The Los Angeles Chargers used an old New England Patriots playoff game as motivation following the team’s collapse against the Jacksonville Jaguars in last season’s AFC wild-card matchup.
The Chargers blew a 27-point lead and were heavily scrutinized by the media and fans in regards to their handling of the game. The organization did make some offseason changes, most notably bringing in Kellen Moore as an offensive coordinator.
The Chargers quickly turned the page on last season and have shifted focus to 2023. One of the motivational tactics coach Brandon Staley used was a reel of other famous sports collapses, including the New England Patriots’ 2006 AFC Championship Game against the Indianapolis Colts.
After initially leading 21-6 at halftime, New England gave up 32 points in the second-half of a game where Colts quarterback Peyton Manning marched the Indianapolis offense up and down the field. The Patriots did not score a touchdown for the entire fourth quarter and ended up losing the game, 38-34.
When detailing Staley’s new lessons in a recent notes column, ESPN’s Dan Graziano wrote:
Staley showed his team a reel of famous collapses, including the Patriots blowing a 21-3 lead to the Colts in the AFC Championship Game in 2007 and a late blown lead by Manchester City against Real Madrid. The message, Staley said, was, “Okay, guys, you’re not the only ones. So don’t get into this mindset of, ‘Man, we’re a victim to whatever.’ No. You play long enough, you coach long enough, you compete long enough, you’re going to have a tough game like this. But these teams have elite cultures, they have the elite players and coaching, and they have the belief that their way is really special.
This is a reminder that other teams might learn from the Patriots’ losses as much as they learn from their victories. What makes this even more interesting is the fact that the Patriots and Chargers are slated to face one another on December 3.
Those new lessons for the Chargers will be aimed and directed at the same team they learned them from.
