Going into Sunday afternoon, many felt that the Los Angeles Chargers actually had the edge against the New England Patriots.
After all, the Chargers had a better record than the Patriots during the regular season and have been phenomenal on the road all year, owning a record of 8-1 away from Dignity Health Sports Park, including their Wild Card Round win in Maryland against the Baltimore Ravens last week.
Plus, New England did not exactly look that strong in the second half of the season, with Tom Brady faltering and the defense seeming very shaky.
Well, in the first half of the Divisional Round matchup between the Chargers and the Patriots on Sunday, all of those narratives were blown out the window, as New England laid 35 points on Los Angeles over the first 30 minutes, which marked the most points the Bolts had allowed in a half in three-and-a-half decades:
According to @ESPNStatsInfo this is the first time the Chargers have allowed 35 points in the first half of a game since Dec. 22, 1985 when they trailed the Chiefs 35-10 at halftime.
— Eric Williams (@eric_d_williams) January 13, 2019
Sony Michel punctured the Chargers' defense for three rushing touchdowns in the first half, with Rex Burkhead adding a fourth rushing score for good measure. Also, Brady connected with Phillip Dorsett for an aerial touchdown.
So much for Los Angeles looking primed for a Super Bowl run and for New England looking vulnerable.
While there is still plenty of time left in the game, it seems hard to imagine the Chargers somehow rallying from a 28-point halftime deficit, especially given how inept their offense has looked thus far. It also doesn't seem like their defense can stop the Pats.
The winner of this game will take on the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game next weekend.
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