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3 Stats To Know for Patriots' Week 14 Game vs. Rams

Here are the three stats to know before the Patriots take the field against the Rams Thursday night.
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The New England Patriots improved to 6-6 this past weekend in a 45-0 blowout against the Los Angeles Chargers. 

The Chargers, who were 3-8 going into the weekend, were expected to put up a decent fight. However, that was not the case and the Patriots put up a performance that fans and the National Football League have gotten used to over the past two decades. 

The team will stay in Los Angeles for the week, as they are slated for a Thursday night game against the Rams, who defeated Arizona 38-28 last weekend. The Patriots have shown promise against tougher opponents this season, but have not been able to string more than two wins together at a time. 

This will be a crucial game for the Patriots if they hope to have any chance of advancing to the playoffs this year. 

Here are the three stats you should know before kickoff on Thursday via ESPN and Next Gen Stats

14 Points 

Special teams really provided a key role last weekend, scoring 14 points on a punt return from Gunner Olszweski and a touchdown from Devin McCourty on a blocked field goal. It's no secret that the Chargers have been struggling with their special teams this season, but the Patriots really took advantage of it. Olszweski even earned AFC special teams player of the week after his performance. 

Although it may not seem like a big deal, the special teams performance was important going into this week. The Patriots have had their fair share of receiving woes this season, relying heavily on the backfield which has been outstanding. Points on the board from any Patriot to assist the offense will be helpful against tougher opponents like the Rams. 

11 Sacks

Any time you face the Rams, Aaron Donald and the defensive line are a big point of discussion. Donald has 11 total sacks on the season so far. The only player who has more on the season is T.J. Watt. Even more impressively, Donald has four forced fumbles. The 280-pound defensive tackle is surely a force to be reckoned with. 

The Patriots offensive line will need to be aware of the intimidating Rams defense. Offensive mistakes and turnovers have left the Patriots in poor shape this season. Donald and the rest of the Rams defensive line will be itching to see how Cam Newton and his offense will do under pressure. 

5.1 Yards

Damien Harris has excelled in the backfield this season. After last weekend, he has 641 total rushing yards on the season, and averages 5.1 yards per carry. That puts him seventh in the league in that category. 

It might be repetitive to mention the Patriots' backfield once again, but the receivers haven't been used as much this season, as was anticipated in August. 

Thursday night will be a great test to see what this Patriot's team can really do this season, and maybe open a few doors to the post season.