Chiefs Embarrass, Roll Over Lifeless Patriots 41-14 On National Stage
 Tom Brady had an ugly performance on Monday Night Football during the Chiefs 41-14 blowout of the Patriots. (USA TODAY Images) |
The Kansas City Chiefs demolished the New England Patriots 41-14 on Monday Night Football that was every bit as ugly as the score indicates.
The Chiefs beat the Patriots in every facet of the game, offense, defense, special teams and coaching. Gashed by the run for 207 yards with Knile Davis and Jamaal Charles nearly both going over the century mark, they were also completely picked apart by Alex Smith who went 20-26 for 248 yards and 3 touchdowns.
With Sealver Siliga on short term IR, the Patriots used Joe Vellano early on running downs and he was overwhelmed time and again. The Patriots just had no answer for the Chiefs who brilliantly changed formations and ran countless misdirection plays getting the defense to be moving the wrong way.
Smith who had been sacked 11 times this season operated with impunity for far too long on Monday night and he made the hapless Pats defense pay time and again. The KC wide receivers were thought to be pedestrian but they were anything but as they came up play after play. Travis Kelce and Dwayne Bowe both were outstanding with nine and eight catches respectively.
The ugly affair begins once again with the coaching staff. Kansas City, like Oakland last week came in allowing over five yards per rush. So why did New England come out in a spread formation attempting to throw the ball? The results were another three and out to start the game. By the time the Patriots rushed the ball for the first time, 2 minutes were left in the 1st quarter and the momentum and crowd noise were firmly on the side of the Chiefs.
Defensively, again questions will continue to be asked. After bringing in Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner, physical players who excel in man coverage, many thought the Patriots would be much more aggressive this season. But tonight facing a third and long in their first series, New England flinched, going to a soft zone. The Chiefs converted that third down and others before pinning the Patriots deep in their own zone.
The coaches decision to spread the field against KC but then place their two best outside the numbers WRs (Aaron Dobson and Kenbrell Thompkins) on the inactive list as healthy scratches is puzzling. Dobson their 2nd round draft pick from 2013 has been a healthy scratch for three of four games thus far…. Strange decision there.
This is a Patriots team with no offensive identity right now. They can’t run the ball to set up the pass and actually seem reluctant to do so. They can’t pass protect to take shots down the field and Tom Brady is reluctant to take the time for his second and third reads. Josh McDaniels seems intent on trying to outsmart his opponents rather than forcing the issue.
This is a timid Patriots football team on both sides of the ball. They are reactive rather than proactive and can’t assert their will on anyone. The team has little time to right the ship as they return home to play the undefeated Bengals on Sunday Night Football. With the loss they fall to 2-2 and amazingly enough are still tied for first in the AFC East.
Three Up and Three Down For the Patriots:
Three Up:
Brandon LaFell- LaFell had a nice game and finally got untracked, which is something the team can at least look towards as a positive moving forward. LaFell had six catches for 119 yards and 1 touchdown. He nearly had another late in the game but got pushed out of bounds.
Jimmy Garappolo- Came in during mop up duty for Brady and performed well, completing 7-10 passes for 70 yards and a touchdown.
Bryan Stork – One of the few bright spots on a dismal performance again by the OL, Stork in his first NFL start acquitted himself well, especially in a loud, raucous Arrowhead Stadium.
Three Down:
Could be easy to find many more than three here but we’ll settle for these.
Chandler Jones - Jones was supposed to dominate the Chiefs’ Eric Fisher who has struggled this season protecting Alex Smith. Instead Jones was frequently out of position or rolled over in the run game before being benched in the second half.
Coaching Staff - Terrible game plan, terrible execution and zero adjustments made in-game or at halftime. Completely outclassed by the Chiefs staff who had the Pats looking completely discombobulated.
Tom Brady – The Pats QB looks 37 for the first time. He’s getting no protection and now stares down his first read because he doesn’t trust his offensive line to protect him now long enough to make a second or third read. His two picks were particularly awful.
