**Chiefs @ Patriots Official Game Day Thread - 1/16/16**

[TopekaRoy]

No Fear ... No Mercy!

[TopekaRoy]

The Kansas City Chiefs (12-5)



vs

The New England Patriots (12-4)



Saturday, January 16, 3:35pm CT
at
Gillette Stadium
Foxboro, Massachusetts



Television coverage:


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[TopekaRoy]

Weather forecast: 38 degrees farenheit, rain 4 mph W winds

Line: Patriots (-5), Over/Under: 43

Trends:
The Chiefs are 6-3 away
The Chiefs are 9-8 ATS
The Chiefs are 6-3 away ATS
The Chiefs are 7-5 ATS as the favorite

The Patriots are 7-1 at home
The Patriots are 7-6-3 ATS
The Patriots are 5-1-3 at home ATS

Notable Quotables:
Chiefs:
"Listen, Doug’s so focused in on this [game] right now – that’s where his vision is. It was a great opportunity, I thought, for him to visit with a great organization – phenomenal organization. And I think it was an honor for him to have that opportunity. Whatever happens, happens, that’s not my business. But I’m happy that he had that opportunity to speak with [The Eagles]."--Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid

Patriots:
"I think the team's excited about getting ready for the game. Obviously it's a big game against a great team, a team that's playing very well"--Patriots head Coach Bill Belichick

Injury Report:
Chiefs:
OUT:
Laurent Duvernay-Tardif OL Concussion
Mitch Morse C Concussion

QUESTIONABLE:
Tamba Hali LB Knee / Thumb
Jeremy Maclin WR Ankle
Spencer Ware RB Ankle
Justin Houston LB Knee
Albert Wilson WR Hamstring

PROBABLE:
Jeff Allen OL Thumb
Zach Fulton OL Ankle
Travis Kelce TE Groin
Josh Mauga LB Ankle
Jah Reid OL Knee


Patriots:
OUT:
Tre' Jackson G Knee

QUESTIONABLE:
Scott Chandler TE Knee
Justin Coleman CB Concussion
Nate Ebner DB Hand
Julian Edelman WR Foot
Jonathan Freeny LB Hand / Non-Injury
Rob Gronkowski TE Knee
Dont'a Hightower LB Knee
Chandler Jones DE Abdomen / Toe
Rob Ninkovich DE Shin
Sebastian Vollmer OT Ankle
LaAdrian Waddle OL Shoulder
Danny Amendola WR Knee

PROBABLE:
Tom Brady QB Ankle
Josh Kline OL Shoulder
Brandon LaFell WR Foot
Devin McCourty S Ankle

[TopekaRoy]

Team Stats Comparison


Stats Leaders
Chiefs:


Patriots:


Depth Charts
Chiefs:


Patriots:

[TopekaRoy]

Game Preview from ESPN.com

Taking away one of Tom Brady's favorite targets presented further damage to a New England Patriots offense that has been dealing with injuries to its line for most of the season.

Julian Edelman should be back, but there's growing concern about how effective Rob Gronkowski will be -- if he plays at all.

Even if all his weapons are at his disposal, Brady could have trouble evading Kansas City's pass rush as New England looks to advance to its fifth straight AFC championship game and snap the Chiefs' 11-game winning streak in Saturday's divisional playoff game in Foxborough.

Edelman has missed the last seven games because of a broken foot suffered against the New York Giants on Nov. 15. He caught seven touchdowns as New England averaged 33.6 points in the nine he played before the Patriots averaged 23.1 without him.

Though Edelman is expected to play Saturday, Gronkowski's status is suddenly murkier. He missed practice Tuesday because of a knee injury suffered Nov. 29, was limited Wednesday and sat out Thursday's final workout before the game. Reports indicated he had treatment at a local hospital that included an injection in his knee.

Bill Belichick's team dropped four of its final six after winning its first 10 and managed just 196 total yards -- its fewest since 2010 -- in a 20-10 loss at Miami in the regular-season finale.

"I think the more dependable, consistent players that are out there, the better our offense is going to be. (Edelman's) been one of them for as long as he's been here," Brady said. "Depending on what he can do we'll try to find ways to integrate him.

"Whoever's out there we're going to have to have confidence in. There's no next week, so we're going to have to do everything you can do to be out on the field and help us win."

That includes lineman Sebastian Vollmer, who sat out against the Dolphins after being carted off the field with a leg injury in an overtime loss to the New York Jets on Dec. 27.

