FOXBOROUGH – It no longer feels like your typical Kansas City Chiefs vs. Patriots matchup.
Back in the Tom Brady era, these games were must-watch television. Seeing Brady vs. Patrick Mahomes was the pinnacle of quarterback play in the NFL. Four years later, the Patriots and Chiefs were flexed out of their Monday Night Football slot and will play on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m.
Bailey Zappe will oppose Mahomes, the two-time MVP, and the Patriots will look to show everyone they can hang with the NFL’s best. At 3-10, the Patriots are massive underdogs. They started the week at 9.5 underdogs with questions swirling about Bill Belichick’s job status. On top of that, people are abuzz about Taylor Swift coming to Gillette Stadium to see Travis Kelce in action.
This Patriots-Chiefs matchup certainly has a different build-up than in seasons past. Here are five things to watch on Sunday:
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Bailey Zappe
Can he do it again, but for an entire game? Zappe was red-hot in last week’s first half. His three touchdown passes marked the first time a Patriots quarterback tossed three touchdowns in a half since Tom Brady in 2018. The Patriots scored 21 points in the first two quarters against Pittsburgh but were shut out in the second half.
If the Patriots are going to have a chance against the Chiefs, Zappe needs to play lights-out football for the entire 60 minutes. The Chiefs are seventh in the NFL, averaging 361.3 yards per game. They’re scoring 22.5 points per contest while the Patriots are last, averaging 13.0 points per game.
Patrick Mahomes
If anything, Patriots fans get to watch Patrick Mahomes on Sunday. That could be fun. We’ll see if the Patriots defense feels the same way. Mahomes will be motivated coming off a frustrating loss against the Buffalo Bills. The 28-year-old is the best quarterback in the NFL. He’s a two-time Super Bowl champion, two-time MVP, and five-time Pro Bowler.
Mahomes is currently eighth in the NFL in passing yards, tied for fifth in passing touchdowns, and second in completed passes. The Chiefs are doing a great job protecting Mahomes, who has the lowest sack percentage (3.56%) in the NFL. We’ll see if the Patriots can stop the NFL’s best quarterback.
Patriots offensive line
The Patriots offensive line is going to have their hands full. The Chiefs head into this match tied for the third-most sacks in the NFL with 42. The Chiefs have seven players on their defense who have at least three sacks. Their top three pass rushers are George Karlaftis (nine sacks), Chris Jones (7.5) and Mike Danna (6.5).
If the Patriots are going to have a chance to keep up with the Chiefs, they need to keep Zappe on his feet. The team is dealing with some issues as Trent Brown missed Thursday and Friday’s practice while dealing with an illness, and hand and ankle injuries.
Ezekiel Elliott
With Rhamondre Stevenson out with an ankle injury, Ezekiel Elliott is now the Patriots lead running back. The veteran is coming off the best game of his Patriots career. Last week, Elliott ran for 68 yards and added a season-high seven catches and 72 receiving yards against the Steelers.
When it comes to attacking the Chiefs defense, the Patriots need to run the ball. This season, the Chiefs’ passing defense is ranked sixth in the NFL while their run defense is ranked 20th. Opposing teams are averaging 4.6 yards per carry against Kansas City. That ranks the Chiefs 27th in the NFL.
Taylor Swift
You know it’s a bad season where half of the talk this week has been about Taylor Swift visiting Gillette Stadium to see her boyfriend, Travis Kelce. There’s been so much talk about Swift that Zappe had to clarify his comments about the musician this week after he said he wasn’t a fan. (To be clear, Zappe used to listen to Swift when she sang country music, but he doesn’t like pop music).
If Taylor’s in the house, expect the cameras to be on her plenty on Sunday. We’ll see if the Patriots defense can ruin her day by slowing down Kelce, the NFL’s best tight end.
Prediction: Chiefs 24, Patriots 16
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