Los Angeles @ New England preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 7, 2014 ) New England 23, San Diego 14

Tom Brady is carrying the New England Patriots at age 40 and looks to help his team improve to 6-2 at the season's midway point when they host the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday. Brady has passed for an NFL-high 2,208 yards and is tied for second with 15 touchdown tosses as he squares off against Philip Rivers and the Chargers.

The 35-year-old Rivers is having a solid season with 1,816 yards and 12 touchdowns and is looking forward to his first matchup with Brady since 2014. "I don't try to shy away from that," Rivers told reporters of the competition and comparisons. "I don't feel like I'm playing Tom Brady by any means, but it's still a big deal to me, as a fan of quarterbacks, all those times getting to go against Peyton Manning (and Brady)." The Patriots have won three consecutive games and are fresh off a 23-7 triumph over Atlanta in a Super Bowl rematch. Los Angeles also has won three straight games to recover from an 0-4 start and trounced Denver 21-0 last Sunday.

TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Patriots -7. O/U: 48.5

ABOUT THE CHARGERS (3-4): Rivers has been hot of late with eight touchdowns against one interception in his last four games, and Brady is one of his admirers. "He's a great player," Brady told reporters. "Always admired Philip, and he's a great passer of the ball. I think he does a great job of finding the receivers, the tight ends, he spreads it around. He's got a lot of confidence back there." Defensively, it is a ferocious pass rush that concerns Brady as outside linebacker Melvin Ingram (8.5 sacks) and defensive ends Joey Bosa (7.5) and Chris McCain (five) have combined for 21 of the team's 23 sacks.

ABOUT THE PATRIOTS (5-2): New England is last in the NFL in total defense (426.7) and ranks 23rd in scoring defense (23.7), and the situation didn't get any better with Thursday's news that standout middle linebacker Dont'a Hightower (pectoral) is done for the season. "Dont'a is a special player," outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy told reporters. "He does a lot for this team. He's a leader of this team and the defense. We know what we have to do to fill his spot. As a unit, everyone has to step up and hold each other accountable and get on the right page." The offense is averaging an NFL-best 410.7 yards and ranks sixth in scoring at 27.9 points behind Brady's latest solid campaign.

EXTRA POINTS

1. The Patriots have won the last three regular-season meetings and are 10-1 against the Chargers in Foxborough, including a victory in the 2007 AFC Championship Game when Rivers played despite a torn ACL.

2. Los Angeles TE Hunter Henry has nine receptions for 163 yards over his last two games.

3. New England WR Danny Amendola is day-to-day after hyperextending a knee last Sunday against the Falcons.

PREDICTION: Patriots 34, Chargers 20