Nick Coit’s Patriots Preview: Los Angeles Chargers, Week 13

The New England Patriots have a little L.A. getaway that starts this weekend with a matchup against the Charges and their rookie quarterback, Justin Herbert. After their late-game matchup on Sunday, they'll remain on the West Coast for a rematch of Super Bowl LIII (kind of) against the Rams.

As up and down as this Patriots team is, the fact of the matter is that they've won three out of their last four games, and if they can steal a couple in Hollywood, it would put them at 7-6 with three games to go.

ABC6 Sports Director Nick Coit believes this is a game the Patriots can win.

"The fact that you're playing a rookie quarterback on Sunday, Bill Belichick feasts on rookie quarterbacks, no matter how good they are," he said. "The last time I remember a rookie quarterback beating up Belichick might have been a rookie named Ben Roethlisberger all the way back in 2004."

The interesting thing is that it was a freak accident with a doctor-induced injection that knocked out Tyrod Taylor as the Chargers' starting quarterback. Since Herbert took over, however, he has been quite the overachiever.

Coit is calling for the Patriots to continue to stick with the basics, a grinding ground game on offense and a defense that will smother the rookie QB.

Nick predicts a Patriots win on Sunday will bring them back to .500 at 6-6 and things "will start to get interesting," he said.

Regardless of the reports that Cam Newton is struggling with an abdominal injury, he fully expects the veteran to suit up and lead the team on Sunday and for the rest of the season.