During pre-game, many expected Kansas City’s offense to completely run over the New England Patriots, who were forced to go without starting quarterback Cam Newton due to COVID-19. However, it was the defense that stepped up to nab the win for Kansas City.
Both Brian Hoyer and Jarrett Stidham made appearances under center for New England and combined for four turnovers, including three interceptions.
After both teams spent the first half getting a feel for one another, it was the Chiefs that made the game’s biggest statements on the final play before halftime. Inside the 13-yard line on 3rd and 9, Brian Hoyer drops back, looking to put the Pats into the endzone. Instead, he’s met with defensive end Frank Clark and gets dropped for a 13-yard loss to the 26. The Chiefs’ biggest defensive play of the night not only preserved Kansas City’s 6-3 lead but made an early tone that they were not going to fall behind in this one.
Both teams continued to trade possessions until late in the third quarter. Brian Hoyer got the Patriots rolling on another methodical 13-play drive that traveled 74 yards to Kansas City’s 10-yard line. Unfortunately for New England, Hoyer was met with another Kansas City pass rusher, this time Taco Charlton, who went in for the strip-sack, causing Hoyer to leave the football for Ben Niemann to make the recovery.
New England’s second turnover of the game finally set the spark to Kansas City’s offense as Patrick Mahomes takes the Chiefs back down the field, 75 yards on seven plays to extend the lead following a jet-sweep handoff to Tyreek Hill.
On the following drive, New England would answer with a score of their own, as second-year quarterback Jarrett Stidham finds N’Keal Harry for his first career touchdown pass to bring New England to within three points.
At the start of the fourth quarter, Patrick Mahomes made two big-time plays, scrambling to pick up huge chunks of yardage, including an 18-yard run to convert on third down. Kansas City capped the drive off with a short pass across the middle for Mecole Hardman, who sprinted six yards into the end zone to widen the gap on the scoreboard, 19-10.
Nine seconds later, on New England’s 25-yard line, Stidham threw a pass intended for Julian Edelman on the left sideline that was intercepted by Tyrann Mathieu, who it back into the endzone for the pick-six.
Stidham would throw another interception, this time to Rashad Fenton, on the following drive to seal the 13th consecutive victory for Kansas City.
The Chiefs are now the first team in NFL history to start with a 4-0 record in four straight seasons (2017-2020). They’ll now get set to travel to Vegas for the first to kick off a chapter in their storied rivalry with the Raiders next Sunday.
