Los Angeles Chargers: Ranking potential playoff matchups by danger

3. New England Patriots

For one of the very few times since Tom Brady became the starting quarterback, the New England Patriots will not enter the NFL Playoffs as the team to beat and are not as scary of a matchup as they were in years past.

Normally, going into New England to play the Patriots was a death wish. This was a great coached team that had an elite quarterback, weapons galore and a loud home crowd that made it even harder for opposing offenses to succeed.

Now, that elite quarterback is over the age of 40, that same masterful coach has made a few questionable calls that have caused the Patriots to lose games and the same weapons that emerge from nothing haven’t been as prominent.

However, if the Los Angeles Chargers were to play the New England Patriots, I certainly would not be confident. While the Chargers can definitely beat the Patriots, it would not be an easy task.

Despite the Patriots losing five games, the team is still probably going to get a first-round bye with a win over the New York Jets in Week 17 and will be a perfect 8-0 at home.

Plus, it is not like the StubHub Center provides much of a home-field advantage, which plays in the Patriots favor.

Of course, the only way the Chargers would host the Patriots would be if the Chargers were the first seed in the AFC. Probably not happening.