Even against a banged-up Los Angeles Chargers team, the New England Patriots will still enter Sunday’s game at home as 5.5-point underdogs.
It’s no surprise considering the Patriots have looked like one of the worst teams in football after blowing three consecutive games in a winnable stretch against the Washington Commanders, Indianapolis Colts and New York Giants.
The 2-9 Patriots are in danger of missing the playoffs entirely if they bite the dust against the Chargers. Bailey Zappe is expected to start over Mac Jones at quarterback with backup Malik Cunningham potentially working into some packages at the position.
There will be no Joey Bosa for the Patriots to worry about on defense, and the Chargers’ secondary is one of the worst in the league. So this could be a game where Zappe and the offense might actually have a shot at pushing the ball downfield.
But there is one problem: The Patriots are thin at receiver.
Demario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte have both been ruled out for the game, which means Zappe will have to depend on the likes of DeVante Parker, Tyquan Thornton, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Jalen Reagor to lead the way. It’s a daunting task for a second-year quarterback making his first start in the 2023 season.
