Kickoff: 5:15 p.m. at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.

Series: New England leads 18-14-2. The Patriots won the last meeting, 24-21, in the AFC divisional playoffs Jan. 14, 207 at San Diego.

Player to watch: QB Tom Brady

There's no better clutch quarterback in the game than the 30-year-old Brady, who has won three Super Bowl rings and guided 24 game-winning fourth-quarter drives in his eight-year career. His most recent game-winning drive came in January, when the Patriots rallied from 11 points down to beat the Chargers in a playoff game. His overall playoff record sits at 12-2. He's also one of the game's most durable quarterbacks, having started the Patriots' last 109 games (counting playoffs). Only Green Bay's Brett Favre (258) and Indianapolis' Peyton Manning (157) have longer current streaks. Brady also shines from a statistical standpoint, having thrown for more than 3,500 yards in each of the last five seasons and throwing between 23 and 28 touchdown passes in each of those years. Brady has 150 career touchdown passes, third in Patriots history behind Steve Grogan (182) and Drew Bledsoe (166). He got off to a good start this season by completing 22-of-28 passes for 297 yards and three touchdowns against the New York Jets.

Offense

WR Randy Moss is rejuvenated -- at least he was on opening day when he caught nine passes for 183 yards and a touchdown against the Jets in his New England debut. The yardage was the third best output in team history, and Moss' 51-yard touchdown reception was the 20th scoring catch of his career of at least 50 yards. If Moss can stay motivated, he could regain his throne as the league's top wideout. Moss isn't the only new target on the team -- Donte' Stallworth was signed as a free agent and Wes Welker was acquired from Miami. RB Laurence Maroney had 745 yards as a rookie and seems poised for a 1,000-yard rushing season. He ran for 72 yards against the Jets. The Patriots offensive line is led by Pro Bowl T Matt Light. Starting G Stephen Neal is a San Diego High alumnus.

Defense

The Patriots are missing two of their stalwarts but had little trouble limiting the Jets to 227 total yards and accumulating five sacks. DT Richard Seymour, who has made five consecutive Pro Bowl appearances, is on the physically-unable-to-perform list with a knee injury and S Rodney Harrison, the former Charger, is serving a four-game suspension and has admitted the punishment is for using HGH (human growth hormone). But plenty of talented players are on the field, led by ILB Adalius Thomas, the former Baltimore standout signed as a free agent, and CB Asante Samuel, who had 10 interceptions last season to tie for the NFL-high with Denver's Champ Bailey. OLB Mike Vrabel had 2 1/2 sacks in the opener, and DE Jarvis Green added two. The Patriots have plenty of veteran guile and leadership from ILB Tedy Bruschi and reserve LB Junior Seau, the former Chargers star and Oceanside High graduate now in his 18th NFL season.

Noteworthy

Ellis Hobbs set an NFL record with a 108-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against the Jets. It was Hobbs' second career kickoff return for a score. … New England coach Bill Belichick registered his 125th career regular-season victory last week against the Jets, joining Washington's Joe Gibbs (163), Seattle's Mike Holmgren (160) and Denver's Mike Shanahan (140) as active coaches with 125 or more career wins. … Second-year K Stephen Gostkowski owns a postseason record that his predecessor, former playoff hero Adam Vinatieri, doesn't -- Gostkowski's 50-yard field goal against the Chargers in the 2007 playoffs was the longest postseason field goal in New England history.