In what is sure to be an exciting AFC battle, the New England Patriots and San Diego Chargers will play each other on Sunday night.

The Patriots and Chargers are two AFC teams who are fighting to keep pace in the NFL standings. The Patriots currently lead the AFC East, but the Denver Broncos are closing in on their conference lead.

The Chargers are in second place in the AFC West behind the Broncos, but they are in the driver's seat for a wild card spot.

Let's break down the teams and see who has the edge:

New England Patriots (9-3)

The New England Patriots are coming off a loss to the Green Bay Packers last week. As good as the Patriots played at Lambeau Field, Aaron Rodgers was just too much to handle. With that loss, the Patriots dropped to 9-3.

The Patriots lead the AFC East over the 7-5 Miami Dolphins, but they have their eyes set on grabbing the No. 1 seed in the AFC. The Broncos are also 9-3, but the Patriots hold the tie-breaker because they defeated the Broncos in Week 9. Bill Belichick and the Patriots know this is a must-win game if they want home field advantage in January.

The Patriots offense ranks third overall in points scored and sixth in yards gained. Quarterback Tom Brady has thrown 28 touchdowns to six interceptions with a 101.1 passer rating. Tight end Robert Gronkowski has been excellent this year with a team-leading 910 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. Julian Edelman continues to provide short yardage gains, while Brandon LaFell is emerging as a reliable deep threat.

As for the defense, that's a different story. The Patriots defense has shown improvements, but there are still holes to fill. Despite adding Brandon browner and Darrelle Revis, the Patriots pass defense ranks 23rd overall in yards allowed. They will be in for a tough task against the Chargers passing attack. The biggest issue for the Patriots has been getting pressure on the opposing quarterback.

Jerod Mayo is out for the year, and Chandler Jones is questionable for this game with a hip injury.

San Diego Chargers (8-4)

The San Diego Chargers are a dangerous but inconsistent football team. The Chargers have experienced a five game win streak, a three game losing streak and have won their last three games. This same team beat the Seattle Seahawks but also lost 37-0 to the Miami Dolphins.

As usual, quarterback Philip Rivers is having a solid year with 25 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. The only chance the Chargers have at winning the AFC West would be to defeat the Broncos next week at home. A win this week would certainly help things. Last week, the Chargers stunned the Baltimore Ravens in Baltimore with a last second game-winning drive.

The Chargers running game has been hurting all season. Ryan Mathews is a talented back, but injuries have slowed him down. Danny Woodhead is out for the season with an ankle injury, and Branden Oliver leads the team with 431 yards on the ground.

This Chargers squad has one of the most balanced passing attacks in the league. Eddie Royal, Antonio Gates, Malcom Floyd and Keenan Allen all have more than 500 receiving yards this season.

Defensively, the Chargers have been underrated this year ranking 8th overall in the NFL. The Chargers defense ranks 7th against the pass and 14th against the run, creating a stable unit. Cornerback Brandon Flowers has proven to be a good addition, and Eric Weddle leads the team in tackles.

The Chargers shouldn't have trouble stopping the Patriots inconsistent rushing attack.

Schedule, Where to Watch

The New England Patriots and San Diego Chargers will play each other on Sunday night at 8:30 p.m. EST on NBC. The game will be played at the Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California. You can view a live game stream here.

Predictions

Traveling across the country and playing on the west coast doesn't set up well for the Patriots, who are 3-3 on the road. The Chargers are 5-1 at home this season, and without a big pass rush from the Patriots, Rivers should have a big day in the pocket.

Chargers win 27-20

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