FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The path to AFC supremacy still runs through New England.
The Patriots made sure of that Sunday night as they edged the previously undefeated Kansas City Chiefs in a 43-40 shootout at Gillette Stadium.
The 43 points marked a season-high for New England, and the victory extended the Patriots' win streak to three games.
It’s crazy how quickly things can change in this league.
Just three weeks ago, the Patriots — coming off of back-to-back losses — owned a 1-2 record for the first time since 2012. With their offense void of adequate playmakers and anemic, and their defense offering little resistance to foes, New England’s dynasty finally appeared to be on the verge of toppling.
Then came a pair of victories over Miami and Indianapolis. But they're both struggling squads, and although the wins nudged the record up to 2-2 and then 3-2, the legitimacy of the Patriots' resurgence remained in question. Until Sunday night.
In that victory over the Chiefs, who entered the game as the hottest team in the conference, Tom Brady & Co. proved that the offense has regained its dominant fashion and that the unit has the ability to execute in a variety of ways. The Patriots can move the ball methodically downfield, relying heavily on the ground game. Or, the unit can dink and dunk its way toward the end zone with short-to-intermediate passes. Or, the offense possess the ability to strike quickly and light up the scoreboard with big plays.
MORE NFL:
Sunday night thriller: Patriots hand Chiefs first loss in instant classic
Fans behaving badly: Patriots fans throw beer, flip off Chiefs star
Week 6: 32 things we learned
Meanwhile, the defense proved itself capable of producing momentum-shifting plays against one of the league’s most prolific offenses.
Held in check for nearly the entire first half, the Chiefs offense did come to life in the third and fourth quarters, outscoring New England 31-16 to tie the game at 40-all with 3:03 left on the clock. (Patriots players and coaches knew coming into the game that they wouldn’t be able to completely neutralize Patrick Mahomes and his crew. So, the late surge surprised no one).
But after that final Kansas City score, Brady and his unit trotted out onto the field and strung together a seven-play, 65-yard drive — meticulously bleeding the clock in the process — before Stephen Gostkowski’s 28-yard field goal won the game as time expired.
Source: Read Full Article