Last year, the Patriots demolished the Chargers 45-0 at SoFi Stadium.
The 2021 result wasn’t that lopsided, but the ultimate result was the same.
New England defeated Los Angeles 27-24 on Sunday, improving their record to 4-4 on the season.
The Patriots’ defense held Justin Herbert and Los Angeles’ offense in check for much of the game, with the quarterback finishing 18-of-35 for 223 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Former Chargers defensive back Adrian Phillips picked off both passes. He returned the second 26 yards for a go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter, putting New England ahead 24-17.
New England put the game out of reach with Nick Folk’s 30-yard field goal with 2:19 left in the game.
The Chargers added a late touchdown when Herbert found rookie Joshua Palmer for a 24-yard score. But their onside kick failed when another former Charger, tight end Hunter Henry, fielded the ball at the Chargers’ 46.
New England had fewer total yards than Los Angeles, but still dominated time of possession 35:24 to 24:36 by using an efficient, ball-control style of offense. Rookie quarterback Mac Jones finished 18-of-35 passing for 217 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. The Patriots rushed for 142 yards, led by Damien Harris’ 80 yards on 23 carries. He also had a 1-yard touchdown in the first half.
With the victory, the Patriots are now at .500 and are in the thick of things in the AFC. They’ll face the Panthers on the road next week.
The Chargers have now lost two in a row and will head to Philadelphia for a meeting with the Eagles in Week Nine.