COMMENTARY
Five takeaways from the Patriots win over the Chargers, a 21-13 grinder that sends New England to its bye week with possession of first place in the AFC East:
OFFENSIVE PLAN WAS EFFECTIVE … MOSTLY
The Chargers entered Sunday yielding more rushing yards per game than any team in the NFL. By contrast, they’d allowed the sixth-fewest passing yards in football and boasted a fearsome pass rush. If Los Angeles was vulnerable anywhere, the numbers said it was on the ground.
So, naturally, the Patriots came out attacking through the air.