Chiefs strengths : Outstanding D-Line with tremendous depth, Fantastic Linebackers, decent corners, and decent safety play. TE's are very good, but make the stupidest bone-head plays every once in a while. Defense can score points in a hurry if you turn over the ball.
Chiefs weaknesses: Special teams returns are either great or horrific, secondary can be beat deep, offensive run game has taken a slight slide and is boosted by Smith's scrambling. WR's have a lot to prove with Maclin out. Smith doesn't have a problem taking shots deep any more, but he has a problem completing them.
There is a lot more, but pretty much the basics. I am sure some of my fellow fans will disagree.
That KC Defense is completely legit. Hali and Houston being banged up will hurt, and might just provide enough time for the Patriots POS offensive line, to let Brady get rid of the ball.
The KC Offense scares me 0%, even with Maclin, because there's no way he'll be right on that knee. Kelce's a real weapon, and even with bracket coverage should still be able to contribute.
What I see, assuming everyone comes back for the Patriots, who is supposed to come back, is KC keeping it close, or leading even at halftime, and the Patriots putting the hammer down in the 3rd, pulling away in the 4th. 24-13ish? Something like that?
Even with Andy Reid usually pooping his pants in big playoff games, I don't think KC embarrasses themselves here in this one.
There is the
slight possibility that the Patriots absolutely goes for revenge blood and wins 41-14, but I'm not sure they have the horses to actually pull that off right now.
:Lwelcome:
---------- Post added at 04:41 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:32 PM ----------
Is your front 4 strong? That is where you need to stop our running game, because Andy Reid is going to spread your defense out and Kelce will command respect to keep your safety from cheating up.
This is not the same defense you folks faced a year+ ago. The front 4, even without Easley, is IMO the strongest unit on the team. Assuming both Collins and Hightower are good to go at LB (and indications are that they are), and assuming the Chiefs don't do something radically different with their running game (like Miami did last week, catching the Patriots off-guard in the first half), they should be ok there.
Even if Reid spreads the Patriots out (and he absolutely should, the one real weakness on the defense is depth at corner), the Patriots are so strong at every level, that I'm not sure how effective it will be for the Chiefs throughout the game.
I expect Kelce to contribute, some. He's not going to win the game like he did against the Texans, nope. Chung's too good, Collins is too good.
How are your tackles? I'm excited to see healthy Chandler Jones and healthy Jabal Sheard wreaking havoc.
Patriots are 10th in Points Allowed, 9th in Yards Allowed defensively this year, and that's after a putrid month of performances. For comparison, last year they were 8th in Points Allowed, and 13th in Yards Allowed.
This year's version, of course, with no Revis, Browner or Wilfork.