Patriots vs. Chiefs: Full Report Card Grades for Kansas City
The Kansas City Chiefs were near perfect in their 41-14 and noisy record victory against the New England Patriots on Monday night.
It could not have gone more perfect for the Chiefs, as they were aggressive and never played from behind for the second straight game.
As you will see, games like this leaves the media with nothing but good things to say about a team. As fans, these grades will be refreshing to see, especially for a team that started 0-2.
Quarterback
1 of 11
With improved blocking, Alex Smith was given an opportunity to do what he needed to do with his offense. In the end, he delivered.
Smith completed 20 of 26 passes for 248 yards. For the third straight game, he threw three touchdown passes.
Despite a rough start to the season, Smith has made a quick turnaround to help the Chiefs improve to 2-2. He showed it Monday night by helping the Chiefs put up 41 points on the scoreboard.
Grade: A+
Running Back
2 of 11
Knile Davis (107 yards) and Jamaal Charles (92 yards) combined for 199 rushing yards. With Charles back, the Chiefs have the strongest one-two running back punch in the NFL.
Charles also caught two touchdown passes, which gave him three overall against the Patriots. He outscored New England all by himself.
Once De’Anthony Thomas comes back, Kansas City’s running backs will be noted as the fastest group in the league.
Grade: A+
Wide Receiver
3 of 11
Dwayne Bowe looked like a No. 1 receiver for the first time this season. He pulled in five catches for 81 yards, all in the first half. Donnie Avery came through in the second half with a pair of big catches of 27 and 19 yards to help get the Chiefs close to the end zone.
The offense picked up 26 first downs, 15 of them through the air. In addition to Smith and the wide receivers, the tight ends also had a big hand in helping the offense move the chains.
Grade: A-
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Tight End
4 of 11
If there was ever a time for Travis Kelce to make a name for himself, he did it on Monday Night Football. He is looking to make strides in his second year after missing his rookie season due to an injury.
Coming off his first start and first career touchdown catch, Kelce caught eight passes for 93 yards and a touchdown.
His speed and ability to dodge defenders helped Kansas City move the chains, get close to the end zone and find ways to score.
If Kelce continues to excel, he could finally be the key tight end for the Chiefs since Tony Gonzalez.
Grade: A+
Offensive Line
5 of 11
The Chiefs offensive line allowed 11 sacks in the first three games. On Monday night, the line was stout and allowed just two sacks.
Smith was given plenty of opportunities to make the plays he needed to make to move the football. The line also came through in the rushing department, paving the way for Davis and Charles as they collected 199 yards against New England.
Grade: A
Defensive Line
6 of 11
Nose tackle Dontari Poe got through New England’s interior offensive line a couple of times to pressure Tom Brady, as defensive ends Jaye Howard and Allen Bailey spent most of their time stopping the run and occupying offensive tackles to allow the outside linebackers to apply pressure on Brady.
Patriots running back Shane Vereen had only eight carries, as the Patriots were forced to abandon the running game early. Through those eight rushes, Kansas City’s front seven limited Vereen to only 26 yards.
Grade: B+
Linebacker
7 of 11
If you want to make a list of the best pass-rushing duos in the league, Tamba Hali and Justin Houston proved they belong on top of that list.
Houston recorded two sacks as Hali shined with a sack, strip and recovery. Hali also impressed a lot of spectators with his pass-coverage ability at one point.
Interior linebackers Josh Mauga and James-Michael Johnson had a hand in helping Kansas City play well against the run.
Overall, the linebackers were the biggest reason Brady and New England’s offense struggled.
Grade: A+
Secondary
8 of 11
After going through the first three games without a takeaway, the Chiefs had three on Monday night. Along with Hali’s fumble recovery, the defensive backs got two interceptions, and one was taken all the way for a touchdown.
Cornerback Sean Smith and safety Husain Abdullah not only got the interceptions, but both of them managed to gain plenty of yards to either score or set the offense up with great field position.
Dominating the turnover battle helped the Chiefs win big on Monday night.
Grade: A
Special Teams
9 of 11
Rookie Cairo Santos delivered with two field goals after a slow start to his season. Dustin Colquitt and the special teams defense were in sync; all four of Colquitt’s punts were inside New England’s 20-yard line including one punt covered at the 1-yard line.
A good offense helps a good defense, and a good defense helps a good offense. We learned that good special teams play helps the offense and defense.
Grade: A+
Coaching
10 of 11
Andy Reid knew the team had to improve to 2-2. He knew the Patriots were struggling coming into this week, so he pulled out all stops and devised a perfect game plan to pick up a major win at home on a national stage.
Kansas City was prepared and well-coached, and it showed on Monday night.
The rough start against the Tennessee Titans is still a mystery to everyone. But it is in the past, and the Chiefs can only make up for it by limiting their losses moving forward. If a team can bounce back after an 0-2 start, chances are Reid is guiding that team.
Grade: A+
Overall
11 of 11
QB: A+
RB: A+
WR: A-
TE: A+
OL: A
DL: B+
LB: A+
DB: A
ST: A+
Coaching: A+
Cumulative: A+
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
