Patriots/Chargers: Who are the 3 key players for each team?

Melvin Ingram

To say that Chargers defensive end Melvin Ingram was a one-man wrecking machine against the Baltimore Ravens in the Wild Card round is an understatement.

The South Carolina Gamecock finished the game with 7 tackles, 2 quarterback hits, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble, and 1 fumble recovery. Ravens rookie quarterback Lamar Jackson is probably still waking up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat, his legs kicking as he tries to evade Ingram bearing down on him in his nightmares.

It’s not an exaggeration to suggest that if Ingram can match or best his performance from last weekend this Sunday against quarterback Tom Brady and the Patriots offensive line, the Chargers will punch their ticket to the AFC Championship Game. He’s that important to his team, and he’s one of only a handful of players in all the NFL that can single-handedly determine the outcome of a professional football game.

New England’s offensive line has graded well this year, allowing just 21 sacks during the regular season. That’s tied for the third-best mark in Brady’s 18 full seasons as starter, which is pretty darn good when you consider how long the 41-year-old has been playing now.

Still, they haven’t faced anyone quite like Gordon up to this point.