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The Kansas City Chiefs hosted the New England Patriots on Monday Night Football last night. It wasn’t a competition. Many were probably expecting a pretty well contested game. After all, there are brilliant minds such as Bill Belichick and Andy Reid involved, and star power with the likes of Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski and Jamaal Charles. Only one of those stars really showed up.
Charles went off in his return, piling up three touchdowns and helping the Chiefs roll in a embarrassing 41-14 win at home. The win got KC back to .500 (2-2) and dropped the Pats to 2-2, as well. There’s more to this one than records and the score, though. Let’s break down the key takeaways from last night’s action:
Tom Brady Regression?
Brady’s numbers weren’t good, but he looked even worse on prime time television last night. Some credit has to go to the Chiefs and it’s definitely worth noting Brady’s protection and weapons didn’t do him any favors. But all that aside, he just looked terrible. Brady finished with just 159 yards and three turnovers (one pick-six). He now has less than 250 passing yards in each game, although it’s worth noting last night was the first game he threw an interception in.
Charles is Awesome
Charles missed week three and most of week two with an ankle injury, but he was beyond rested up for this one, as he started off hot and ended his return with over 100 total yards (92 rushing) and three scores. Charles didn’t miss a beat and looked every bit the elite player we’re accustomed to seeing. If he can stay healthy, he should be in for another terrific season and help keep his Chiefs in playoff contention.
Only 3 Wide Receivers?
New England made the curious choice of entering this matchup with just three active wide receivers. That choice likely reflected their desire to pound the rock early and often in this one, but a quick 17-0 hole prevented that from ever happening. Ultimately, the Pats simply couldn’t beat Kansas City’s tall, physical corners with the tiny Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola. In hindsight, it probably would have been wise to keep Kenbrell Thompkins and Aaron Dobson active for this one.
Pats Defense Crushed
As bad as things looked on offense for New England, the defense really wasn’t any better. One touchdown was thanks to a Brady interception, but a supposedly strong Patriots defense still got carved up for over 200 rushing yards and allowed the Chiefs to put 34 offensive points on the board. That’s not the making of an elite, Super Bowl-contending unit.
