Patriots vs. Chiefs: Complete Week 4 Preview for Kansas City
The Kansas City Chiefs fanbase is ecstatic for this upcoming Monday Night Football match. In addition to playing on Monday night against one of the best teams in the New England Patriots, Chiefs fans have a shot at breaking the Guinness World Record for loudest crowd roar at a sports stadium, currently owned by Seattle Seahawks fans.
The Chiefs played last week without nine starters on their team. However, that was not enough to take them down.
Coming off their first win of the season, the Chiefs have momentum and will be amped to play in front of their hostile fans on the national stage.
As always, the home crowd is excited for Monday Night Football. For the Chiefs, they are 10-4 all time on Monday night at Arrowhead Stadium since 1991, winning their last two home games as their most recent home loss on Monday night came 10 years ago against the Patriots.
Week 3 Recap
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Despite not having Jamaal Charles against the Miami Dolphins, the Chiefs had their next three running backs on the depth chart all step up. Knile Davis, Joe McKnight and Cyrus Gray all combined for four touchdown against Miami.
Kansas City’s offensive line still had its woes, allowing five sacks, but Alex Smith threw three touchdown passes and no interceptions while the line paved the way for Davis, who collected 132 yards on the ground.
Meanwhile, the defense got in on the fun, putting Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill under pressure as the defense sacked him four times.
After putting the first set of points on the scoreboard, the Chiefs maintained the lead throughout and were eventually propelled to victory.
News and Notes
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Loud and proud
As mentioned earlier, Chiefs fans are vying for a Guinness World Record in an attempt to be the loudest fans in the world. While Arrowhead Stadium earned a reputation in the 1990s for being the loudest stadium in the NFL, Seattle Seahawks fans earned this title by making it official through Guinness.
Last October, Chiefs fans were given a chance to break the record in Week 6 against the Oakland Raiders and shouted their way into the record books. However, Seahawks fans retook the title two months later while doing so on Monday night.
Chiefs fans have an opportunity to bring the honor back to Kansas City on Monday night.
Multiple threats at running back
It was nice to see the Chiefs have three running backs shine in a game. At the same time, it has only happened once. Fans and the media generally avoid making a big deal out of something big done by a player or team until it happens consistently. However, according to the Providence Journal, Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia is already taking Knile Davis, Joe McKnight and Cyrus Gray seriously.
New England’s offense has had trouble this season, which means its defense has to come through on the road to help make it a low-scoring game if needed.
Given Andy Reid’s history with how he uses running backs in his offense, fans can expect multiple running backs to be heavily active against the Patriots.
Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork also acknowledged Kansas City’s running backs, according to Lee Schechter of ESPNBoston.com.
Injury Report
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Name | Position | Injury | Game Status |
|---|---|---|---|
S | Ankle | Questionable | |
RB | Ankle | Questionable | |
LB | Ankle/Knee | Questionable | |
RB | Achilles | Questionable | |
CB | Groin | Questionable | |
RB/ST | Hamstring | Questionable |
Injury report from KCChiefs.com.
All players listed on this injury report were limited in Thursday’s practice. Jamaal Charles warmed up before Kansas City’s win against Miami and it seemed he could have played, but he was ultimately inactive. Andy Reid said in Thursday's press conference he thinks Charles will be set to go against the Patriots, so fans can anticipate his return.
Chiefs fans patiently await the debut of running back and punt returner De’Anthony Thomas, who has received plenty of hype since being drafted by the Chiefs. If Thomas is available, New England’s defense has a lot to worry about as Charles and Thomas bring a lot of speed in which the Chiefs can use to their advantage.
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X-Factors and Key Matchups
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WR Dwayne Bowe vs. CB Darrelle Revis
With the exception of the postseason game against Indianapolis, Dwayne Bowe has yet to have a breakout game under Andy Reid. Darrelle Revis is known as one of the best lockdown cornerbacks in the league and has a good chance of shutting down Bowe in this game. Expect Alex Smith to throw plenty of passes in the direction opposite of Revis.
TE Travis Kelce vs. Patriots defense
Travis Kelce showed off his speed when he earned his first career start—as well as his first touchdown—against the Dolphins during Kansas City’s first win of 2014. The Patriots have to account for him; otherwise, the Chiefs will do a ton of damage if Kelce has a lot of space around him.
LT Eric Fisher vs. DE Chandler Jones
Eric Fisher, quickly labeled as a bust by many fans, has pulled through lately for the Chiefs. After silencing DeMarcus Ware and Olivier Vernon and paving the way for Knile Davis, Fisher is starting to come together as a strong starting left tackle.
Fisher has another challenge as he goes up against Chandler Jones, who has two sacks after an impressive 11.5-sack season in 2013.
Interior OL (LG Mike McGlynn, C Rodney Hudson, RG Zach Fulton) vs. DT Vince Wilfork
Vince Wilfork has been one of the most dominant defensive tackles in the league for years, giving interior offensive linemen real problems. Mike McGlynn has allowed three sacks so far filling in at left guard, while rookie Zach Fulton has allowed just one sack.
Kansas City’s interior linemen must play better and keep Smith’s jersey clean. With New England’s offense likely to score some points, Kansas City must respond well throughout the game by lighting up the scoreboard. It will start with sound and solid blocking up front.
OLB Tamba Hali vs. LT Nate Solder and OLB Justin Houston vs. RT Sebastian Vollmer
Tamba Hali and Justin Houston are tabbed as the best pass-rushing duo in the NFL, as both of them collected 11 sacks in 2013. Offensive tackles Nate Solder and Sebastian Vollmer must keep Hali and Houston quiet, but that is a tall order.
New England’s offense ranks 27th in the passing game and 22nd running the ball. It is likely it stays ranked near the bottom of the league as Hali and Houston will create a lot of short-lived drives for the Patriots. The pressure could eventually translate to the Chiefs getting their first takeaway of the season.
X-Factor: OLB Dee Ford
Hali and Houston will be the difference-makers in this game. At the same time, they will be getting help from rookie Dee Ford, who has provided additional pressure for the Chiefs in the past two games. Applying pressure on Tom Brady will be the key to beating the Patriots. Pressuring Brady takes away New England’s ability to scoreand win.
Prediction
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The Chiefs have the defense to defeat the Patriots, but can the offense come through?
The Patriots are third in total defense and tied for fourth in points allowed this year, giving up just 16.3 points per game.
Kansas City can rely on Alex Smith’s ability to take care of the football. If Jamaal Charles is available for this match, he and the rest of the running backs will test New England’s strong defense.
New England is the favorite to win, but the Chiefs have a lot of playmakers who can lift the team to a win. Lots of fans across the globe will be surprised to see what the Chiefs are capable of.
Prediction: Chiefs 31, Patriots 14
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