KANSAS CITY, KC — Living to the expectations of this week’s Game of the Week, the Patriots (3-0) traveled to Kansas City to battle the Chiefs (2-1) in an AFC showdown. This bout was basically about Offense vs. Defense; with the Patriots (top 5 offense) going against the Chiefs (top 5 defense).
The Patriots jumped off to a hot start, and scored 21 consecutive points before the half. However, the Patriots’ offense was nowhere to be found during the second half of the game, and only managed to score 3 points in 3 quarters (3rd, 4th, and OT). As for the Chiefs, they moved the ball down the field with authority. Using Terrel Pyror’s legs and the Chiefs’ complicated passing attack, they gained 17 1st downs throughout the game and their time-of-possession (23:29) dominated Patriots’ (16:22). Four quarters wasn’t enough for the brawl between these two AFC powerhouses, so the game had to go into overtime.
Overtime started with the Chiefs winning the coin-toss, and elected to receive the ball first. They marched down the field, and kicked a field goal for a 3 point lead while also chewing up an incredible amount of time off the clock. This obviously meant the Patriots had a choice, go for a tie or the “W”. The Patriots passed their way down to the Chiefs’ goal line, highlighted by a 58 yard bomb to Aaron Dobson while facing a 3rd & 3 predicament. With the clock ticking and facing 4th & goal, Coach Sean Nguyen elected to go for it, and neglected a potential game-tying field goal. His greedy decision eventually betrayed him; and thus the Patriots turned over the ball over on downs from an incomplete pass, intended for Dobson. This turnover sealed the Chiefs with a victory for a (3-1) record, while the Patriots now have a blemish in their loss column (3-1).
Coach S. Nguyen: “First of all, it was a tough loss against a talented team. The call to go for the victory was all on me in OT. I should have listened to my instincts and go for the tie, especially when my team is on the road. I think the crowd noise and pressure got to us, but most importantly it was a poor play call on my part. No one was open and the space in the red-zone is always limited. We’ll take this loss, learn from it, and move onto next week’s match against the Bengals.”
Coach C. Kush: “If you want to beat Tom Brady, then you have to basically keep him on the bench. We executed our game plan perfectly and you can see it from our time-of-possession. Aside from the two turnovers that we committed, I thought we played fairly well. Overall it was a win that was much needed in front of our home crowd so we’ll celebrate tonight, and focus on our next match against the 49ers.”
Game ball
Terrelle Pryor just created a QB controversy in Kansas City. Pryor completed 13 / 14 attempts for 130 passing yards, rushed for 20 yards, and 2 rushing touchdowns. Most importantly, he committed ZERO turnovers. Terrelle Pyror: “The coaching staff called my number, and I answered. I don’t think there’s any controversy here. Alex is a great quarterback in his own right, and as long as this two tandem quarterbacking is getting us a victory, then I’m all for it.”
Now with a satisfying victory, the Kansas City Chiefs will travel to Santa Clara and face the San Francisco 49ers next week. As for the New England Patriots, they will defend their home turf against the “Andy Dalton-less” Cincinnati Bengals.