Brady has been sacked 38 times this season -- the third most of his career -- behind a line that has been hurting for a good portion of the season. That may not bode well against the Chiefs (12-5), who finished fourth in the league in sacks with 47 -- two behind New England, which ranked second.

Kansas City has overcome a 1-5 start behind a defense that has allowed an average of 296.2 yards during the winning streak and forced five turnovers in last week's 30-0 rout of Houston in the wild-card round that ended a 22-year drought without a playoff win.

The Chiefs forced 29 turnovers in the regular season compared to 13 all of last year, which included six interceptions. Rookie Marcus Peters tied for the league lead with eight this year and had another in the wild-card game.

"Any time you can get to the quarterback and put pressure on him, or make him uncomfortable in the pocket, you can create turnovers," linebacker Justin Houston said. "Every week that's our plan, that's our goal: Dominate every snap."

The Patriots haven't lost three in a row since a four-game skid in 2002, but the Chiefs aren't going into this matchup believing New England is any less dangerous just because it's going through a bit of a slump.

Brady's 102.2 passer rating and 36 touchdowns passes were his best marks in four seasons and came despite Gronkowski (one game), Danny Amendola (two) and Edelman all missing time.

"Bill's a friend, he's a heck of a football coach. Tom Brady is unbelievable. And the job they've done there, the accomplishments they've had, they've made history," coach Andy Reid said. "We look forward to the challenge of playing them. That's what this is all about."

The Chiefs also have some potentially serious injury issues. Leading receiver Jeremy Maclin left the wild-card game with a high-ankle sprain and didn't practice until doing so in a limited fashion Thursday. Star pass rushers Houston and Tamba Hali sat out Thursday's drills.

Reid called Maclin and Houston game-time decisions.

Alex Smith relied heavily on Travis Kelce, who finished with eight catches for 128 yards. He also praised the efforts of Charcandrick West and Spencer Ware, who have helped make up for Jamaal Charles' absence.

Ware finished with 67 yards rushing and a touchdown against the Texans. He's dealing with a sprained ankle but is expected to be ready by Saturday.

"Ultimately, it comes down to those two guys," Smith said. "Obviously, I think everybody knew it was a big deal when Jamaal went down and rightfully so. (They're) making the plays in the game and then building off of that, getting the confidence that you know you can do it at this level."

The Chiefs' offense ranked 27th with an average of 331.2 yards per game, but it looked much better in a 41-14 win over the Patriots in last year's meeting -- the second-worst loss of the Belichick era. New England doesn't anticipate that happening again, especially since it appears Chandler Jones should be ready to go.

Jones, who ranked fifth in the league with 12 1/2 sacks, was hospitalized Sunday under mysterious circumstances. As more evidence was revealed, he apologized to his teammates and the New England fans on Thursday for "a pretty stupid mistake" that sent him, shirtless and disoriented, to a local police station. An officer who went to Jones' house to retrieve the player's keys commented on the smell of marijuana.

With that possible distraction and having had nearly two weeks off, it appears the Patriots are ready to get on the field and find a way to end the Chiefs' winning streak.

"The fact that they haven't lost in so long, it's not like you can go to a game and say `This is how this team defeated them.' That just doesn't exist," Belichick said. "So we've got to figure out a way."

This will be the first postseason meeting between the clubs. The Chiefs have lost all five meetings in New England since last winning there in 1990.

[TopekaRoy]

Scouting Report from the Kansas City Star:

BY TEREZ A. PAYLOR
tpaylor@kcstar.com

When the Chiefs run
EDGE >> PATRIOTS

The Patriots have the league’s ninth-best run defense for a reason. Their defensive front is stacked with smart, versatile players with complementary skills. Start from the inside out, where tackles Malcom Brown (6-2, 320) and Alan Branch (6-6, 350) can be disruptive. Brown, a first-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, has a promising future. Brown, 21, year-old flashes quickness and plays with power that should only improve as his body matures. Branch uses his girth and length to win vs. the run, while the Patriots also mix in end Akiem Hicks (6-5, 324) and Sealver Siliga (6-2, 325). On the edge, the Patriots rotate three players — Jabaal Sheard (6-3, 260), Chandler Jones (6-5, 265) and Rob Ninkovich (6-2, 260) — who can hold their own in the running game.

