This Monday night the 2-1 New England Patriots head into Arrowhead Stadium to take on the 1-2 Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs are coming off a blowout win of the Miami Dolphins while the Patriots are coming off a close victory over the Oakland Raiders. Here are some keys to this match-up of AFC playoff hopefuls:
Alex Smith Needs A Solid Game
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith is commonly known as a game manager. Well, against the Patriots on Monday night he needs to be more than that. As of right now, the Chiefs might be without their dangerous running back Jamaal Charles. This means more pressure will be on Smith to have a good game.
The problem with that is that the Patriots are the top team in pass coverage according to PFF (subscription). Another problem is that their top pass catcher according to PFF is running back Joe McKnight, who will miss this game with an injury. The only other pass catcher with a positive grade is tight end Travis Kelce. It’s going to be an uphill battle for Smith during this game but if the Chiefs hope to steal a victory it will need to be on the arm of Smith.
Chiefs Pass Rush Against Struggling Patriots Offensive Line
All this week during meetings and while watching film of the Patriots’ offense, the front seven of the Chiefs were probably salivating at the chances they’re going to have to sack Tom Brady. The Chiefs have the second best pass rush in the league behind the likes of Tamba Hali, Justin Houston, and Mike DeVito.
The reason they’re so excited to face the Patriots? The Patriots have the worst pass blocking offensive line in the NFL. Their worst pass blocker is starting left tackle Nate Solder. The pass rushers for Kansas City will be looking to have a very big game, whether it’s getting sacks on Brady or just forcing him to hurry his throws.
Tom Brady Looks To Have A Big Game
As long as Brady can stay upright on Monday night he’s most likely going to have a big game. The Chiefs don’t have a good secondary and certainly have good linebackers in coverage. This is extremely important because the most important person in the Patriots’ offense is tight end Rob Gronkowski, who will usually be covered by linebackers. Brady will also be targeting wide receiver Julian Edelman a lot because the Chiefs secondary is weak.
When comparing everything with both of these teams it becomes quite apparent that the Patriots are a better team from top to bottom, including coaches. Even though Arrowhead is a really difficult place to play in as a visiting team and the crowd is going to be extra fired up because it’s in primetime, the Patriots just present too many matchup problems. The few places the Chiefs have the edge in a matchup the Patriots are smart enough and experienced enough to know how to cover up those deficiencies. I wouldn’t be surprised if this ends up being a two score game in favor of the New England Patriots.