Chiefs @ Patriots
Final Score: Chiefs 27, Patriots 17
Writer: Ben Brown (@BenBrownPL on Twitter)
This game was surprisingly competitive in the first half, as both teams traded missed field goals in the first quarter but combined for 24 points before the break. Neither team put much of a focus on the ground game, as both teams combined for only 14 carries in the first half. It was an ugly game despite the 44 points scored, as the Patriots did not show up for the second half and the Chiefs’ receiving options not named Rice made mistakes abound. Kansas City escaped with a much needed win to keep up with the pack at the top of the AFC.
Three Up
- Rashee Rice – Mahomes’ only reliable option right now, and that includes Kelce
- Clyde Edwards-Helaire – Stepped up with two huge plays for this offense, with one being a touchdown
- First Half Bailey Zappe – The second coming of Brett Favre
Three Down
- Second Half Bailey Zappe – The second coming of J.P. Losman
- Travis Kelce – Dropped a touchdown, flopped, and hurt his left arm. A bad showing for the future Hall of Famer. It’s a shame they won’t show these highlights at his HOF ceremony
- Ezekiel Elliot – The run game just wasn’t working for either team today
Kansas City Chiefs
Quarterback
Patrick Mahomes: 27/37, 305 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT, 3 sacks | 3 carries, -5 yards
The box score for Mahomes should have been better. Travis Kelce dropped a touchdown pass. Kadarius Toney bobbled a pass that hit his hands and it went right into a defender’s arms. Mahomes’ first interception wasn’t a smart throw, but the defender literally ripped it out of Blake Bell‘s hands. It appears that Mahomes is just lacking confidence in his receiving corps, and Kelce just hasn’t been his reliable self this year so Mahomes doesn’t really have anyone to go to. As you can see below, the talent is still there and this offense still has some time to click before the playoffs start.
This is an elite play by Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. Who else can recover from this bad snap and turn it into a first down? pic.twitter.com/XjJkW3vwRA
— Ben Brown 🌻 (@BenBrownPL) December 17, 2023
Running Back
Clyde Edwards-Helaire: 13 carries, 37 yards | 4 targets, 4 receptions, 64 yards, TD
CEH showed up to play in the receiving game today. Despite not doing much of anything on the ground outside of one 20 yard run late in the third, Edwards-Helaire made an impact in the passing game. Early on, he took a screen for 45 yards to put the Chiefs in scoring position. Later on, he scored a touchdown on a fantastic leaping grab in the back of the end zone that you have to see to believe.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire makes an INCREDIBLE leaping grab for the touchdown pic.twitter.com/uuUrIDE46G
— Ben Brown 🌻 (@BenBrownPL) December 17, 2023
New England’s defensive front wasn’t giving up much of anything on the ground, and the Chiefs only attempted six run plays total in the first half. It was nice to finally see him make an impact for this team, as they were desperate for another weapon outside of Rashee Rice.
Jerick McKinnon: 4 carries, 11 yards | 3 targets, 3 receptions, 19 yards, TD | 1/1, 4 yards, TD
McKinnon “threw” a touchdown pass to Rashee Rice on one of those gadget plays where he took the snap and underhanded the ball to Rice, which was technically a forward pass. Later in the game, he found himself wide open on a designed RB throw after the man who was supposed to cover him got blocked by another receiver.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Travis Kelce: 7 targets, 5 receptions, 28 yards
With his very famous girlfriend in attendance, Travis Kelse put up yet another dud of a performance. Bill Belichick and the Patriots’ defense put an emphasis on giving Kelce’s man safety help anytime he ran a route downfield, and Mahomes was smart to not force anything his way. Kelce did drop a pretty easy touchdown in the back of the end zone as he felt a big hit coming on from Kyle Dugger. He was targeted in the back of the end zone again a few plays later but appeared to flop after some minor contact from a defender instead of attempt to make a play on the ball. It was a disappointing sequence for anyone needing a big game out of the star TE in the fantasy playoffs.
Later in the game, Kelce appeared to injure his left arm on a tackle. He looked to be in serious pain on the sideline. Monitor this during the week.