At linebacker, Jamie Collins (6-3, 250) excels at shooting gaps and slithering through creases to make plays in the backfield. He is undersized, but is the Patriots’ leading tackler. Inside linebacker Jerod Mayo (6-1, 250) still packs a punch, but he’s working his way back into being the same player he was before the patella tendon injury that ruined his 2014 season. This unit will receive a lift with the potential return of inside linebacker Dont’a Hightower (6-3, 265), a thick, instinctive linebacker who is rock-solid vs. the run.

When the Chiefs pass
EDGE >> PATRIOTS

The Patriots know how to get after the quarterback — they rank second in the NFL with 49 sacks. What makes them difficult to prepare for is their ability to bring it from different levels.

On the edge, both Jones (12 1/2 sacks) and Sheard (eight sacks) must be accounted for, while Ninkovich — a try-hard type who hasn’t missed a game since 2009 — has also chipped in with 6 1/2 sacks. The Patriots’ interior tackles have also teamed up for nine sacks this year, but their star linebackers are perhaps an even bigger worry, as Collins (5 1/2 sacks) and Hightower (3 1/2 sacks) are adept at getting home, as well.

Collins, who has forced five fumbles this year, is also a nuisance in coverage. He’s a versatile weapon, someone who excels in space — a new-age linebacker, if you will. Hightower, meanwhile, lacks Collins’ man-coverage ability, but is solid in zone.

The secondary is led by safety Devin McCourty (5-10, 195), a former cornerback with very good coverage ability and instincts. He’s flanked by safety Patrick Chung (5-11, 215), another versatile player who is a willing tackler.

At cornerback, Super Bowl hero Malcolm Butler (5-11, 190) also earned his first Pro Bowl berth. Butler is a confident player in coverage who will talk to you after the play. He’s one of the league’s best young corners. He’s flanked by Logan Ryan (5-11, 195), who is a good cover corner and very willing tackler. These two make up one of the best young duos in the league. There is a drop off from there. Third corner Leonard Johnson (5-10, 202) has a good feel for the game but is speed deficient — he ran a 4.71-second 40-yard dash at the 2012 Combine — and can be beaten deep. If the Chiefs can get one of their top receivers matched up on him — Jeremy Maclin, Albert Wilson or Chris Conley — they should take a shot at him.

When the Patriots run
EDGE >> CHIEFS

The Patriots lost their top backs, Dion Lewis and LeGarrette Blount, for the season due to injuries, so veteran Steven Jackson (6-2, 240) and youngsters Brandon Bolden (5-11, 220) and James White (5-10, 205) are sharing the load now. The 32-year-old Jackson, who signed with the Patriots in late December, actually got the start in the Patriots’ last game. The three-time Pro Bowler has fresh legs, but he is still past his prime. At this point, he’s a one-cut, one-speed guy who lacks explosiveness, but he’s got some power and he always falls forward. He can still run you over, and the Patriots like to occasionally get him going downhill behind pulling guards. When the Patriots want a back with a little more quickness, they’ll call on Bolden, who can make you miss with his burst, while White is the best receiver of the bunch — he has 40 catches this season and has earned the trust of quarterback Tom Brady.

The Patriots have also been banged up along the offensive line, and they struggled to generate much movement at the point of attack in the regular-season finale against Miami, when they rushed for a mere 70 yards in 27 carries — an average of 2.6 per carry. The Patriots rank 30th in the league in rushing, so this is a clear advantage for the Chiefs, who boast the league’s sixth-best run defense.

When the Patriots pass
EDGE >> CHIEFS

Any conversation about the Patriots’ passing game begins with star quarterback Tom Brady (6-4, 225), a 16-year veteran who was second in the NFL in quarterback rating (102.2) and first in touchdown passes (36). Brady is beyond battle-tested, at this point; he’s started six Super Bowls, something no other quarterback in NFL history has done, and won four. Brady has the ability to lift his teammates with his competitiveness and skill, and is a threat to lead a comeback victory, no matter the score. But he’s also battling an ankle injury, which could potentially impact his effectiveness. Keep an eye on his velocity and mechanics — Brady struggled with his accuracy and started throwing off his back foot after tweaking the ankle in the regular-season finale against Miami.

His favorite target is hulking tight end Rob Gronkowski (6-6, 265), while his next favorite target is diminutive receiver Julian Edelman (5-10, 200). Edelman is battling a foot injury, but when healthy, he uses superb quickness and route-running ability to make up for his lack of size. He’s similar, in that way, to Danny Amendola (5-11, 190), who actually has the second-most catches on the team (65). The Patriots went 0-3 this season when neither played. Brandon LaFell (6-3, 210) is the deep-ball guy, while Keshawn Martin (5-11, 194) is a quick, slot-type who has flashed during the absences of Edelman and Amendola.

