AFCCG: Pats at Chiefs Buildup

RedOctober3829

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Well, this has a chance to be an all-timer.

When Patriots have the ball
--Honestly, the same game plan as today would be great. Run Sony Michel and have success like in Week 6(24-106-2). Use play action off the running game to hit seam throws with Edelman and Gronk.

--Long drives like today would be so, so huge against KC to limit their possessions.

When KC has the ball
--Blitz Mahomes. He will pick any defense apart with time to throw because the receivers will run around all day. Got to make him make quick decisions. Come at him from all directions. If he's going to have a big day, make him earn it. Spy him.

--I'd put Stephon Gilmore on Travis Kelce and JC Jackson on Tyreek Hill with help over the top. Try to be physical as hell right on the line with both.

--Be physical with all the WR's. It's going to be cold as shit. Make sure they feel every hit.
 

koufax32

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How did they line up defensively in the regular season?
Didn’t Gillmore used to have success against Gronk? Him on Kelce might work. Not sure Chung has it in him to do it.
 

luckiestman

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I’m really hoping it is a competitive game. AFC playoffs have sucked. Ravens/Bolts was ok.
 

GoDa

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How long until a Chief's player talks smack and predicts victory/domination/etc.?
 

DeadlySplitter

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lot of ink going to be spilled how this game should be at Foxboro. I see BB already has said KC deserves to be the #1 seed and basically moving on from the topic, which is 100% the right thing to do.

I also feel this team might be peaking at the right time. the last time we had a road playoff game 3 years ago, that team peaked way too early.
 

RedOctober3829

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OL is going to have to be huge again. Justin Houston, Dee Ford, and Chris Jones were dominant yesterday against Indy. Houston missed the regular season game with injury.

We'll have to monitor Eric Berry's status all week. He didn't play yesterday because of the heel injury he's had all year.
 

SMU_Sox

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Going into the playoffs my I wondered if they won in the divisional round if they play KC how will they fare on the road. Will be curious in particular how the offensive line does in pass protection and if they can get pressure consistently on Mahomes. I haven’t checked the lines yet but I would guess Chiefs are 2.5 point favorites.
 

RedOctober3829

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Going into the playoffs my I wondered if they won in the divisional round if they play KC how will they fare on the road. Will be curious in particular how the offensive line does in pass protection and if they can get pressure consistently on Mahomes. I haven’t checked the lines yet but I would guess Chiefs are 2.5 point favorites.
Early line by RJ Bell was Chiefs -3.
 

chilidawg

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OL is going to have to be huge again. Justin Houston, Dee Ford, and Chris Jones were dominant yesterday against Indy. Houston missed the regular season game with injury.

We'll have to monitor Eric Berry's status all week. He didn't play yesterday because of the heel injury he's had all year.
Are they better than Ingram and Bosa? That's all I heard about last week.
 

Ralphwiggum

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Plus they’ll have to figure out the protections while contending with maybe the loudest crowd in the league.

I’m generally pessimistic about this one. KC is really good, and the Pats have not been good on the road this year. But if the team that showed up in the first half today shows up next week they have a good chance.
 

RedOctober3829

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Another thing to wonder: Since you want to blitz Mahomes, but keep him in the pocket do you line Trey Flowers up inside instead of outside? This is going to be a game where KVN plays D-end to help keep Mahomes inside so you send your best pass rushers up the middle with ends quick enough to keep him inside.

Or do you run games on the left side and make Fisher/Erving prove they can consistently block against stunts/twists/etc?
 

Saints Rest

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How long until a Chief's player talks smack and predicts victory/domination/etc.?
Or plans for Super Bowl travel?

The Pats have sucked against RPO; they have to figure that out or it will be a long day where the O will have to score every possession (cf: Super Bowl LII). Romo went on and on about Belichick’s history of solving high-powered offenses, (e.g. Giants over Bills, Pats over Rams, Pats over Peyton’s Colts), but he clearly has not been able to solve the RPO yet.
 

Brand Name

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he clearly has not been able to solve the RPO yet.
So, it's a bit easier in college given personnel, but historically, Saban has found success doing so using the Cover 1 Funnel. This means you have two players eyeing the RB, the near player takes the back that is breaking to that specific side. Whichever side is not selected is deemed the Rat, the C1 coverage upon which the Funnel is based. For example, RB goes right? Right Funnel becomes the Rat, and vice versa, given defense lines up opposite the offense. This works because the near LB gets the RB. It also helps your Rat is coming from the given QB blindspot, so good luck on crosses, digs, etc.

It sucks we don't have a Rashaan Evans or Harold Landry, or other modern/athletic LB right now. Don't think any of the LBs on this team right now could run it well enough.
 

RedOctober3829

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So, it's a bit easier in college given personnel, but historically, Saban has found success doing so using the Cover 1 Funnel. This means you have two players eyeing the RB, the near player takes the back that is breaking to that specific side. Whichever side is not selected is deemed the Rat, the C1 coverage upon which the Funnel is based. For example, RB goes right? Right Funnel becomes the Rat, and vice versa, given defense lines up opposite the offense. This works because the near LB gets the RB. It also helps your Rat is coming from the given QB blindspot, so good luck on crosses, digs, etc.

It sucks we don't have a Rashaan Evans or Harold Landry, or other modern/athletic LB right now. Don't think any of the LBs on this team right now could run it well enough.
I think it will really help that they’ve faced KC and should be able to make adjustments off of what worked and what didn’t.
 

