Mike Dussault

Still trying to wrap my head around the Bengals meltdown last night. Truth be told my seven-year-old is just starting to get into football and he’s sparked to the Bengals because, well, he likes tigers. I let him stay up last night to watch the end of the game and it was fun to see him get into it, until I had to explain to him what “implosion” means. Welcome to the pain of rooting for a football team, son, and no, you can’t root for the Bengals any more.

As I’ve said many times before the best wins are the ones you’ve accepted you’re probably going to lose, but as last night proved the worst losses are ones where you think you’re going to win. Obviously that kind of meltdown is nothing we’ll ever see in New England, and the result is now the Pats get the Chiefs.

Other than the Giants game this year, there weren’t many historical context games for the Patriots. No Brady-Peyton game. The division was never really in question. The Colts weren’t good. The season-opener didn’t feel historical, more workman like. Who cares about the Titans and Jaguars and Redskins, etc? Meh. It was a “just get through it” kind of a season.

But now here come the Chiefs, the team who kicked our ass last year and thus dubbed the game that was the major turning point in the 2014 Pats’ season. Everyone wrote Brady and the Pats’ dynasty obituary after that one, only to see them rise from the ashes to get Super Bowl number four.

So yes, the Pats owe this team one, and it’s a team that has given them problems over the years outside of a primetime beatdown in Foxboro in 2011, 34-3. So that makes things a lot more intriguing for one of the only times this season.

Outside of that we have an ugly loss at Arrowhead in 2005, the tragic season opener in 2008 that needs no elaboration, and last year’s pummeling. So yes, the Chiefs have been an underrated thorn in Brady and Belichick’s side and this game will certainly have some historical context – either the Pats will “avenge” their loss last year, or Andy Reid/Alex Smith will cement their spot as being underrated Patriots kryptonite.

If Jeremy Maclin is out it’s a huge blow to the Chiefs and allows the Patriots to focus fully on Travis Kelce, the running game, and Alex Smith’s array of bootlegs and keepers. The Chiefs’ offensive philosophy matches up well with the Patriots’ defense when they play conservatively and that’s why they could still cause problems even without Maclin.

Simply put, if the Pats defense are in full Bend-Don’t-Break mode (and not causing disruption up front or getting turnovers) the Chiefs will move the ball with their quick passes and balance. So on defense, aggression will be key. By manning up their less-than-scary outside threats with our cornerbacks, it should allow our front seven to get after it.

The hard part is going to be for the Patriots’ offensive line dealing with the Chiefs front. The struggles there this season are well-documented and they were a mess the last two games, and there isn’t a better edge combo that Houston and Hali.

Rookie corner Marcus Peters could be on Julia Edelman, a tough assignment for the receiver playing his first game in two months. Getting open quick will be a huge key across the board for the Pats’ offense. That hasn’t been happening in recent weeks and that’s why the Pats’ offense has looked like shit.

The Chiefs will make the Patriots earn this win, and they’ll be every bit the challenge the Ravens were in the divisional round. The Chiefs will come in confident and give the Pats their best shot. What else would you expect from a team that hasn’t lost since mid-October?

I was guilty of hoping the Bengals pulled out last night’s game to give the Pats the easiest road, but the easiest road isn’t always the most entertaining or meaningful. Beating the Chiefs would certainly be more meaningful than putting Cinci out of their misery would’ve been. More frustrating is that the Broncos get a Steelers team with an injured Big Ben and maybe no Antonio Brown, but with Peyton Manning, you never know.

In a season with plenty of unexciting matchups, 2015 suddenly got extremely interesting. Two other potential AFC Championship matchups would loom – at Denver or vs. Pittsburgh and both would bring plenty of historical context and meaning. But getting through Kansas City won’t be the playoff walk in the park recent post season matchups like Indy, Houston and even Denver circa 2011 were.

Layers and history are what make games truly more fun even if this might be the scariest first round opponent the Pats could’ve gotten. It will be a fun week of hype and we’ll finally see who the 2015 Patriots are against a team that can challenge all their weaknesses.