Getty Los Angeles Chargers QB Philip Rivers
When the Los Angeles Chargers missed out on the No. 1 seed in the AFC due to a tiebreaker, there was an obvious disappointment. But the team who went 12-4 during the regular season and handed the Kansas City Chiefs their only home loss proved their record was no fluke. Philip Rivers and company went into Baltimore in the wild-card round of the 2019 NFL Playoffs and impressed with a win over the Ravens.
Following a victory in which the Chargers defense was exceptional, their reward is a road matchup with Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. With the Patriots earning the No. 2 seed, it was already known that the winner of the Chargers vs. Ravens game would be heading to Foxborough for this matchup.
This came due to the fact that the No. 6 seed Indianapolis Colts knocked off the No. 3 Houston Texans on Saturday. The Colts are now headed to Arrowhead to face Los Angeles’ division rival in what will also be an interesting matchup in its own right for a variety of reasons.
Let’s dive into the Chargers opponent for the divisional round of the playoffs and also the schedule for next weekend.
Chargers to Face Patriots Next
Obviously, there are no “easy” games in the playoffs, and regardless of which team the Chargers drew with a victory, it would have been tough. The Patriots went unbeaten at home during the regular season, posting an 8-0 record and wrapped up the season at 11-5. There’s a good chance we’ll see plenty of scoring in this game, as both teams boast high-upside offenses.
The Chargers and Patriots ranked among the top scoring teams in the NFL during the regular season. New England averaged 27.3 points per game, good for No. 4 overall while Los Angeles came in at No. 6 with 26.8 points per. There’s no denying that the topic of Rivers vs. Brady will likely take center stage, but there’s a lot to watch for in this playoff matchup.
The game times have already been released, so let’s evaluate the rest of the playoff schedule and the Chargers’ game next weekend, as well as potentially beyond that.
Chargers Date & Time of Divisional Round Game
The Chargers were well aware of when they would play next weekend if able to knock off the Ravens, as the schedule moving forward is already set. NFL.com revealed the current bracket which had the Patriots waiting in the Sunday, January 13 slot. The two AFC teams will play the early matchup of the day, with kickoff scheduled for 1:05 p.m. EST on CBS.
We also know how the AFC Championship Game schedule looks, and whoever advances will meet the Colts and Chiefs winner. The other divisional round matchup in the AFC will be played on Saturday, January 12 at 4:35 p.m. EST on NBC. This obviously means the Chargers will know what would lie ahead even prior to their own game.
The AFC Championship Game is set for the following weekend on Sunday, January 20 at 6:40 p.m. EST on CBS.
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