Travis Kelce appears to have injured his left arm pic.twitter.com/xqq5ZBfChz
— Ben Brown 🌻 (@BenBrownPL) December 17, 2023
Rashee Rice: 9 targets, 9 receptions, 91 yards, TD, fumble (recovered)
Rashee Rice is the number one receiver for the Chiefs and there is nobody else even remotely close to challenging him for that crown. He was money all day long for Kansas City, and New England had no answer for him. Rice scored on a gadget play near the end of the first quarter, a shovel pass from Jerick McKinnon on a play similar to what we’ve all seen Travis Kelce score on before. Rice is rolling just in time for fantasy playoffs.
WR Rashee Rice catches a 4-yard TD pass from RB Jerick McKinnon. That gives Rice 7 receiving TDs on the season, setting a new franchise record for TD receptions by a rookie. He breaks a tie with Fred Arbanas, Stephone Paige, Tyreek Hill and Mecole Hardman (6).
— Chiefs Communications (@ChiefsPR) December 17, 2023
That reception by rookie WR Rashee Rice gives him 62 catches on the year, moving in sole possession of the 2nd most receptions by a rookie in franchise history. He passed WR Tyreek Hill (61) and trails only WR Dwayne Bowe (70).
— Chiefs Communications (@ChiefsPR) December 17, 2023
Marquez Valdes-Scantling: 1 target, 1 reception, 17 yards
Noah Gray: 2 targets, 2 receptions, 37 yards
Kadarius Toney: 4 targets, 2 receptions, 5 yards
I’m just going to leave this here.
Kadarius Toney bobbles a perfect throw from Mahomes and it leads to an interception
The Chiefs need to cut this man ASAP pic.twitter.com/Rj279fdHI7
— Ben Brown 🌻 (@BenBrownPL) December 17, 2023
New England Patriots
Quarterback
Bailey Zappe: 23/31, 180 yards, TD, INT, 4 sacks, fumble (recovered)
Bailey Zappe is 31 for 40 with 337 yards passing and 4 TD in the first half of New England’s last two games. On their second drive of the game, Zappe led them down the field on a 10 play, 48 yard drive that ended with a missed field goal. In the 2nd quarter, Zappe led them downfield again on a 10 play, 61 yard drive that resulted in a touchdown pass to Hunter Henry on 4th and short. It was a risky play call that paid off. In the second half, bad Zappe returned. He threw an awful interception while rolling out to his right, forcing a throw to a covered receiver that was easily intercepted. He came nowhere near leading any extended drives, looking much like the backup QB that he truly is. It’s frustrating how different this offense looks in the second half of ballgames.
Running Back
Ezekiel Elliot: 11 carries, 25 yards | 6 targets, 5 receptions, 21 yards
The Chiefs’ defense did a good job of keeping the running game contained. It certainly didn’t help that the Patriots were without left tackle Trent Brown for this game and also lost both Cole Strange and Conor McDermott (Brown’s replacement at LT). By the second half the game was essentially out of reach as well, or at least it was for this Patriots offense, and they abandoned the run game entirely. This was never a spot that Zeke was going to dominate on the ground, but we all kind of hoped he’d make up for it in the passing game. The targets were there, but the yards simply weren’t.
Kevin Harris: 4 carries, 25 yards, TD
I forgot Kevin Harris was even around after they released him in the preseason. He scored a touchdown on a really nice run late in the 4th quarter with the game already out of reach, but I wouldn’t read into this too much. Elliot is the clear top dog while Rhamondre Stevenson is out.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Demario Douglas: 5 targets, 3 receptions, 33 yards
The electric rookie WR returned after missing two games with a concussion and was not heavily involved in this game. His best play was a 16 yard catch and run to set the Patriots up with first and ten inside the red zone, but then committed a facemask penalty that immediately set them up with 1st and 25, essentially ending the drive.
DeVante Parker: 5 targets, 5 receptions, 44 yards
Parker was not heavily involved but he does appear to be Bailey Zappe‘s preferred receiver, as he has led the team with targets since Zappe took over.
Hunter Henry: 9 targets, 7 receptions, 66 yards, TD
DeVante Parker might be Zappe’s favorite receiver, but Hunter Henry is Zappe’s preferred option over everyone. It was another huge game for the veteran tight end, catching six passes in the first half including a touchdown. He also had a second touchdown catch that was called back by a penalty. If Travis Kelce misses time and you need a replacement at tight end, Henry might be your man.
Mike Gesicki: 2 targets, 1 reception, 7 yards
Tyquan Thornton: 1 target, 1 reception, 5 yards