How New England’s offense can ensure a win against the Chiefs
Much like the New England’s offense, the Chiefs’ defense has been very suspect this year, and Tom Brady and company have a chance to take advantage of that.
The New England Patriots offense has been the target of a lot of criticism and speculation after struggling to sustain drives and convert when they make it in the red zone. There is no question that the offense is not at the level they would like to be at in week 14 of the season, but there is no time to sulk and complain about it. The Patriots suffered two consecutive losses in the month of December last year for the first time since 2002, so if they want to avoid a repeat of that, they need to have a strong start to the month.
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The Patriots face off against the Kansas City Chiefs, who were the Patriots’ biggest challenge last year in the regular season and the playoffs. The Chiefs were the hottest team in the league last season and were seemingly scoring 50 points per game, but New England was able to go 2-0 against them last year, including the AFC championship game in Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs are currently 8-4 and are just now starting to find their footing. They’re coming off two consecutive division wins and are starting to look like the Chiefs from last year. There are weaknesses in this team though. Contrary to the Patriots, Kansas City is driven by their high-powered offense but have a lackluster defense supporting them. This is where New England has to be successful.
It is unrealistic to ask the defense to hold Patrick Mahomes and company to 10 points and just win with good field position and field goals, so the offense is going to have to find success. The most important thing for the Patriots’ offense this week is time of possession. The Patriots need to have long, sustained drives that end in points. This is not a team that you can afford to go three-and-out against. They will make you pay. The Chiefs have a sub par defense, and their run defense is particularly suspect, so the Patriots have a chance to get Sony Michel going early to wear down the defense. Not only will this keep Mahomes and the Chiefs potent offense off the field, it will break the will of the Chiefs defense. the Kansas City defense has allowed 30 or more points four times this season, the most recent coming in week 10 against the Tennessee Titans.
The Patriots have an opportunity to capitalize on a weak defense and finally allow for their offense to gain some confidence and start to click. They have the advantage of playing at home and hopefully being fully healthy after having the flu bug go around the locker room last week. I expect a big game about of Sony Michel and James White and the Patriots will win 30-27.