Tom Brady and the Patriots offense haven’t been clicking for much of the season. That will need to change Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs. AP
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The New England Patriots have shown a knack for rebounding after losses over the years, and quarterback Tom Brady explained it with one word.
Urgency.
During the same press conference, Brady addressed another word that’s at odds with the idea of urgency, one that’s slowly come to define his approach to competing alongside young wide receivers.
Patience.
Brady admitted he has to be patient with his younger offensive teammates this year, even as the Patriots work to accelerate into the postseason. Historically in December, the Patriots play their best football and parlay that into a long playoff run. For now, it’s one foot in front of the other.
“It’s kind of just where we’re at,” Brady said. “We’ve added some players late, and guys are coming back from injury and so forth. I’ve said this before: Like every team in the league, there’s no excuses. It’s did you win or did you not?
“So, we’re trying to score more points than them, and teams that are good in all three phases are tough to beat. And we want to be one of those teams.”
A win over Kansas City on Sunday would be the clearest sign the Patriots can considered in that tough-to-beat category. The defense and special teams have carried the team to a 10-2 record, but both losses came against playoff-bound teams that scored in every quarter against them.
It’s a rematch of last season’s AFC championship game – a 37-31 New England victory in overtime at Arrowhead Stadium. The Patriots lost 28-22 at Houston last Sunday while the Chiefs (8-4) have won their last two games.
Brady said there are changes in the Chiefs’ defense from last year’s AFC title game, which was to be expected with the hiring of Steve Spagnuolo as defensive coordinator.
“They have a lot of playmakers and have added some guys that are making a lot of plays for them,” Brady said. “(Defensive end) Frank Clark, (safety) Tyrann Mathieu, and they have guys that have been there, (safety Daniel) Sorenson, (cornerback Bashaud) Breeland’s a good player, (cornerback Charvarius) Ward was there last year, so, I’ve got a lot of respect for this defense. They make you earn it.”
Chiefs Coach Andy Reid’s expectations are simple heading into Kansas City’s latest matchup with the Patriots.
“I think they know us, and we know them. You get in and you battle,” Reid said.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs scored 71 points in two games against the Patriots last season – both New England wins, including the AFC championship game.(AP Photo/Ed Zurga) Ed Zurga/Associated Press
The Chiefs have reigning league MVP Patrick Mahomes, and keeping Kansas City out of the end zone will be even more imperative because of New England’s issues on offense.
The Jets, Dolphins and Broncos rank in bottom five in the NFL in points per game in 2019 but are all averaging more points than New England (18 ppg) since start of November. The Patriots went 2-2 last month. Brady’s 88.2 passer rating is also his worst since 2013.
“I think the biggest thing was when they had their opportunities, they hit them,” Mahomes said. “They’re not going to give us a lot of opportunities, they’re a very good defense and very sound with what they do. It’s about taking what’s there and when you get the big shot or the big play, you hit that and score touchdowns when you do.”
A stingy defense has kept the Patriots atop the standings this season. However, Lamar Jackson and the Ravens scored 37 points in Week 9 and Deshaun Watson and the Texans scored 28 last week.
Mahomes led the Chiefs to 71 points in two losses against New England last season. The 42-year-old Brady doesn’t have the playmakers to win a shootout this time around.
ROB GRONKOWSKI appears on “CBS Sunday Morning” at 9 a.m. Sunday and the former New England Patriots tight end discusses his retirement and his steps to mental recovery from concussions.
“I just wasn’t feeling like myself anymore,” Gronkowski says of leaving the game after nine seasons with the Patriots. “That’s basically the main reason. The lifestyle caught up to me, and I was just fighting my way through the last two years. It wasn’t enjoyable anymore. I just knew that’s when it’s time to go and walk away.”
His regimen includes training, physical therapy and a special nutrition program. Doing puzzles “just lowered my stress levels, just the way I was feeling,” he says. He adds that he “just was always anxious, always going, and I just needed to finally find some downtime to just relax.”
Gronkowski says he can see improvement with his health, but he doesn’t dwell on how football damaged his body.
“I’m waking up and feeling unbelievable,” he says. “But I’m saying, like, from where I was, I’m improving a lot every week, and if I stay on the right track, I keep improving.”
BRADY HAS 535 regular-season touchdown passes, second most in NFL history behind Peyton Manning (539). Drew Brees (532) is third. With 300 or more yards passing Brady will also have his 93rd 300-yard game, tying Manning for second in NFL history. Brees is first with 118.
CHIEFS TIGHT end Travis Kelce leads the AFC with 923 receiving yards in 2019 and needs 77 receiving yards to become the fourth tight end with four seasons of at least 1,000 receiving yards, joining Jason Witten, Tony Gonzalez and Gronkowski.
KANSAS CITY running back Damien Williams (rib) is out for Week 14, so expect the Chiefs to lean on running backs LeSean McCoy, Spencer Ware and rookie Darwin Thompson.
BILL BELICHICK has received plenty of face time on television of late with appearances on the NFL Network for “The NFL’s All-Time Team.”
He’ll be getting more Tuesday night when HBO debuts its documentary, “Belichick & Saban: The Art of Coaching,” featuring the Patriots coach and Nick Saban, the coach at the University of Alabama.
Belichick has been friends with Saban for years, and the two coached in Cleveland.
“He continues to impress me as a great football coach, great person and has great love for his players and the game and his assistant coaches,” Belichick said. “Like I’ve said I’ve learned a lot from him and appreciate our friendship, and there’s nobody I respect more than Nick Saban as a football coach.”
IN THE AFC East, the Patriots (10-2) have a one-game lead over Buffalo (9-3) and are the No. 2 seed in the conference behind Baltimore (10-2) after last week’s loss at Houston. New England can reclaim the top spot with a win over the Chiefs (8-4) if the Bills beat the Ravens on Sunday.
The Chiefs would clinch the AFC West with a win and Raiders loss.
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