However, the Patriots’ offensive line has been beat up by injuries, its performance uneven. Brady has been sacked 38 times, the ninth-most of any quarterback, and all five of the players who started the Patriots’ Super Bowl win last February have missed games due to injuries.

Special teams
EDGE >> PATRIOTS

Kicker Stephen Gostkowski is one of the league’s best kickers. His field-goals made (33), field-goal percentage (92), touchback percentage (68.3) and extra-point percentage are all superior to the Chiefs’ Cairo Santos. The punt edge, however, goes to the Chiefs, as Dustin Colquitt has dropped 37 punts inside the 20, compared to 31 for Ryan Allen. New England has also surrendered a punt return touchdown, while the Chiefs have not. The Patriots have done a better job covering kicks and have a better punt-return unit, but the Chiefs’ kick return unit is superior, as Knile Davis’ 106-yard kick return touchdown got the Chiefs off to a great start last week against the Texans. So yes, this is very close. But the slightest of edges goes to the Patriots, largely because of the kicker and their familiarity with home-field wind patterns.

Coaching
EDGE >> PATRIOTS

There aren’t many NFL coaches with better resumes than the Chiefs’ Andy Reid, but the Patriots’ Bill Belichick is one of the few. With four Super Bowl titles — including one over Reid in Super Bowl XXXIX — Belichick is the league’s most accomplished coach. He’s also assembled a bright, young staff led by offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and defensive coordinator Matt Patricia. McDaniels, 39, oversees the league’s sixth-best offense, while Patricia, 41, does the same for the league’s ninth-best defense. The Chiefs, meanwhile, rank 27th in total offense and seventh in total defense.

X-factor
EDGE >> CHIEFS

The Patriots are way more banged up than the Chiefs, as key players like Brady and Edelman are banged up while the offensive line — which has used 39 different line combinations, according to ESPN — is a mess. So there’s that. But the situation surrounding Pro Bowl defensive end Chandler Jones, who sought medical attention this week after reportedly smoking synthetic marijuana, is a distraction. It could not have come at a worse time, either. Meanwhile, the Chiefs have been diligently going about their business largely drama-free as winners of 11 straight games.

Bottom line: Patriots 13-10

First of all, the red-hot Chiefs are fully capable of winning this game. They’ve won 11 games in a row, they’re healthier and they haven’t had the distractions the Patriots have had this week. Throw in whatever motivation Reid has to have for wanting to topple Belichick, and the upset is in play. But the rule of thumb in the playoffs is to always pick the team with the best coach and quarterback, and while Reid and Smith are darned good, Brady and Belichick are elite. Of course, that certainly doesn’t guarantee a Patriots win. However, it does mean the defending Super Bowl champs should get the benefit of the doubt, at least from any unbiased observer.

Terez A. Paylor: 816-234-4489, @TerezPaylor.

[TopekaRoy]

Chiefs vs. Patriots: Five Things to Watch

by BJ Kissel Chiefs Reporter Chiefs.com

Five storylines to follow as the Chiefs face the Patriots on Saturday afternoon in the AFC Divisional Round

The Kansas City Chiefs travel to take on the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots on Saturday afternoon at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, in the Divisional Round of the AFC playoffs.

Here are five storylines to follow during the game:

1. Will the magical season for the Chiefs continue?

It’s something we probably won’t fully appreciate until the season has come to a conclusion—whenever that might be.
A season that began with such high hopes faltered early into the depth of a 1-5 hole and the loss of their best offensive player—Jamaal Charles. But this only set the stage to prove what general manager John Dorsey has preached all along—signing and drafting players of high football character.



It was the right group of players and the right leadership to set forth a plan that ultimately was as simple as having everyone grab their shovels and get to work.

They dug themselves out of that early hole to the tune of 11 straight wins, setting franchise records both as a team and individuals in the process, and they’ve now earned the opportunity to play the defending Super Bowl champions in their house for a shot at playing for the Lamar Hunt Trophy in the AFC title game next week.

This season is the 50th anniversary of the Super Bowl, an event only possible because of the strength and vision of Hunt—the founder of the Chiefs and the AFL and a man whose contributions to the game might not ever be fully appreciated.
Both the Chiefs and Patriots are original AFL teams.

