The New England Patriots are back in action on Sunday following their longer-than-usual break, hosting the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 15 as they try to recapture the magic from their upset win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Can the Patriots do it again on Sunday? Here are four bold predictions.

*Watch NFL games LIVE with fuboTV (click for free trial)*

Bailey Zappe doesn't commit a turnover, throws for a touchdown

New England Patriots Bailey Zappe looking happy/celebrating

The Patriots' second-year quarterback might have been shout in three of the first four halves that he's started, but he at least hasn't been a mess.

Zappe's been able to keep the ball clean in both of his starts so far, recording no turnovers of any kind. He hasn't really put the ball in any danger either, recording just one turnover-worthy play, per Pro Football Focus.

That meshes well for what Zappe's going up against on Sunday. The Chiefs' defense has been one of the best units in the league so far this season, ranking sixth in yards allowed, sixth in passing yards allowed and third in points allowed. However, Kansas City has only recorded seven interceptions this season, just one of 10 teams that has seven or fewer interceptions this season.

Now, I wouldn't expect Zappe to light up the Chiefs' defense, either. As we just pointed out, Kansas City's unit is still pretty strong and is able to keep its opponents from driving down the field and scoring. But Zappe can find some success at least in the intermediate game, establishing connections with Hunter Henry and Ezekiel Elliott last week while the Patriots will get Demario Douglas back on Sunday.

If Zappe can push 200 passing yards with a passing score, the Patriots will sit in an OK spot to pull off the upset. It's certainly doable.

Ezekiel Elliott records nearly 150 yards of total offense

Ezekiel Elliott with Bill Belichick standing next to him with quote bubble "What a pro"

Speaking of Elliott, the veteran running back had his best game in a Patriots uniform last week. He recorded 140 yards of total offense, finding ways to pick up tough yards on the ground while being a reliable dump-off option for Zappe.

Article Continues Below
More Patriots News
New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski (87) and New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) celebrate a touchdown in the second quarter at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens
Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski recreate Lombardi Trophy boat moment with a twistGuillermo Guajardo ·
New England Patriots wide receiver Jakobi Meyers (16) warms up before the start of the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Gillette Stadium.
Raiders’ Jakobi Meyers earns prestigious tag that’ll leave Patriots fans screamingJaren Kawada ·
New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs (8) walks to the podium to speak to the media after minicamp held in the WIN Field House at Gillette Stadium.
Josh Allen sends Patriots’ Drake Maye an inspiring Stefon Diggs messageBenedetto Vitale ·
New England Patriots wide receiver Kyle Williams (18) makes a catch during minicamp at Gillette Stadium.
Patriots’ Kyle Williams shows rookie swagger, ready to prove himselfJosh Davis ·
Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel talks with New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) before the preseason game at Nissan Stadium.
Tom Brady’s endorsement of Mike Vrabel will inspire confidenceScotty White ·
New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel speaks to defensive end Keion White (99) and linebacker K'Lavon Chaisson (44) after minicamp held in the WIN Field House at Gillette Stadium.
Patriots’ stud signing bringing ‘physicality’ to Mike VrabelLorenzo J Reyna ·

Opposing running backs have fared well against the Chiefs as of late. Kansas City has allowed at least 80 rushing yards to running backs in each game dating back to Week 6, giving up over 100 yards in four of those performances. Additionally, they allowed James Cook to get five receptions for 83 yards last week.

Suffice to say, the Chiefs haven't done too well at slowing down opposing running backs. And with Rhamondre Stevenson out for the second straight week, Elliott stands to have another strong performance.

Patriots force Patrick Mahomes to commit multiple turnovers

Mahomes shredded the Patriots' defense both times he faced them in his first season as a starter in 2018, doing his part to get points on the board for the Chiefs even though they lost close affairs both times.

But in the two matchups he's had against New England since then, Mahomes has kind of struggled. The Chiefs' offense has only scored 42 points of total offense as Mahomes looked relatively pedestrian in both outings, needing some defensive help in the 2020 game in order to flip things around.

And that was when the Chiefs' offense looked more dynamic. Now? They look like a bit of a shell of themselves as no one but Travis Kelce can catch the ball. On the flip side, they go against a Patriots defense that has been able to hold its own despite the recent failures, recording a turnover in all but one game since Week 7. They've also allowed opposing quarterbacks to throw for fewer than 200 yards in each of the last four games, with Justin Herbert's 212-yard performance in Week 13 being the outlier.

The Patriots lose, but in a close effort

Sure, the first three predictions were positive for the Patriots. But it's still tough to deny the Chiefs' inevitability, even after they've lost two in a row.

Kansas City has lost all five of its games this season to much better teams than New England, dropping to opponents that are in the playoff picture or sniffing it. The Patriots just aren't that caliber of a team right now. They need several things to go right in order to pull off an upset on Sunday while Mahomes can spot the Patriots some points and yards before wiping it away with his absurd ability.

The Chiefs should take this, but it'll be a close, low-scoring game.