2002 · Week 4

Final

Patriots

New England

QB Tom Brady

14·21

Chargers

San Diego

QB Drew Brees

Qualcomm Stadium · outdoors · grass · 67°F · wind 8mph

Closing spread

NE -3

Total

40.5

Model margin

+3.7est.

SD perspective

Push chance

6.7%est.

the line sits on a key number

Win probability

  • Chargers
  • Patriots

How each play moved the game.

Chargers winsPatriots wins

Matchup

Where the edges are

Season-long league percentiles for both sides, mirrored. The saturated side of a lopsided row holds the edge.

The rivalry

NE lead 12–5 since 1999

Meetings average 42.6 points. SD are 6-11 ATS in the series.

Previous meetings
SeasonMatchupScoreWinner
2025 · playoffsLAC @ NE316NE
2024 · W17LAC @ NE407CHARGERS
2023 · W13LAC @ NE60CHARGERS
2021 · W8NE @ LAC2724NE
2020 · W13NE @ LAC450NE
2018 · playoffsLAC @ NE2841NE
2017 · W8LAC @ NE1321NE
2014 · W14NE @ SD2314NE

Box score

Individual performances

Patriots

Passing

PlayerC/AttYdsTDINT
Tom Brady36/5335322

Rushing

PlayerCarYdsAvgTD
Antowain Smith16784.90
Deion Branch144.00
Kevin Faulk133.00
Tom Brady133.00
J.R. Redmond1-4-4.00

Receiving

PlayerRecTgtYdsTD
Deion Branch13151280
David Patten711950
Christian Fauria45391
Donald Hayes25230
Daniel Graham23200
Kevin Faulk22150
Antowain Smith23120
J.R. Redmond1120

Where this game is likely to land

  • Model
  • Smooth (normal)
  • Betting line

Probability of each final margin. Football scoring clusters — the spikes at 3 and 7 are real, and a smooth model misses them.

line -33.8%6.7%7.5%3.2%4.8%3.1%

Positive margins favour Chargers; negative favour Patriots.

Half-point at risk

6.74%

outcomes that flip if the line moves 0.5

Model home win

58.9%

Expected total

45.5est.

Model

Where the number comes from

Each component is additive, in points of expected margin.

  • Team ratings (opponent-adjusted EPA)+1.11
  • Home-field advantage+2.56
  • Quarterback adjustment0.00
  • Rest differential0.00
  • Expected margin+3.67

One or both ratings are carry-over priors — no games have been played this season yet, so treat this as a starting assumption rather than a read.