Pats know points of impact
Brady & Co. must keep pace with KC
FOXBORO — No one is quite sure how the Patriots are going to keep the Chiefs offense from running up the score on Sunday night. Patrick Mahomes & Co. are that scary.
But this isn’t a one-sided deal. The Chiefs are probably sweating, too, thinking about Tom Brady and the Pats offense.
And if they aren’t, they should be.
Andy Reid might have the highest scoring offense in the league at the moment, and positively deserve the title at the top, but the Chiefs coach shouldn’t dismiss what the Patriots currently bring to the table.
Reid might have the 23-year-old gunslinger in Mahomes and an amazingly talented posse at his side, but the Patriots have the 41-year-old GOAT in Brady and a crew that’s not too shabby riding shotgun.
NFL Network commentator Brian Billick seems to think the Patriots offense can go toe-to-toe with the prolific Chiefs.
“The small ball they’re playing right now matches up very well with the way Kansas City is playing,” Billick said yesterday. “It’s going to be a track meet.”
Indeed, the once-anemic Patriots offense turned it around, and at just the right time. Brady and his sidekicks have scored 38 points in back-to-back winning efforts. The quarterback even says there’s “more in us.”
Watching the film, seeing how different the offense has been with Julian Edelman back from his PED suspension, and the supertalented Josh Gordon out on the flank the past two games, the Chiefs must be aware of that, too.
They aren’t as polished or as explosive as Kansas City, but they’re definitely heading in the right direction.
Brady has weapons at every layer now, whether going long, intermediate or short with his throws, so it’s finally starting to come together. While it’s not quite a finished product, with Gordon still learning and Edelman only back one game, all the parts are now functioning as they’re meant to function.
“We still have some growing to do, but we’re getting there, we’re definitely getting better,” said wide receiver Phillip Dorsett. “I am excited about what we can be. But we have to go out and show it. We can’t just rely on our potential.”
Edelman, also returning from ACL surgery, looked good making cuts and adding his usual toughness and competitiveness to the mix. He’s always been the guy who makes it happen for Brady.
And first-round pick Sony Michel has provided a presence in the running game, or enough of a presence that, along with gaining significant yards (43 carries, 210 yards, two TDs), makes play-action possible and a more believable weapon for Brady against defenses.
He and James White (32 catches, 270 yards, four TDs) have been a tremendous 1-2 punch in the backfield.
“The offense is going through both running backs right now,” Sirius XM NFL radio analyst Solomon Wilcots said yesterday. “They found a great combination with White and Michel, who provides the in-between the tackles running game they need to do everything else. That’s what’s allowed things to open up. With (Chris) Hogan, (Rob Gronkowski) and now Edelman back, and Gordon, and both backs, this is going to really start clicking. It’s going to be a 25-to-27 points per game offense.”
One the Chiefs need to worry about Sunday night.
But the Pats can’t make mistakes and give the ball to the Chiefs. That’s trouble. Just ask the Jaguars. Blake Bortles turned the ball over five times, including two killer picks in the end zone.
It’s doubtful Brady will be as mistake-prone as Bortles, although he has committed seven turnovers through five games, which is an unusually high rate for him. Brady knows what’s at stake. With the arsenal he now has, the KC defense sets up well for him.
Along with forcing all those mistakes from Bortles, the Chiefs did surrender 430 passing yards, too. In previous games, the defense hasn’t exactly been what you’d call shut-down. The Chiefs are allowing the second most yards per game in the NFL (343).
So, it’s there for the taking. And given the stress the Patriots defense will be under trying to contain Mahomes and this offense, it would behoove the Pats to score a ton and stay on the field with long drives.
After all, Mahomes has thrown 14 touchdowns and just two interceptions while guiding the Chiefs to a 5-0 start. All the talk is about the second-year quarterback out of Texas Tech, his rifle arm, and Kansas City’s magnificent offense.
Until that first time someone outscores them.
“We know what we have to do as an offense,” said Dorsett. “We know we have to be better this week, and not just this week, but every week. The potential is there, we just have to go out and execute.”