson, and Colt McCoy. Justin Herbert is playing well, but he won’t be the sixth. Sure, he’ll put up good numbers today, but I just don’t trust that Chargers’ defense. In the same way Belichick has Norv Turner’s number, I think he’s just figured out Gus Bradley. In the end, it should be one of the reasons behind a New England win. I also think that these two teams will surpass the over — 59.

Nick Folk, the defending AFC Special Teams Player of the Week at Southern California native, looks like someone who will enjoy kicking in these conditions this afternoon.

Here’s Nick Folk hitting a 56-yard field goal. FYI, both ends of SoFi Stadium are open air. It’s a dome that’s not a dome. #Patriots pic.twitter.com/4xj6BS8GXO

— Jim McBride (@globejimmcbride) December 6, 2020

Most of the games that could impact the Patriots’ playoff chances are part of the 1 o’clock block of contests: Jets-Raiders, Bengals-Dolphins, Colts-Texans. (Of you’re late to the party, New England fans should be rooting for New York, Cincinnati, and Houston — those wins would provide a boost for the Patriots when it comes to playoff possibility.)