The New England Patriots and the Kansas City Chiefs will face off against one another in Week 14 in a rematch of last year's AFC Championship Game. This game is the most anticipated game of the week and it shouldn't disappoint.
The Patriots are 10-2 but they've been one of the most scrutinized teams in the NFL teams due to the play of the offense… or lack thereof. While the offense has had its fair share of flaws, the defense has been historically good for the majority of the season.
Even with offense failing to be consistent, it's tough to believe Tom Brady won't figure things out in time for the playoffs. After all, Brady has been doing this for 20 years and is the most decorated quarterback in NFL history.
As for the Chiefs, they still have a dynamic offense led by Patrick Mahomes. New England will have to be careful to not allow Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce to create big plays down the field.
Along with the offense, Kansas City does have a much-improved pass defense after signing Tyrann Mathieu in the offseason. With that being said, here are four reasons why the Patriots will defeat the Chiefs in Week 14.
4. The Chiefs are going to be shorthanded at running back
Over the course of the season, the Chiefs have deployed a backfield that includes Damien Williams, LeSean McCoy, Darrel Williams, and Darwin Thompson. Among the guys, only McCoy and Thompson will be active on Sunday versus the Patriots.
Earlier in the week, Kansas City made the decision to bring Spencer Ware back from free agency. Ware spent 2015-2018 with the Chiefs as a featured running back.
Due to the uncertainty in Kansas City's backfield, the Chiefs may have to put the ball in the air even more. Being a one-dimensional team against this New England defense is a recipe for disaster.
3. The Patriots have running backs to take advantage of Kansas City's weak run defense
As mentioned above, the Chiefs did a great job improving their pass defense during the offseason. After having one of the worst pass defenses in 2018, Kansas City has allowed only 230.8 passing yards per game (16th in the NFL).
On the other hand, Kansas City's run defense has been utterly dreadful for the entire year. Furthermore, the Chiefs have given up 141.3 rushing yards per game (third-most in the NFL).
The only two teams who have been worse than the Chiefs against the run are the Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals. The mix of Sony Michel, James White, and Rex Burkhead will do more than enough to take advantage of the Chiefs' weak run defense.
2. New England's secondary can prevent the big plays
There's no doubt with Mahomes under center, the Chiefs' offense is predicated on converting big plays down the field. When you have the speed of Hill, Mecole Hardman, and others, why wouldn't you take deep shots consistently?
While the Chiefs want to stretch the field, the Patriots have the best secondary in the NFL that doesn't surrender big plays. This season, Kansas City leads the NFL with 36 passing plays that have gone for over 25 yards.
It's likely that New England chooses to have Stephon Gilmore shadow Hill for the majority of the contest. In addition, Bill Belichick will undoubtedly put a safety over the top to prevent Hill from getting behind the defense.
1. The game is taking place at Gillette Stadium
Last year's exhilarating AFC Championship Game took place at Arrowhead Stadium—with the Patriots squeaking out a victory in overtime. To the dismay of the Chiefs, this meeting between the two teams will be played at Gillette Stadium.
The last time the Patriots lost in Foxborough, it was by the hands of the Carolina Panthers in Week 4 of the 2017 season. Altogether, New England has won 21 straight games at home (including the playoffs).
Additionally, when Brady and Julian Edelman are on the field together, they've won 42 straight games at home against AFC opponents. Men lie, women lie, but numbers don't. The last thing you want to do is be on the wrong side of statistics when it comes to playing the Patriots.
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