As 1-2 Kansas City gets ready to host the 2-1 New England Patriots. Both teams have looked quite different from their 2013 selves and both are looking to quiet national critics. This Monday Night Football matchup will undoubtedly get loud with Arrowhead and it’s inhabitants understanding this being their lone primetime game in 2014 and possibly one of the last times they can realistically cheer for this Chiefs team with a daunting schedule remaining.
3 Reasons why K.C. can win:
1) Jamaal Charles. With Jamaal Charles set to see his first real action of the season, excluding a mysterious game against Tennessee where he recieved only 7 carries. With everyone proclaiming Le’Veon Bell and DeMarco Murray the top running backs in the league, Jamaal might have something to say about that.
2) Andy Reid. Reid is beginning how to cover up for his makeshift offensive line while also finding the value of emerging TE Travis Kelce. If Reid can call a good game against New England that protects Alex Smith, particularly from Chandler Jones, and feeds the ball to Travis Kelce then the Chiefs should be in this game until the end.
3) With New England and it’s offense, the offensive line to be precise, majorly struggling thus far Kansas City needs to capitalize and steal a MNF game against the Patriots. New England nearly lost to the Raiders last week…anything is possible. If Kansas City sat at 2-2 after winning in front of the entire country it would give them some breathing room to start adjusting their roster and playbooks for the tough schedule and recover from devastating injuries to key players.
3 Reasons why N.E. can win:
1) Tom Brady surely wants to quiet the critics. Just 4 games into 2014 and people are claiming all of these ridiculous things about Tom Brady. Nobody goes into every single game/season and performs perfectly. There are always bumps in the road and Tom Brady always finds a way. I’m not worried about Brady, despite going 2 of 21 on passes of 16+ yards.
2) Billy Belichick will get his new offseason additions right in his new defense, it just might take time. With Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner added to this defense many expected instant improvement. I think by the end of the season Revis will have receivers on an island, allowing Chandler Jones and other pass rushers to pin their ears back and get to the QB.
3) With Derrick Johnson, Eric Berry, Mike Devito, Jeff Allen, Donald Stephenson, Joe Mays, and others all missing Monday Night’s action, Kansas City’s current roster looks nothing like what they envisioned a mere 2 months ago in training camp. Rob Gronkowski, one of the Patriots best offensive players, is a horrible mismatch for the Chiefs. A heavy dose of Gronk could mean a healthy win by the Patriots.
Dalton’s prediction:
27-24 Kansas City.
This could be a game that puts this season on the right path, given that New England’s biggest weaknesses will be attacked by K.C.’s biggest strength. I see Kansas City’s pass rush being the largest factor in this game. If Chief’s defensive coordinator Bob Sutton can dial up the right blitzes to attack New England it will spell a big day for Dontari Poe, Justin Houston, and Tamba Hali. Kansas City’s first round selection in 2014, Dee Ford, saw extended snaps in Miami and flashed his potential. Look for Ford to see more time with the 1st team and in creative blitz packages to get him on the field. New England will be under extreme pressure if Kansas City’s unproven secondary (especially minus Eric Berry) plays near as well as it did last week.
