SAN DIEGO, CA – The New England Patriots used a suffocating defense and timely play on offense and special teams to rally from a 14-3 deficit to defeat the San Diego Chargers 23-14 on Sunday night and pull back into a tie with Denver for the best record in the AFC.
The Chargers led 14-3 early in the second quarter after Darrell Stuckey recovered a Brandon LaFell fumble and returned it for a touchdown. But those would be the last San Diego points of the night.
A blocked punt set New England up with a short field before the half and Tom Brady made it pay with a touchdown pass to Rob Gronkowski.
After the break, it was Julian Edelman’s turn to make a trip to the end zone. His 69-yard catch-and-run for a score gave New England a two-possession lead and they never looked back.
The Patriots defense allowed San Diego just 216 total yards on offense.
Kevin Kugler and James Lofton called the action on Westwood One.