Chargers end 3-game losing streak with soggy shutout of Patriots
Two field goals in the first half by the Chargers were enough to hold off struggling New England in a downpour.
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The rain fell Sunday at Gillette Stadium.
Soon enough, so did the New England Patriots.
The Chargers weathered the Patriots and a steady downpour for a 6-0 victory that ended their three-game losing streak and kept alive their faint hopes for a second consecutive playoff berth. The Chargers are 5-7 with five games remaining in the regular season. The Patriots are 2-10.
New England had defeated the Chargers in seven in a row.
The turf, the ball, the fans and, especially, the offenses were soggy by game’s end.
Highlights were few and far between, but wide receiver Keenan Allen caught five passes from quarterback Justin Herbert, topping 100 for the fifth season in his career, only the sixth player in history to do so. Outside linebacker Khalil Mack had two sacks to tie his career-best of 15 in a season.
JK Scott set a Chargers record with seven punts inside the 20-yard line.
It was that kind of a game.
The Chargers led 6-0 by halftime on matching second-quarter 38-yard field goals from Cameron Dicker, a byproduct of two short fields near the end of the half. The Chargers had the same number of first downs (six) as points (six) in a first half that matched the dreary weather.
New England had the same number of punts (five) as first downs (five). The Patriots’ only promising possession ended when Chargers rookie Tuli Tuipulotu forced Rhamondre Stevenson to fumble. Tuipulotu recovered the ball at his own 32-yard line with 4:13 left in a scoreless first quarter.
Stevenson suffered an ankle injury on the play and was forced from the game.
As expected, the struggling Patriots benched quarterback Mac Jones and started Bailey Zappe in his place, drawing muted cheers from the rain-soaked crowd as New England began the game with the ball. Zappe and the Patriots left the field at halftime to a loud chorus of boos, however.
The third quarter was scoreless.
So was the fourth.
More to come on this story.