This week, the Kansas City Chiefs travel to face the Goliath of the NFL, in the New England Patriots. Obviously, this is a game that a lot of people have been looking forward to all year long. The Patriots were 2-0 against the Chiefs last season, including a win at Arrowhead Stadium in the AFC Championship Game. New England is currently coming off a loss at the hands of the Houston Texans.
While New England is still a top contender in the AFC, the Buffalo Bills sit just one game back in the AFC East division. Meanwhile, the Baltimore Ravens have possession of the AFC’s one seed. The aforementioned Texans and Chiefs are starting to find their strides. With that said, Kansas City hopes to prove more doubters wrong against the Patriots. It’s now time to find out more about the Chiefs’ opponent for this week. From behind enemy lines, here is our look at the New England Patriots.
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Daunting Demons
With the New England Patriots, let’s start with the defense. This unit started out the season with record setting results. Opposing quarterbacks wandered aimlessly and could hardly move the ball down the field. I believe this is routinely one of the best secondary’s year in and year out. Led by Bill Belichick, the best coach in NFL history, these defensive backs are multi-faceted and can show off plenty of abilities. The Chiefs will have to stay the course and refuse to be rattled against the likes of Stephon Gilmore, Jason McCourty, Devin McCourty and Patrick Chung.
Elsewhere, the New England Patriots have very instinctive players in the front seven. They know how to pressure, spy, disguise, and most of all confuse talented players on offense. The Patriot moniker of “Do Your Job” is always evident with these guys. If one guy can’t quite make a play, their teammate generally has that guy’s back.
However, we should mention that both of New England’s losses have come against more mobile quarterbacks. Patrick Mahomes may be suited to trust his athletic abilities to keep the Chiefs’ offense afloat.
Mixed Results
Certainly, the Patriots’ offense has had ups and downs this season. But some of the takes being made, are outlandish. Some are saying Tom Brady‘s arm strength is declining or gone. Instead, his accuracy remains deadly. He has been successful in the few times while throwing deep downfield. Meanwhile, Brady is still one of the best at always taking the smarter decision. His ability to move around in the pocket leads to missed sacks. Then, he is good to throw it away to avoid losing yards or chalking up a chance at an interception.
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Sticking with the passing game, it’s clear the Patriots don’t have one of the top receiving corps. Julian Edelman is always dangerous, but even he has dealt with drops. The entire group of receivers has, in fact. Most of these receivers are still figuring out how to play in the NFL.
Lastly, the running game is surprisingly near the bottom of the league. Sony Michel has not had a great overall season. Also, Rex Burkhead has battled through injuries. The Chiefs defense has enjoyed a nice stretch as of late. They will need to up their ante to frustrate and get past the New England Patriots.
Playing Chess
While other teams play checkers, the New England Patriots are known for playing chess. Belichick gets his players ready for different ideas and game plans, depending on the opponent. What led to their wins over the Chiefs last year? It was man coverage on defense and being able to keep Mahomes contained. New England also does a nice job of taking away a team’s most integral player.
Tyreek Hill will likely get double teamed. Additionally, Travis Kelce will be an assignment for one of the more trusted defenders. This kind of game will take everyone’s best effort, in order for the Chiefs to emerge victorious. That is how they have won in many victories this season. Fringe players will have bigger opportunities. And above all, the New England Patriots will have a plan to account for everyone.
That will conclude this version of behind enemy lines, with our look at the New England Patriots. Be on the lookout for the game preview at the end of the week. Stay tuned to Full Press Coverage, for more great sports and NFL content.
– Braden Holecek is the Kansas City Chiefs managing editor for Full Press Coverage. He covers the NFL. Like and follow on Follow @ebearcat9//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Follow @FPC_Chiefs//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js and Facebook.
