Justin Herbert and the LA Chargers host Cam Newton and the New England Patriots.
Oh, how things can change. Eight months ago I was arguing that the LA Chargers should bring Cam Newton in to be an insurance option for Tyrod Taylor. I still stand by my point at the time: it was better to bring someone in just in case Taylor disappointed.
While Taylor did not get a chance to disappoint nor thrive and was hurt in a really unfortunate accident, the Chargers did have their security option and he took us all by storm. Nobody expected Justin Herbert to be this good, so I do not feel too bad about that one.
Now Newton is on a New England Patriots team that is really hard to gauge. One week, they look like the well-oiled machine they are, playing up to their opponent and beating them. In other weeks, they play down to their opponent and look like a team with a quarterback who cannot consistently throw the football.
This is going to be an interesting matchup. Here are my bold predictions for the Week 13 showdown.
1. Justin Herbert has a massive day
If you are a frequent reader of Bolt Beat then you have already seen me talk about Justin Herbert’s potential in this game. I have essentially made my prediction in two separate articles and I will reiterate here: Justin Herbert is going to slice and dice the New England Patriots.
You can read this article for my in-depth breakdown and reasoning why I think he will have such a big day. When the dust settles, I think we see Herbert finish with 350 passing yards, three passing touchdowns and 40 rushing yards.
But what about the rest of the team? This game presents a prime opportunity for another rookie to thrive.