Divisional Round 2016 Game Preview: Kansas City Chiefs vs New England Patriots
Tom Brady and his New England Patriots have reached this far to know the importance of not going down easily, even if their AFC divisional matchup is against the streaking Kansas City Chiefs. The Patriots play at home against a team that hasn't lost in 11 games.
Kansas City obliterated and embarrassed the Houston Texans, 30-0, in the wild card and that alone should be a cause for concern for a New England team that at least has Julian Edelman back in action for Saturday. The key factors in this game are the Chiefs' stifling defense against the always-effective offense of the Patriots.
The weekend matchup is interesting because it actually is the first postseason battle between these two. In the regular season, the Chiefs have the winning advantage, but that doesn't really matter at this point of the playoffs since everything is at stake and a loss means an exit.
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For the Patriots, it's also about keeping the streak and tradition alive. The team will want to make sure they grab this one or else they end their streak of making a trip to the AFC championship game for the fifth straight time. They also currently hold the record for the most consecutive division titles in league history after winning the AFC East for the seventh consecutive time.
The teams split their regular season meetings, with the Patriots winning 34-3 at home in 2011, while the Chiefs got back at them by winning 41-14 in their own field in 2014.
The divisional matchup pits New England's advantage in the run while at the same time looking at the Chiefs' superior passing. However, the Patriots will have to move the ball more through the air, especially if they fail to build an early lead in this one. But because the Chiefs aren't really keen on gambling downfield, the Patriots can focus on overcrowding the field and make Alex Smith commit a lot of turnovers.
Game details
Date: Saturday, Jan. 16
Game Time: 4:35 p.m. ET
Venue: Gillette Stadium
TV Coverage: CBS
Live Stream: NFL Game Pass
