Chargers Escape Baltimore With 23-17 Victory, Advance to Divisional Round

The Los Angeles Chargers’ prize for dismantling the toughest defense in the NFL is a road game against a team that has long been a nemesis for Philip Rivers.

Los Angeles advanced to the divisional round of the postseason by beating the Baltimore Ravens 23-17 on Sunday.

Next up, a matchup against the New England Patriots this Sunday.

Since Rivers became a starter, the Chargers are 0-7 against Tom Brady and the Patriots, including 0-2 in playoff games. The last time they met, New England rolled to a 21-12 win in the AFC Championship game in January 2008.

Fortunately for Rivers, past performances don’t necessarily mean that much. Just two weeks after being dominated by Baltimore in a loss that knocked them out of first place in the AFC West, the Chargers bounced back with a resounding win to advance to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2014.

Rivers went 22 of 32 for 160 yards, his longest completion a 28-yarder to Mike Williams.

Going up against longtime Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and standout coach Bill Belichick is no easy task, but if LA plays it right, they may slip pass Brady.

The Chargers face a veteran quarterback after putting the clamps on a rookie, Lamar Jackson of the Ravens, who fumbled three times, threw an interception and was sacked seven times in his playoff debut.