After two tough losses on the road, the Patriots return to Gillette Stadium on Saturday to kick off their final two-game homestand of the 2024 season with the Los Angeles Chargers. LA is on the verge of capturing a playoff berth and will bring a new hard-nosed style under first-year head coach Jim Harbaugh to Foxborough, with the extensive talents of quarterback Justin Herbert and a feisty defense that ranks first in points and inside the red zone to fall back on.

The Patriots are looking to capture some momentum for the fast-approaching offseason with young players taking the spotlight to make their case for opportunity in 2025.

Last year, New England suffered a 6-0 home defeat at the hands of the Chargers. Can they mount more of an attack one year later under a new head coach and new rookie quarterback?

Here are the 10 players to watch.

Drake Maye

With 10 starts now under his belt, Maye has completed 213 of 315 passes (67.6%) for 2,159 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions, with a passer rating of 88.6. He's also rushed 48 times for 389 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 8.1 yards per carry but taken 29 sacks and fumbled eight times. His first two quarters against the Bills were his best of the season, as Maye led the Patriots on two scoring drives right out of the gate in a cold and hostile environment. The arrow continues to point upward for the talented third-overall pick. He'll be looking to finish off the final two games of the season by eliminating the costly mistakes that have held the Patriots back at critical times.

"I think some unfortunate things have happened with the turnovers, and I think some of them definitely fall on me," said Maye this week. "I think there's definitely a way we need to cut down turnovers. That starts with me protecting the football and throwing it incomplete or throwing it in the dirt or little things like that. I'm still going to be aggressive. That's the way I play and I think it's in the long run going to be good for us."

Hunter Henry

Henry has been the Patriots offensive MVP this season, starting all 15 games and recording a career-high 66 receptions on 96 targets, amassing 674 receiving yards at an average of 10.2 yards per catch. He added his second touchdown reception of the season against the Bills and continues to be Maye's most reliable pass catcher. His catch for the team's first third-down conversion in Buffalo set the tone for the team's hot start as Henry is truly one of the team's key leaders both on and off the field. Once again the Patriots will need him to be one of their offensive go-to players, especially against the team that he spent his first five years in the NFL with.

"[Hunter's] been huge, I think just as much on the field as off the field," said Maye earlier this week. "I think we're starting to see things the same on the field. I'm starting to see things before they happen, and it's just awesome having one of the best tight ends in the league playing for the Patriots here in my first year."

Austin Hooper

Hooper has been a quality free agent pickup this season, and has appeared in 15 games, with 38 receptions on 50 targets for 430 yards, averaging 11.3 yards per reception, with three touchdown catches and 23 first downs. Hooper saw a season-high five targets against the Bills and logged four catches to give him six straight games of three or more receptions. Hooper, along with Henry, has been one of the team's most consistent contributors and has emerged as the kind of quality second tight end that the team has searched for since Henry arrived. The dangerous tight end duo are Maye's two key targets.

Marte Mapu

Mapu was back in the lineup against the Bills after going nearly a month without seeing the game field. It was a standout bounce-back performance by Mapu that not only earned him PFF's highest defensive grade of the game (83.3) but should also earn him expanded opportunities over the last two games. For the season, Mapu has recorded one interception, six passes defended, and three forced fumbles while also contributing 37 combined tackles (16 solo and 21 assisted) and 0.5 sacks. Mapu should see plenty of snaps over the last two weeks.

Alex Austin

With Marcus Jones inactive against the Bills, Austin played a season-high 42 defensive snaps (72.4% of the total) and recorded 2 tackles, one pass defended, and allowed three completions for 34 yards. It was his most extensive action since the final four games of 2023, when Austin finally got his first shot and put together some promising football. This season he's battled for playing time and through injuries but is finally putting together some quality snaps over the last three games. Even if Jones is to return to the lineup against the Chargers, Austin should continue to see extensive opportunities.

Justin Herbert

Herbert is in the midst of an efficient season that has the Chargers on the cusp of a playoff berth. While his 18 touchdowns are unlikely to surpass his totals of 31 and 38 in his first two seasons, his three interceptions are easily a career-low and a good sign of his development as a passer. In his first three seasons, Herbert had 35 combined picks. However, with interceptions in each of his last two games, the Patriots will hope to continue forcing him into mistakes. Herbert is similar to Maye in that he combines a powerful throwing arm with athletic scrambling ability that gives defenses plenty to think about. Last year he was 220-of-37 for 212 yards against the Patriots in LA's 6-0 win.

JK Dobbins

Dobbins is the game's biggest question mark, as he is now eligible to return from Injured Reserve and could provide a much-needed influx of ability at the running back position, a key ingredient for Jim Harbaugh's offensive attack. Dobbins was a big part of the Chargers 2-0 start, rushing for over 130 rushing yards in both contests against the Raiders and Panthers. He failed to break 100 yards again and eventually landed on the reserve list with a knee injury in late November. If he can return for this game against the Patriots struggling rush defense his healthy and fresh legs could be the difference in the game.

"They're going to want to run the ball, and we have to stop them and make them a one-dimensional team," said Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo earlier this week. "Good running backs, obviously, is a huge Baltimore Raven type of flavor to this entire staff, and even the players. You look at the backs that they have, a couple of them came from Baltimore. We've gone against Greg Roman multiple times over the years. He's a very good coordinator, very experienced. He's going to exploit your weaknesses, and I think they do a good job with that."

Ladd McConkey

The rookie second-rounder McConkey leads the team with 960 receiving yards and five touchdowns on 69 catches in 14 games. His nuanced route running and unique stop-and-start ability have quickly translated to the NFL, giving Herbert a reliable target who knows how to get open quickly. McConkey's presence out of the slot must be a concern for the Patriots with Marcus Jones still battling a hip injury that cost him last week's game against the Bills. McConkey is a legitimate threat in the passing game that the Patriots must have a quality plan for.

Tuli Tuipulotu

The second-year linebacker, a 2023 second-round pick, has recorded 7.5 sacks and 16 QB hits in 15 games as a disruptive pass rusher this season. He will move around the defensive front a bit but primarily plays on the defensive left side where he's projected to face Patriots right tackle DeMontrey Jacobs. He's the most disruptive player on a young defense that ranks first in points and first in the red zone and Jacobs is coming off a tough outing in Buffalo. Caedan Wallace could be a candidate to see some snaps at right tackle if he's activated to the 53-man roster.

Daiyan Henley

Another second-year player, the 2023 third-rounder Henley anchors the defense with 142 tackles, seven tackles for loss, and one sack in 15 games. He played just 54 defensive snaps last season but has emerged in 2024 as a do-it-all three-down player that the Chargers rely on to make the tackles. Getting him blocked up will be a big key for the Patriots rushing offense as they look to maintain the solid balance they showed against the Bills in the first half last week.

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