The Chargers knew what they were up against. They knew they were up against Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. They knew that if they were to beat them, they were going to have to do it at Gillette Stadium.
They also knew that if they did, they could be killing off the Patriots’ dynasty once and for all. They knew that the word “vulnerable” was being applied to the Patriots by media outlets around the country.
None of that happened.
The Patriots controlled the game from the outset, winning the opening coin toss, electing to receive the kick and then going on a 14-play, 83-yard drive to go up 7-0 while taking nearly half of the first quarter to do so.