Bold predictions for Patriots vs. Chiefs Week 15: A shock for Taylor Swift

Prediction No. 1 - Limiting Patrick Mahomes

The Kansas City Chiefs are struggling right now. They have lost three of four and, even early in the season when they were winning a bunch of games, they were doing so more because of their defense than their offense. Maybe the Chiefs receivers just are not that scary, or it is possible that KC misses former offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy more than they thought they would.

My point in the above is that if the Patriots are going to win, the game needs to be a defensive struggle. And I do not mean something like 21-18; I am talking 10-7. And New England is capable of making the game so.

New England is fourth in yards-allowed-per-play (4.8) and a not-bad 14th in quarterback rating allowed (88.2). Except for a game of random games (both losses and in Weeks 11 and 13), since Week 4, the Chiefs have had no run for 100 yards. They must have a very good Patrick Mahomes to win, and Mahomes himself has been a bit off lately. Over the Chiefs' last six games, Mahomes has thrown eight touchdown passes but five interceptions.

I think New England finds a way to limit Mahomes, and no coach should know better about how to defend a great tight end, such as Travis Kelce, than Belichick. Mahomes will complete about 60 percent of his 37 passes for a bit over 200 yards and just one score. The Patriots will also intercept him once.