There might have been a lot of hope from Patriots fans for their wild card round opponent to be the Chargers, as many viewed them as the team to give them the best chance of continuing their postseason, but that doesn't mean it will be an easy game, especially for Drake Maye going against a tough defense.
Days before the game, the Patriots are favored by bettors, even by a small margin, yet analysts' predictions aren't the same.
Perhaps that is due to the matchups each roster will face, like Maye vs. a dominant defense, Justin Herbert vs. one of the league's best pass-rushing duos, and a running back room going up against what had a stellar run-stopping defense in New England. Or the Patriots' inexperience is something analysts believe will catch up with them.
No matter what it is, Patriots fans better hope these predictions don't come true, or their favorite team will be headed home a lot sooner than they anticipated.
The latest score predictions are not what Patriots fans want to see ahead of their playoff game
One of the latest predictions in the Chargers' favor comes from the Bleacher Report staff, who believe the LA team will narrowly beat the Patriots 26-24 at Gillette Stadium.
Although a loss is certainly possible, as it is with any game, seeing the Patriots lose by just two points might be more devastating than most other losses.
"Though quarterback Justin Herbert hasn't played well in two playoff appearances, throwing for two touchdowns and four interceptions with a 52 percent completion rate, his experience could help him and the Chargers gain an edge in this matchup.
Regarded as one of the league's best defensive coordinators, Chargers play-caller Jesse Minter should be able to slow down the Patriots' fifth-ranked scoring offense enough to keep this matchup close down the stretch."
In an optimistic view of the situation, this result would still prove the Patriots are a better team than many are giving them credit for, given their strength of schedule, and would show that they were right there with the Chargers until the very end.
That's a lot better than getting blown out, in a sense, even if losing such a close game feels a lot worse than having accepted the loss much earlier in the game because the score was too high for them to get back from.
Regardless, New England is about to head into almost unfamiliar territory and has a chance to continue changing the narrative surrounding the team. If it weren't already clear that they are back, winning their first playoff game in five years would certainly send the message.