Pats Bounce Back, Halt Chargers

After suffering their first loss in the last two months, the New England Patriots bounced back and beat the Chargers 23-14, Sunday in San Diego.New England's defense set the tone for the win, as they limited the high powered Charger offense to just one touchdown on the day.

After losing defensive signal caller Dont'a Hightower, who suffered a shoulder injury against Green Bay, second year linebacker Jamie Collins was thrust into action as the defense's voice. In the advanced role Collins flourished, totaling a team-high nine tackles including two sacks and three tackles for loss.

Collins was aided in his efforts by defensive end Rob Ninkovich, who added five tackles and a sack of his own to the mix. On the outside, the cornerback tandem of Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner proved to be up to the task of stopping some of the game's top wide outs yet again. In total, the New England defense sacked Charger quarterback Phillip Rivers four times and came away with an interception.

Thanks to the dominating defensive effort the Patriots offense was able to take its time settling in, as they struggled to find the end zone early. While they had to settle for field goals on the first two drives, in the red zone nonetheless, they used good field possession throughout the game to turn later drives into touchdowns.

Quarterback Tom Brady did what Tom Brady normally does in December, going 28 of 44 for 317 yards and two scores. He hooked up with his two favorite targets Rob Gronkowski, who set a record for most 10-touchdown seasons for a tight end at four, and Julian Edelman for eight catches and a score a piece and a combined 228 yards.

The win kept New England locked into the number one spot in the AFC as they moved to 10-3 on the season. While they share the top record with the Denver Broncos, they beat Denver four weeks ago and hold the tiebreaker.

Next week will be another test for the Patriots as they welcome their division rival the Miami Dolphins to town. Miami upset New England in week one as they held Brady and his offense scoreless in the second half and ran away with a 33-20 win. The Pats will be looking to reverse their luck in New England, Sunday, and stay at the top of the conference.