By Brendan O’Connell
Thanks to Stephen Gostkowski’s 28-yard field goal as time expired, the New England Patriots emerged from Foxboro on Sunday night with yet another primetime victory over a fierce opponent.
Although the ultimate outcome was quite familiar, this Pats victory was anything but ordinary.
Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City’s relentless offense made a ferocious comeback in the second half of the potential AFC Championship Game preview, even taking a three-point lead with 8:38 remaining in the fourth quarter. The dynamic speedster Tyreek Hill scored three touchdowns on seven receptions and racked up 142 yards as the Chiefs’ offense torched the Patriots’ defense time and again with big plays.
For a moment, Andy Reid’s team seemed poised to overcome a substantial deficit against Bill Belichick’s squad on its own turf. The feat would have been all the more impressive when one considers the Patriots’ stellar 95-1 regular season record with Tom Brady at the helm when leading at halftime, as they did in this contest, 24-9. (By the way, the Pats’ only loss in such a scenario? Last year’s Week 1 defeat at the hands of… Reid’s Chiefs.)
Nonetheless, in the final minutes of a classic shootout featuring the up-and-coming 23-year-old Mahomes and the still-sensational 41-year-old Brady, Number 12 led multiple clutch drives that culminated in crucial scores.
On third and goal, the wily veteran capped off a seven-play drive by escaping a pass rusher, pump-faking and scrambling four yards to dive into the end zone, trucking two defenders in the process. Then, after another quick drive that yielded a Gostkowski field goal, the Chiefs turned in a lightning-quick 75-yard TD to Hill, but left 3:03 on the clock for the greatest ever to play the quarterback position.
From there, just about anyone who was watching in the stadium or on their television at home knew what would happen. Brady, with the help of future Hall of Famer Rob Gronkowski, marched methodically down the field to set up a chip shot for Gostkowski—engineering his 55th career game-winning drive —to prevail, 43-40.
So, is order restored in the AFC?
Not necessarily. For years now, Belichick and Brady’s Patriots have been a favorite to rise above any in-conference competitor to reach the Super Bowl. Every year, it seems a new member of the pack vies for top dog—like the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2017, or the Pittsburgh Steelers, Denver Broncos or Baltimore Ravens in recent years (with some breaking through).
This season, the most enticing team is the high-flying Chiefs, as they came into Foxboro with a powerful offense and hot new star under center. Now, through six weeks, the Chiefs lead the NFL in points scored and passing touchdowns and lead the AFC in all-purpose yards, and kicker Harrison Butker has gone a perfect 37-of-37 on field goals (11) and extra points (26).
Conversely, while the offense has averaged a fabulous 35.8 points per game and 418.5 yards per game, the defense has allowed an equally troubling 28.7 points per game and league-worst 468.2 yards per games. Woof.
Now, these statistics may look better once All-Pro safety Eric Berry, talented defensive back Eric Murray and impactful linebacker Justin Houston, among others, return to the defensive unit. That said, Reid’s teams have a history of regressing to the mean after brilliant starts to recent seasons, so there is potential for this Kansas City team’s water to seek its level as the season evolves.
On the other hand, Belichick’s teams tend to improve in November and December as the postseason approaches and the offense and defense both develop and work out important issues.
Could the past issues between Brady and Belichick impact the Patriots’ development as the season unfolds? Will the Pats’ glaring weaknesses on both sides of the ball—such as their inability to cover with linebackers and safeties and their inconsistent wide receiver play—catch up to them despite their best efforts to mask them with coaching schemes? Can the Chiefs maintain this pace and overcome their poor defense with their budding QB leading a historic offense?
The answers to these questions will come in time, probably during the playoffs in January. Until then, Sunday night told us one thing for sure: even against tremendous competition, the Patriots and their ageless wonder QB can still do enough to win.