HurstSoGood

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First, I just wanted to thank you all for a great season. We were clearly very lucky against Las Diego. But lets be real, the Chargers suck. We have no chance against KC at KC. Zero. We are just not that good. We cannot win on the road.

Unless we find a pass rush (and score every damn possession), they are going to drop 40 on our mediocre defense. Tom is cooked (I mean, he's no Andrew Luck, and look what happened to the Colts yesterday). We cannot match, catch nor contain Mahomes.

Coincidentally, how many of us thought BB would already be over the hill? There is no way he can successfully game-plan for Andy Reid's schemes. Chief players have every right to be confident and expect a huge victory over a clearly inferior Patriot team.

Kelce is probably going to go 8/115/2 because we have slow LBs and weak DB's.


K.
ansas City's classy fans and organization should give Tom a good, classy retirement-worthy sendoff - perhaps a nice fruit basket or rib platter?

C.an you remember Patriot fan life before 2001? It was a great run. I for one am going to miss this.
 

Willie Clay's Big Play

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This game is going to be a toss up. If the Pats red zone offense shows up we will all be spending two weeks on this forum to get us through the bye.

Myself and my brother, another displaced Bostonian, will be at the game. If anyone is up for a pregame beverage to keep warm let me know!
 

The Mort Report

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I've watched a few games Mahomes has played this year, and while he is obviously awesome, every game he would force a few throws or overthrow a few players that he seemed lucky not to have picked. This is a fact a team lives with with an aggressive QB. I think since the Pats DBs are usually very disciplined, I could see a right place right time pick or two. If the Pats offense comes to play similar to today and they win the turnover battle I'm feeling good about the game
 

jose melendez

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I would take kc with that line. The bears are the only good team we beat on the road and we lost to four bad teams and one mediocre team. Given how good the Pats were at home and how bad on the road, this should be kc by 4
 

Ralphwiggum

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First time KC has ever hosted an AFC Title game. That’s crazy. Arrowhead opened in 1972.

Gillette opened in 2002 and has hosted 7.
 

Red Averages

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Rams @ Saints followed by NE @ Chiefs has to be a dream for the NFL. Two awesome games.
 

JokersWildJIMED

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I've watched a few games Mahomes has played this year, and while he is obviously awesome, every game he would force a few throws or overthrow a few players that he seemed lucky not to have picked. This is a fact a team lives with with an aggressive QB. I think since the Pats DBs are usually very disciplined, I could see a right place right time pick or two. If the Pats offense comes to play similar to today and they win the turnover battle I'm feeling good about the game
They did have two picks against him in game six, so hopefully more of the same
 

Super Nomario

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I would take kc with that line. The bears are the only good team we beat on the road and we lost to four bad teams and one mediocre team. Given how good the Pats were at home and how bad on the road, this should be kc by 4
I saw a stat on Twitter that the Patriots D was #2 in DVOA at home ... and 31st on the road
 

jsinger121

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Patriots are 1-5 all time at Arrowhead Stadium and 1-2 in the Brady era with only win in 2004 season.
 

staz

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I would take kc with that line. The bears are the only good team we beat on the road and we lost to four bad teams and one mediocre team. Given how good the Pats were at home and how bad on the road, this should be kc by 4
The Pats just scored 35 points before the half and will be playing a significantly worse defense next week. And they apparently have a bit of a chip on their shoulders.

We may have just hit another gear.
 

BaseballJones

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I saw a stat on Twitter that the Patriots D was #2 in DVOA at home ... and 31st on the road
Yes. That's going to be...a problem. They gave up 40 to KC at home. They could give up 50+ next week and it wouldn't shock any of us.

I think NE is going to give up a ton of yards and points, but will need to come up with a few huge, timely plays on D - sacks, turnovers, whatever. And of course, the offense needs to be on its game.
 

brandonchristensen

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When was the last time the Pats lost to an offensive juggernaut?

I feel like it's always been strong defense. The Ravens in the Division Series maybe?

The Pats have always been good at keeping the opposing team's strengths at bay. If Brady is on, and the offense is clicking, I think they're going to win. The Pats are a better team now than they were when they played the Chiefs earlier in the year, and I think the Chiefs are a worse team.

That Miami loss really fucking sucks.
 

dynomite

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Maybe, but he has the worst record of any QB to be in 13 AFC title games
Totally. Even Mark Sanchez has fewer INTs in Conference Championship games!

When was the last time the Pats lost to an offensive juggernaut?

I feel like it's always been strong defense. The Ravens in the Division Series maybe?

The Pats have always been good at keeping the opposing team's strengths at bay. If Brady is on, and the offense is clicking, I think they're going to win. The Pats are a better team now than they were when they played the Chiefs earlier in the year, and I think the Chiefs are a worse team.

That Miami loss really fucking sucks.
The Pats never lost to the Ravens in the Divisional Round, if I’m reading you right?

Unless you’re willing to accept last year’s Super Bowl — those Eagles were pretty great on offense, even with Foles — I’d say the answer to your “offensive juggernaut” question is the 2013 Broncos, and that crappy AFCCG in Denver where Talib got hurt early and the Broncos were up 23-3 at one point.
 

RedOctober3829

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If it’s that cold on Sunday night and it snows the night before footing may be an issue. The Chiefs installed heating coils under the field and they usually turn the field into a soggy mess. Think of Green Bay in the frigid conditions. That’s what the field may look like. It was very soggy yesterday.