The offside call against the Chiefs helped the Pats reach the Super Bowl
Last season ended in storybook fashion for the New England Patriots, as they ran through the post-season en route to yet another Super Bowl victory. Their toughest test in those playoffs came against the Kansas City Chiefs, who took the Pats into overtime in the AFC Championship Game. And with the Chiefs getting more experienced and getting used to their high expectations, the Patriots will need to be at their best to defend their AFC crown against Kansas City. Will the Patriots be able to get through the Chiefs should they meet again this post-season?
Chiefs Posing a Threat
Perhaps the biggest reason that the Kansas City Chiefs feel like such a threat to the Patriots dynasty in the AFC, is the fact that Andy Reid’s team may not have reached their full potential last season. Given that the Chiefs ended up finishing at the top of the AFC standings heading into the playoffs, that should be a scary thought for anyone they face in 2019.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes is the player who embodies the idea that the Chiefs might be even better this year than they were last year. Mahomes burst onto the scene last season, earning the league’s Most Valuable Player award in his first full season as a starting quarterback. This year, he is being challenged in training camp by Reid and the rest of the coaching staff in hopes that he will be an MVP candidate for the second straight year.
But it’s the defense of the Chiefs that might be the area the team improves the most. Last season, the Patriots were given all they could handle by the Chiefs, before Tom Brady led a game-winning drive in overtime to beat the Chiefs and their porous defense to get back to the Super Bowl. This year, the Chiefs have Steve Spagnuolo to run their defense, who has had a history of success against the Patriots in big games as the former defensive coordinator of the New York Giants. If he can get his players to put pressure on Tom Brady, the results this season could be different.
Patriots Still In Charge
While the Chiefs will put a tough team on the field in 2019, the New England Patriots are the New England Patriots for a reason. They still have arguably the best quarterback in the history of the sport in Tom Brady, whose recent contract extension is another sign that he isn’t going anywhere just yet. Brady comes into the 2019 season healthy, and still enjoys one of the greatest advantages in all of sports.
That advantage is the superior coaching of the Patriots, led by Bill Belichick. When it comes to analyzing a potential match-up between the Patriots and Chiefs, there is no position where the Patriots have a bigger advantage than at head coach. Belichick has owned Reid in the post-season for his entire career, including Reid’s tenures in both Philadelphia and Kansas City. Even with the fearsome roster of the Chiefs, coach Belichick’s ability to utilize his players better than anyone else in the league gives the Pats an edge that no other team enjoys.
The Pats will still need to overcome some adversity if they are going to earn yet another AFC championship over the Chiefs, though. They are going to have to figure out how to replace the production of Rob Gronkowski at the tight end position, as few tight ends in history have been as difficult to matchup with. And the injury concerns surrounding Julian Edelman will be something to keep an eye on, as his return is supposed to be a big key to this year’s Patriots offense.
With or without Edelman, the Patriots are in for some stiff competition from the Kansas City Chiefs this season. But with Brady still playing at an elite level and Belichick still finding ways to outmaneuver opponents, all of the potential in the world might not matter should the Patriots and Chiefs meet on the field with the conference championship on the line.