Bedard: Chargers are a disaster at linebacker - can Patriots ride that to victory?

A lot has been made, rightfully so, of the Chargers' decision to play with seven defensive backs in their victory over the Ravens. It surprised Baltimore, and they never really adjusted — mostly because they couldn't, due to the fact that the Chargers' defensive line just whipped an average Ravens offensive line.

It was heralded as a stroke of genius by Chargers defensive coordinator Gus Bradley. Maybe it was. Having seven defensive backs allowed the Chargers to play with more speed against the read option and speedy Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. It did frustrate some of his running ability and the Baltimore offense as a whole.

If you've followed the game of football and cared about the game within the game for long enough, you know that no place in sports embodies the old adage that "necessity is the mother of invention" than an NFL coaches room. Some of Bill Belichick's finest moments — from Troy Brown and Julian Edelman as defensive backs, beating the Texans with Jacoby Brissett, to the eligible receiver plays vs. the Ravens in 2015 — have been born, not out of sheer genius, but out of utter desperation.

I think the Chargers' winning strategy against the Ravens was more about the coaches realizing that, after season-ending injuries to Denzel Perryman (Nov. 18) and Jatavis Brown (Jan. 19), the cupboard was bare at linebacker. Basically, to put what they had left on the field was a losing strategy, so they might as well try something different and hope it works.

Obviously, it did against the Ravens.

The Patriots will aim to get the Chargers linebackers on the field, and then exploit their many weaknesses. If New England does that, it will win this game. If not, the Patriots will be joining the Ravens in watching the AFC Championship Game from home.

How will they do it?

First, let's start with a little background on those Chargers linebackers, who have seen their numbers thinned so much they must be wondering who will be the next one voted off the island.

Hayes Pullard is the likely starter should the Chargers play with any linebackers this week. He's 6-feet and 240 pounds. He tested at 4.78 seconds in the 40-yard dash. That's not terrible speed, but it's not great.

Pullard, a seventh-round pick in the 2015 draft out of USC by the Browns, has been waived three times in four seasons including once by the Chargers this season one day after he was claimed from the Jaguars. Pullard was re-signed by the Chargers on Oct. 18, and he didn't play more than 17 snaps until the Week 17 game against the Broncos, when he had to sub for an injured Brown.

The Patriots have seen Pullard before, in the Week 8 matchup last year, and they completely wore him out. According to ProFootballFocus.com, he allowed nine receptions on nine targets, including five first downs and a touchdown by Rob Gronkowski (some of that unfair because it was zone coverage, and Pullard was inadvertently picked by Jacob Hollister on Gronkowski's touchdown).

Making matters worse for the Chargers — and to the advantage of the Patriots — is that Pullard is overly aggressive and falls for playaction easily. Right in the Patriots' wheelhouse.

Kyle Emanuel is the only other regular linebacker for the Chargers. He has good size (6-3, 250) but he's slow as molasses (4.85). He hasn't played more than 19 snaps in a game all season at linebacker.

Things are so bad at linebacker for the Chargers that coach Anthony Lynn went out of his way to mention Kyle Wilson this week with the linebackers.

"Every time they’ve played, they’ve stepped up and answered the bell," Lynn said when asked about Pullard and Emanuel. "So no problem at all with those men on the field. Even Kyle Wilson, he’s come a long ways. Young linebacker just doing a lot on special teams right now."

Wilson hasn't played one snap on defense this season, and just 46 on special teams. He has four total tackles.

That's how bad things are at linebacker for the Chargers. It would not be a stretch to say they're a disaster there, which likely led to the strategy in Baltimore.

But it won't make a difference in this game — just ask the Ravens — if the Patriots don't force Los Angeles to put them on the field.

How will the Patriots do that? Well, the obvious answer is they'll do it with personnel. Just like any other game, expect the Patriots to test the Chargers' strategy early by putting various groupings on the field, starting with "regular" 21 personnel — running back, fullback, tight end and two receivers. The Patriots will want to see how the Chargers have gameplanned their various packages and then go from there.

I would not be surprised if they quickly go (or start) with the "Ace" 12 grouping — one back, two tight ends, two receivers. Also, it would not be a shock to see tight end Stephen Anderson (just activated for an injured Jacob Hollister) to be active and part of the gameplan — or perhaps La'Adrian Waddle — as part of heavy formations like 22 (two backs, two tight ends) and 13 (one back, three tight ends).

Once the Patriots know how the Chargers will match personnel — or, perhaps, if they don't — then they can set course.

If the Chargers are feeling themselves after how well the four-man line defended the run against the Ravens (a bigger key in their success than the multiple defensive backs), then Los Angeles will stay light as the Patriots go heavy — like the Jets in 2010. Again, this is why I harped on the run game so much earlier in the week. The Patriots must run successfully against the Chargers' dime defense or else they'll stay in it all game, Brady won't find many open receivers, and he'll start feeling the rush. It will be the Jets all over again.

If the Chargers match, the Patriots will stick with the grouping that has both linebackers on the field. In that case, both the running game and, more importantly, the quick and short passing game the Patriots have relied upon this season to keep Brady out of harm's way, should be open, available and a path to offensive success.

It's a fascinating chess match between both the Chargers and Patriots. Whoever wins it, will likely take this game.