Better to Catch the Chiefs on an Off Day
By John MacKenna, Patriots Insider
All the elements that make the New England Patriots champions seem to be missing
in the Kansas City Chiefs.
Just as the Patriots find ways to win, the Chiefs find ways to lose. Consider
each team's last road game. Two weeks ago, the Pats overcame the loss of their
top three cornerbacks and pulled out a 40-22 win in St. Louis. New England used
a determined pass rush to protect their vulnerable backfield, and Kicker Adam Vinatieri threw a touchdown pass on a fake field goal play.
The Chiefs traveled to New Orleans last week without their superstar running
back, Priest Holmes. Backup Derrick Blaylock stepped in and carried 33 times
for 186 yards, and Quarterback Trent Green completed 22 of 33 passes for 311
yards. But the Chiefs made the least of those opportunities and scored only
two touchdowns. The Saints escaped with a 27-20 victory.
The Chiefs lost in New Orleans because they turned the ball over four times
and committed 12 penalties for 94 yards. The goat was receiver Johnnie Morton,
who killed one drive by fumbling at the Saints' 5-yard line and another by falling
down on a deep route and allowing a New Orleans interception.
Week in, week out, the Chiefs post great numbers everywhere except in the standings.
After back-to-back road losses the last two weeks, they stand at 3-6. Since
starting the 2003 season with nine straight wins, the Chiefs are 7-9.
"People want to say we're a bad and awful team," said return man Dante
Hall, who had a 63-yard kickoff return last week. "We're not a bad and
awful team. We're just making bad and awful mistakes."
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick yesterday expressed a lot of respect for
the Chiefs. "This year, they are 3-6 and offensively they are better in
every area," he said. "You look at the penalties. You look at a couple
of turnovers and this team is very close to being where it is last year, record
wise. On the field they might actually be a little bit better."
On those days when they put it all together, the Chief are dominant. The Atlanta Falcons brought their 5-1 record to Arrowhead Stadium on Oct. 24 and had their
heads handed to them in a 56-10 loss. The Chiefs ran for eight touchdowns, including
five in the first half.
The Kansas City numbers were staggering that day: 540 yards total offense,
271 yards rushing, 36 first downs, 38:54 time of possession. Holmes ran for
139 yards and four TDs. Blaylock also had four TDs to go with his 90 yards.
Green completed 20 of 27 passes for 269 yards.
"This is really a dynamic team," Belichick said yesterday, "They
are very dangerous. You look at a game like Atlanta, who is a very good football
team, and they just totally crushed them."
The next week, the Chiefs knocked off Indianapolis 45-35, giving them 101 points
in their last two games at Arrowhead.
Should the Chiefs get on that sort of offensive roll on Monday night, the Patriots
are in trouble. This game is no gimme for New England. Arrowhead Stadium is
one of the NFL's toughest venues. The fans take pride in causing delay-of-game
and false-start penalties with their deafening roar.
The Chiefs have the NFL's top rushing attack, which gains an average of 164.2
yards. They also lead the league in total yardage with an average of 422.1 yards
and are third in scoring at 26.4 points a game.
The key to the Kansas City attack is the powerful offensive line. Left tackle
Willie Roaf and right guard Will Shields are both perennial Pro Bowlers. Left
guard Brian Waters and center Casey Wiegmann are also outstanding. Wiegmann
is the smallest at 6'2", 285. Waters is 6'3", 318, and the others
are larger still.
"They have a great offensive line," Belichick said. "You are
definitely talking about three Pro-Bowlers up there and maybe more than that
in terms of, we will see what eventual awards those guys bring in, Roaf, Waters,
Shields, they are outstanding. Not good, they are outstanding on the offensive
line."
The Patriots will catch a break if Holmes, who is doubtful with a knee injury,
sits this one out, but Blaylock showed last week that he too can do the job.
Aside from Morton's miscues last week, the Kansas City receivers have played
well lately. TE Tony Gonzalez has come on in the last three weeks with 23 catches
for 319 yards. WR Eddie Kennison has 18 catches for 274 yards over the same
span, while Morton has added 15 catches for 197 yards.
At 34, Green is an experienced passer who is adept at reading defenses and
finding the open man. He is completing 67 percent of his passes with 13 touchdowns
and 8 interceptions.
"It seems like every other play is about a 20-yard gain," Belichick
said. "They throw it deep. They throw it short. They run it inside. They
run it outside. They run draws. They run screens. They run reverses. They run
straight handoffs. Whatever they run looks like a good play."
It would be nice if the Patriots could reproduce their performance in St. Louis,
when they protected their weakened defensive backfield by putting heavy pressure
on Rams QB Marc Bulger, often when rushing only four men.
The Chiefs' linemen should be able to buy Green more time than Bulger got,
which would force the Patriots to gamble, either by bringing more rushers or
by giving Green the extra time and hoping the DBs can maintain coverage.
Given the strength of the Chiefs' run game, New England will be tempted to
keep its linebackers and even strong safety Rodney Harrison in the box, leaving
CBs Randall Gay and Earthwind Moreland in man coverage, where they will likely
get burned a few times.
Blaylock is undersized at 5'9", 210, but he is fast and hits the hole
hard. The Patriots down linemen need to command the attention of the Chiefs
lineman to keep them off the linebackers and stop Blaylock from getting into
the secondary. Patriots DT Ty Warren has played well in the last two games.
The Patriots need him to hold his own against Chief RT John Welbourn.
On offense, the Patriots should be able to move the ball well. The Chiefs'
defense is among the league's worst, allowing an average of 352.3 yards and
26.4 points. Patriots RB Corey Dillon did most of damage outside the tackles
last week against Buffalo. Against the Chiefs, he should find holes up the middle
as well.
Last week, Saints QB Aaron Brooks and WR Joe Horn connected on passes of 57,
42 and 40 yards against the Chiefs. Look for QB Tom Brady to throw some long
balls toward WRs David Givens and David Patten, and even Deion Branch, should
he return from his knee injury. RB Kevin Faulk and TE Daniel Graham should get
open underneath.
"I think you have to be careful about being over-aggressive and losing
the ball," said Belichick. "We have had problems turning the ball
over offensively. We have given up a couple touchdowns in the last couple weeks."
The Chiefs can bring some pressure. They have 22 sacks, led by DE Jared Allen
and LB Scott Fujita with four apiece. But the Chiefs are hardly opportunistic
on defense. They have picked off nine passes but recovered only one fumble on
defense.
Considering what the Chiefs did to the Falcons and Colts at Arrowhead, the
Patriots will have their hands full. They need to find a way to win and hope
that the Chiefs once again find a way to lose.
John is a regular contributor to the Patriots Insider. You can find him
in the forums under the name: oldnslow.
You can also find archives of his columns on the Insiders by searching for "John
MacKenna"
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