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COSTA MESA Youth Julian Edelman Jerseys , Calif. (AP) — Chargers defensive coordinator Gus Bradley might be feeling the most pressure going into Sunday’s AFC divisional-round game at New England.Bradley’s game plan of using seven defensive backs to neutralize Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson resulted in a 23-17 win. His challenge this week is coming up with the right strategy to contain Patriots QB and five-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady.Bradley isn’t tipping his hand about using seven DBs for a second straight week, saying each opponent is different.“I learned through Larry Coyer when I was in Tampa about the importance of personnel placement,” Bradley said on Thursday. “We talk about personnel placement every week. I think for that game, that was more of a decision we made for that game and every week is different.”Brady said during a conference call Wednesday that the Chargers using seven defensive backs on all but one of the 59 snaps did surprise him and that it could present some difficult matchup problems if they used it again Sunday.“It’s unique. They play tough against the run, but also have the speed and quickness to play against the pass,” Brady said. “They get home quickly. The quarterback is always under pressure because they have a pass rush. The secondary knows you can’t hold on to the ball forever and they jump routes.”In last year’s Week 8 game — which the Patriots won 21-13 — the Chargers played dime (six defensive backs) on 53 of 82 plays. Brady threw for 333 yards and a touchdown, but the thing for him that stuck out about that game was that New England made four trips to the red zone and had just one TD and three field goals.“They’re good at every level. They use a lot of defensive backs at different times and that creates a lot of problems,” Brady said. “They challenge you in every way. Between coaching and scheme, it is a great defense.”The Chargers’ philosophy of getting as much pressure as possible will not change this week. They did a great job of that last week against Jackson, recording seven sacks despite rushing five or more only four times in 59 plays.According to Sportradar, the Chargers blitzed on only 17.7 percent of plays, which was third-fewest in the league. In last year’s game, they did rush five or more on 10 plays and sacked Brady three times.Defensive end Joey Bosa has 6 ½ sacks in seven games since returning from a foot injury, while Melvin Ingram had a pair of sacks and a fumble recovery.“Our defensive line has to put pressure on him. He’s not very mobile, but he does step up into the pocket and throw Julian Edelman Jerseys Stitched ,” cornerback Desmond King said. “We have to bring pressure up the middle and play good defense in the back end.”Brady is averaging 2.61 seconds to throw according to the league’s Next Gen stats. He will be the third-quickest QB they have faced this season, as Oakland’s Derek Carr and Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger averaged 2.55 seconds. The Chargers sacked Carr in two games and got to Roethlisberger once.Brady presents much of the same challenges as Roethlisberger in extending plays and reading coverages.“The way he handles the offense, he’s been in that style of offense for many years, so they’re on the same page,” Bradley said of Brady and the Patriots. “Their offense operates with precision, and they’re all on the same page. As you watch it, you can see it all come together for them.”Besides getting pressure on Brady, another focus will be on taking the running backs out of the passing game. Patriots running backs were targeted a league-high 157 times, while the Chargers allowed 7.0 yards per pass attempt to running backs, which was eighth-worst in the NFL.The best matchup might be Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski against Chargers safety Derwin James. Los Angeles goes into the game allowing only 6.3 yards per pass attempt against tight ends, which was second in the league.“We have to play sound football and correct mistakes. We have to take a look at the notepad between plays and see what windows of opportunity he had and close them up,” defensive tackle Damion Square said. “You can’t try to be overwhelming and get out of place or Tom will find out. Everyone has a job to do.” The Patriots are already planning for life after the GOAT retires." Patriots OpinionHow the Patriots are preparing for life after Tom BradyNew,108commentsThe Patriots are already planning for life after the GOAT retires.EDTShare this storyShare this on FacebookShare this on TwitterShareAll sharing optionsShareAll sharing options for:How the Patriots are preparing for life after Tom BradyTwitterFacebookRedditPocketFlipboardEmailOnce again Tom Brady is left hanging on a high five.Photo by Matthew J. Lee/The Boston Globe via Getty ImagesOkay, I know what the headline says, but take a deep breath and relax. Tom Brady isn’t going anywhere yet Youth Rob Gronkowski Jerseys , but the Patriots have already started preparing for life after him anyway. Bill Belichick has long said that he doesn’t want end up in a terrible situation if there’s a change at the quarterback position. He has pointed to the Colts the year they lost Peyton Manning and “sucked for Luck” as an example of exactly what he doesn’t want to have happen to his teams. It’s this attitude, plus how they are handling Rob Gronkowski’s retirement, that sheds light on what they’re planning for the future. Let’s start with Gronk. He’s arguably the most dominant receiving threat of all time, and has the blocking skill of an extra offensive lineman to boot. Replacing a player of his caliber is downright impossible in a one-for-one swap. So, instead of using assets to either move up or simply draft a top tight end, they waited and signed Andrew Beck as an undrafted free agent. Instead of trying to trade for a stud tight end, they signed guys like Austin Seferian-Jenkins (who they’ve since cut) and Benjamin Watson. They also have Matt LaCosse and Ryan Izzo on the roster.None of those players really strikes fear into a defense, but that’s okay, because the offense isn’t going to be reliant on a dominant tight end anymore. They went out and made a concerted effort to improve their boundary receivers. They drafted N’Keal Harry in the first round, they signed Demaryius Thomas and Maurice Harris, they have Josh Gordon when he comes back, and they signed multiple rookie free agents to compete there too.Now, instead of worrying about the seams, teams have to worry about the boundaries, and still be able to cover Edelman in the middle and multiple backs coming out of the backfield. They realize they can never replace a player of Gronk’s caliber Rob Gronkowski Jerseys Stitched , and the impact he had on the offense, so why try to plug someone into that same position? It doesn’t make any sense to try to do that. If they’re not going to replace Gronk with someone equally as talented, it would be foolish to think they would try to do it with Brady. So they’re not. Since 2014, and outside of 2015, they’ve drafted a quarterback every year. Not a high pick, outside of Jimmy Garoppolo, but a mid to late round pick. They’ve identified a guy whom they felt could play quarterback in the NFL, and they’ve taken a shot at them. If they can find a guy who is good, and it coincides with them being able to make the transition from Brady, they’ll be golden. Ultimately, though, they’re not trying to replace Brady by drafting the right replacement. They’re doing it by building a stronger team around him so that when he does retire, the quarterback will be relied on a little bit less than it has been in the past. Think back to the 2001-2004 teams. They won three out of four Super Bowls, and although they never would’ve won them without Brady, the team wasn’t reliant on his play to be good. They had a dominant defense and the ability to run the ball whenever they wanted.That is what they are currently building in New England: make the quarterback position less important Color Rush Damien Harris Jersey , so that, when Brady eventually walks away, the one who follows him doesn’t have to be the best in the league right away.Now, does this mean they’ll continue to win Super Bowls without him? Of course not, but it means that they can at least field a competitive team that will be in or near the playoffs every year. And if they do get an elite passer to replace Brady, they’ll be right back in the position they were in when this dynasty started. As with everything, Bill Belichick is planning ahead, but instead of trading Brady a year early like he’s done with other players, he’s planning for his departure before it happens. In the meantime, it takes pressure off of Brady, who currently shows no sign of slowing down, but is still going to be 42 this season.So enjoy watching Tom Brady while you have him, there will never be another quarterback like him — and the Patriots will never find a true replacement for him. But take solace in the fact that the greatest coach/general manager in NFL history is already planning for life without Brady, and that New England will still have a chance to be competitive long after the GOAT hangs them up. Pat is a host of The Patriot Nation Podcast Interact with him on Twitter @plane_pats