AFC Championship Game 2019: Patriots vs. Chiefs Comments and Stat Predictions

The New England Patriots are once again in familiar territory, as they are playing for a chance to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.

This marks the eighth straight year that the Patriots are in this position, and the one thing that seems certain about their game with the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium is that they are not likely to be impacted by nerves or anxiety.

What they are likely to be affected by is Kansas City's explosive offensive ability and the big arm and overall talent of second-year quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

The Kansas City signal-caller has had a brilliant season, and he will likely be named the NFL's Most Valuable Player when that award is handed out February 2, the night before the Super Bowl.

AFC Championship Game: New England Patriots at Kansas City Chiefs

Date: Sunday, January 20, at 6:40 p.m. ET

TV and Streams: CBS, CBS All Access and fuboTV

Spread: Chiefs -3 (per OddsShark)

Mahomes (318.6 yards per game, 50 touchdowns), wideout Tyreek Hill (1,479 receiving yards, 17.0 yards per catch, 12 touchdowns) and tight end Travis Kelce (103 receptions, 1,336 yards and 10 touchdowns) are the keys to Kansas City's passing attack, and the Patriots are going to have a difficult time keeping them in check.

Aside from the numbers, all three have special characteristics that have helped the Chiefs advance to the No. 1 seed in the AFC.

Mahomes combines athleticism, accuracy, creativity and arm strength. Hill is probably the fastest receiver in the league and has improved dramatically in the last two years. Kelce is something of a tank after he catches the ball, much like Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski was prior to the 2018 season.

Kelce realizes New England's experience is a huge factor and that errors must be limited. "You have to play mistake-free football against this team in all three phases of the game. Sure enough, when we play that way, we give ourselves a chance," Kelce said in the buildup to the game, per Patriots Football Weekly.

Mahomes is envisioning a game where both teams assert themselves for four quarters: "We have to come out with our best effort from the beginning of the game all the way through the end. It's going to be a dog fight for the entire game if you want to try to come out with the win."

If the Chiefs are going to win, they are going to have to keep Brady from having an explosive game. His short passing helped the Patriots tear up the Los Angeles Chargers in the divisional playoff game, and he clearly understands what it takes to win championship games.

Kansas City linebacker Justin Houston said the key to slowing down Brady is keeping Sony Michel and the New England running game in check. If the Chiefs can force Brady to contend with 3rd-and-long situations, the home team has a better chance.

"We have to do a great job of stopping the run. If it's 3rd-and-short, the ball's coming out fast. If you put him in third-and-long situations, then he has to hold the ball a little longer. Hopefully it will give us a little time to get there," Houston said.

Brady knows that the Chiefs have had an excellent season and will be a formidable opponent. 

"I mean, we're going against a team that's the No. 1 seed in the league. I'm sure there's a lot of people that are thinking they're going to win. Everyone can have their own opinion," Brady said, per Andy Hart of Patriots Football Weekly. "We certainly have an opinion, and we've got to go out there and execute our best in order to accomplish that."

Just as the Chiefs have concerns about Michel and the New England running game, the Patriots have the same concerns about Damien Williams and the Kansas City running attack. If Williams can have consistent success on the ground, it will make life much easier for Mahomes.

The Chiefs had one of the most dangerous running backs in the NFL in Kareem Hunt, but he was released in late November after video was published showing him kicking a woman outside a Cleveland hotel in February. Williams has had much of the work in the Kansas City backfield since Hunt was released.

"Damien Williams, he's able to get to the edge, able to cut the ball into the defense and lower his pads," said defensive end Trey Flowers, per the Boston Globe. "There's a lot of similarities. It's different people but there's a lot of similarities."

By the numbers

This game features the top two seeds in the AFC, and both teams have stronger offenses than defenses, so the team that can come up with one or two clutch defensive stops in the second half will advance to Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta February 3.

This should be a high-scoring game, but the Patriots will outlast the Chiefs and head to Atlanta.

New England stats predictions

Brady: 265 passing yards, three touchdown passes

Michel: 85 rushing yards, one touchdown

Julian Edelman: Eight catches, 90 yards, one touchdown

James White: 10 catches, 65 yards, one touchdown

Gronkowski: Three catches, 35 yards, one touchdown

Kansas City stats predictions

Mahomes: 295 yards, three touchdowns

Williams: 55 rushing yards 

Hill: Seven catches, 125 yards, two touchdowns

Kelce: Eight catches, 100 yards, one touchdown