On Pro Football

Hector Longo

FOXBORO - Victory on the natural grass at Qualcomm Stadium won't come easily for the New England Patriots in tomorrow's AFC divisional playoff game.

To beat a team like the 14-2 Chargers - they are rested from the bye week and unbeaten at home this year - all the stars will have to be aligned.

Not the stars in the sky, mind you, but stars on the field, wearing Patriots colors in, as coach Bill Belichick says, "all three phases of the game."

So who will it be? Tom Brady, as usual? Nope, even a typical Joe Montana-playoff level effort from the Pats' postseason money man won't be enough on its own.

New England needs one of those games where as many as a half-dozen guys deliver career efforts or game-changing plays.

But from who? From where and when? Here are 10 candidates primed to step into that spotlight:

1. Laurence Maroney - The rookie remains New England's one answer to a LaDainian Tomlinson explosion. He can break a kickoff return (28.0-yard average, second in the NFL) or beat you out of the backfield. He's just due to rip a draw play for 80 yards, especially with San Diego's suspect safeties.

2. Tedy Bruschi - He's been inches away from a pickoff or big defensive stick the last couple weeks, and Bruschi is so due. What Patriot run to the Super Bowl is complete without a Bruschi highlight or two?

3. Reche Caldwell - The storyline is there, now all he has to do is go stick it to his old team with a career receiving effort. 10 catches for 120 yards and a pair of TDs would do the job. You can almost hear the San Diego fans muttering on the way out of Qualcomm, "Why can't we get players like that?"

4. Tully Banta-Cain - What better reason to deliver in the postseason than for your bank account. A free-agent to be, each Banta-Cain postseason sack could be worth hundreds of thousands in the free-agent market.

5. David Thomas - Just have a hunch here that the Chargers have forgotten him with all the concentration on Dan Graham and Benjamin Watson. A breakout game, like Jabar Gaffney's last week, could be in order.

6. Kevin Faulk - Won't see the football much, but again, it's quality not quantity that's made Faulk's career. Again, it's the screen game that could make Faulk's day and slow the Charger rush.

7. Rosevelt Colvin - This time, catch the lateral.

8. Steve Gostkowski - His work has been so underestimated in the second half of the season. He's had the best kickoffs in the game over the last two months, regularly backing up opponents. And you just get the feeling he's ready to nail a game-winning field goal.

9. Corey Dillon - Yep, the old man, even with his tired legs, could deliver one more top playoff effort in the offense's bid to keep LT on the sidelines.

10. Larry Izzo - The special teams tone-setter was flying all over the field like a rookie last week. If he keeps it up, something good in the kicking game could rock the home team.

Hector Longo is an Eagle-Tribune sportswriter. E-mail him at hlongo@eagletribune.com.