The New England Patriots (10-2) get ready to battle against Patrick Mahomes II, Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs (8-4) in an AFC showdown.
In the words of the great Terrell Owens, get your popcorn ready because this should be a good one. In an AFC Championship game rematch, the Kansas City Chiefs invade Foxborough to take on a New England Patriots team coming off a loss and facing some adversity on the offensive side of the football.
In a game that will ultimately come down to how that Patriots defense handle Patrick Mahomes II, Travis Kelce, Tyreek Hill, Sammy Watkins, LeSean McCoy and them boys, Tom Brady and the Patriots offense will ultimately determine if the home team comes out on top.
We all know Andy Reid and his team will be foaming at the mouth for some revenge and further proof they can win at Gillette Stadium, but how will the defending Super Bowl champions respond after a loss?
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Furthermore, can Brady and the offense get something going against a Chiefs defense that has been better this season, but still has some vulnerability?
Still, besides the skill level the Kansas City Chiefs have on offense, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick knows the defense will present some problems for his offense in this AFC showdown between two teams familiar with one another.
"“Defensively, they’ve got the takeaways, and they’ve hit the plus-side on that and that’s always a big key for their defense when they can take the ball away,” Belichick said during his press conference Wednesday, via Patriots.com. “So, got a lot of ball hawking-type players over there on the defensive side of the ball, and we’re going to have to do a good job there of making sure that we take good care of it. This’ll be a good opportunity, a good challenge for us.”"
How to watch Kanas City Chiefs vs. New England Patriots
Location: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA
Kickoff: Sunday, December 8, 2019 4:25 p.m. ET
TV: CBS (Check local listings)
Streaming: fuboTV
Overall, this will be a great challenge for the New England Patriots and a big game with the Buffalo Bills breathing down their throats for the AFC East division. Here are five players to watch vs the Kansas City Chiefs.
Rex Burkhead, RB
Every New England Patriots remember that AFC Championship game in which the ground attack played a key role in defeating the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium.
Expect the running backs to play a key part in this game as well. Sony Michel will be big in this game as he was last January in rushing for two touchdowns vs. the Chiefs, but Rex Burkhead will really be the running back to watch in this game.
Over the last few weeks, we haven’t seen much of Burkhead (mostly due to injury) but expect him to be utilized a lot in this game both running the ball and as a receiver.
In averaging 4.0 yards per carry with a total of 20 receptions this season, Rex Burkhead is a versatile option to have on the field to keep the Kansas City Chiefs defense off balance. Both his toughness and deceptive quickness in the open field will be good for a big play or two in this game.
In summary, the New England Patriots signed Rex Burkhead due to his versatility. It’s about time they really utilized it.
Besides, he is due for a big game.
Jamie Collins, LB
On the defensive side of the football, versatility will also play a key role in a New England Patriots victory.
That, of course, means Jamie Collins will be all over the field in this one.
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Aside from creating some pressure on Patrick Mahomes II and keeping him in the pocket, expect the Patriots linebacker to play a key role in covering the running backs, particularly LeSean McCoy catching passes out of the backfield.
If there is a weakness in this No. 1 ranked Patriots defense, it is their linebackers in coverage vs. running backs.
As we seen against the Houston Texans, if opposing offenses get one-on-one matchups with their running backs going against Kyle Van Noy, Dont’a Hightower and Elandon Roberts, the results are usually good.
That is not the case against the fast, athletic Jamie Collins who does a good job staying with running backs as long as he sticks with his assignment.
Expect some big plays on defense from Mr. Collins who has a knack of sniffing out the football and creating turnovers whether it is forced fumbles or interceptions.
In the past couple matchups, the New England Patriots have forced early mistakes out of Patrick Mahomes. He will have another one in this game. Jamie Collins is highly likely to be right in the middle of it.
Mahomed Sanu, WR
This is a huge game for Mahomed Sanu.
There is no doubt Julian Edelman will be a key factor in this game against the Kansas City Chiefs, but for the New England Patriots offense to have consistent success, another playmaker has to step up.
While there is a chance that other player could be Phillip Dorsett, Jakobi Meyers or N’Keal Harry, Sanu really has the veteran presence and seemingly that trust from Tom Brady to be highly effective in this game.
Since coming over in a trade from the Atlanta Falcons, Mohamed Sanu really only had that one big game in which he caught 10 passes. The last couple weeks, there is starting to be some doubt on whether obtaining him was worth a second-round pick.
Before labeling the trade a bust, let’s remember that Sanu has been dealing with a high ankle sprain that is limiting his mobility a bit. In this offense, he is more the player who caught 10 passes than the player he has been the last couple of weeks.
With the Chiefs focused on limiting Edelman and James White, look for Sanu to break through with another big game and start to show why obtaining him was a good move for the New England Patriots.
Devin McCourty, FS
Not only will the New England Patriots have to contain the speedy Tyreek Hill, rookie wide receiver Mecole Hardman has similar speed and will also present a challenge for the defense.
Along with also trying to defend Travis Kelce and Sammy Watkins, Bill Belichick will have quite the decision to make on who to stick Stephon Gilmore on.
Whoever it is, veteran safety Devin McCourty will be the x-factor in this game as he will be assigned with providing help with other matchups on the field. Whether Belichick decides to go with Jonathan Jones on Hill or Hardman or J.C. Jackson or Jason McCourty on Sammy Watkins, Devin McCourty will be the safety help.
The likely choice here is Jones on Hill with McCourty helping over the top. The team had success in limiting Tyreek Hill in the AFC Championship game. They gave up just one big play to Hill in that game.
Bill Belichick will mimic that game plan until and unless it doesn’t work. That means other players in the secondary will have to be solid and stick with the game plan. Gilmore taking away either Kelce or Watkins and the combination of Jones and McCourty limiting Hill leaves Patrick Chung, Duron Harmon, J.C. Jackson and Jason McCourty with either bigger roles.
In all, Devin McCourty will make some big plays in the defensive backfield as Patrick Mahomes will definitely take some shots downfield.
Tom Brady, QB
This may very well become known as the “On to Kansas City” game.
There has been much talk about Tom Brady and the New England Patriots offense being not good enough after their Sunday night loss to the Houston Texans.
It was mostly the lack of separation by the receivers and Brady’s body language that told the tale. Going up against a defensive coordinator in Steve Spagnuolo who has had success against him in the past, Brady knows there will be a challenge ahead of him if he is to get this offense on track and clicking.
"“Yeah, they have a lot of playmakers,” Brady said, via Patriots.com. “They’ve added a lot of guys that are making a lot of plays for them: Frank Clark, Tyrann Matheiu. They’ve had guys that are there: [Daniel] Sorenson, [Bashaud] Breeland’s a good player, [Charvarius] Ward’s a good player – he was there last year. So, I’ve got a lot of respect for this defense. They make you earn it and they’re very talented. They’ve got a great football team.”"
In this game, Tom Brady really has to see the field well and limit bad throws that may lead to turnovers. He has to trust his receivers and not try to force the ball to Julian Edelman or Mohamed Sanu too much.
To take some pressure off Brady, the New England Patriots will definitely attempt to establish the run. If it is not working early, they will have to stick with it to get some kind of flow going with their running backs. Get the run going and that will lead to playaction.
With all the talk about Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs offense, don’t be surprised if it is Tom Brady and the Patriot offense that comes out gunning.