This year, these two teams have taken drastically different paths to get to this point. The Patriots won their first 10 games of the season and then proceeded to lose four of their final six, including dropping their last two against the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins.

The Chiefs have won 11 straight and haven’t lost since the Kansas City Royals won the World Series, Eric Fisher moved back to left tackle, Jeff Allen returned after missing the first six games with a knee injury, and also, since former Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez hit the drum during pregame ceremonies before that Steelers game, when all of this winning originated.

On Saturday, it will be 90 days since the Chiefs last lost a football game, and whether or not this magical season continues for the Chiefs all rests on their ability to overcome the challenges undoubtedly awaiting them, something they’ve thrived on this season.

2. Tom Brady and the Patriots quick passing game
The Chiefs defense understands the challenges that await them with the Patriots and quarterback Tom Brady—the best postseason quarterback in NFL history.


“He’s probably the best,” linebacker Derrick Johnson said of Brady. “He’s playing at such a high level that you could play tight coverage and he’s still going to stick it in there.

“We’re going to have to make a play at some point in the game.”

Brady is known for getting the ball out quick, averaging just 2.1 seconds before the ball is out of his hands. This helps negate a defense’s pass rush while at the same time helping an offensive line that has seen numerous injuries this season.

The Patriots have had 13 different starting combinations along the offensive line this season, which is the most of any team in the NFL. The Chiefs have had nine of their own including the game last Saturday against the Texans, which ties them for the second-most in the NFL.

In Week 17, the Patriots started Cameron Fleming at left tackle, Josh Kline at left guard, Bryan Stork at center, Tre’ Jackson at right guard and Marcus Cannon at right tackle.

Those five players have combined for 72 career starts, which are by far the fewest of any OL in the playoffs.

The average number of career starts for an offensive line of the eight teams remaining in the playoffs is 224. The Chiefs have 135 using the starters from the game last week against the Texans.

But with the return of Patriots left tackle Sebastian Vollmer, who missed their last game because of an ankle injury and who has 80 career starts, they will have more than doubled the amount of experience up front.

The Arizona Cardinals have the most experience up front on the offensive line with 395 career games played (an average of 79 games per player).

One of the reasons Brady has been able to get rid of the ball quickly and still find success is because of receiver Julian Edelman, who despite not playing since Week 10, still finished second on the team with 61 receptions for 692 yards with 7 touchdowns in just nine games.



Edelman’s return after a two-month absence from a foot injury means a lot to the Patriots offense. With Edelman on the field, the Patriots converted 50 percent of their third-down attempts and just 33 percent without him.

He’s the go-to guy in most situations for Brady when he’s on the field and healthy, and when it’s not Edelman, it’s tight end Rob Gronkowski, who leads the Patriots with 72 receptions for 1,176 yards and 11 touchdowns this season.

“He's a competitor,” safety Eric Berry said this week of Gronkowski. “With his size and ability, I feel like he's a big time competitor and he's going to compete every chance he gets.”

The Chiefs defensive linemen have already said they’re looking forward to this challenge of facing Brady and this offense.

“I’m licking my chops,” linebacker Justin Houston, who had 2 sacks on Brady in their meeting last year, said of getting after the quarterback this week. “It doesn’t matter if it’s [Tom Brady] back there or someone else. We’ve got a goal in mind and that’s what we’re trying to do.”

The Chiefs defense has allowed less than 12 points per game throughout this 11-game winning streak, a dominance which includes the first postseason shutout in the NFL in more than a decade with their 30-0 win last week over the Texans.

3. Can the Chiefs offensive line control the line of scrimmage?

All the talk leading up to the Wild Card game against the Texans was whether or not the Chiefs offensive line could handle the Texans front seven led by all-everything defensive lineman J.J. Watt and company.

They answered that question and then some.

The guys up front were physical, technical and played with an edge that drew the praise of coach Andy Reid. The Chiefs ran for more than 140 yards and held Watt to just 1 tackle before he left in the second half with an injury.



They have another challenge ahead of them this week with the Patriots, who finished second in the NFL with 49 sacks this season. Chandler Jones, who has drawn plenty of headlines in the past few days, leads the Patriots.

But the area that will be of the utmost importance to the Chiefs will be in the running game, led by the running back tandem of Charcandrick West and Spencer Ware.

Ware is currently battling an ankle injury and his availability for Saturday’s game isn’t yet known, but in the four losses for the Patriots this season, they’ve given up 546 yards rushing combined, with three of the teams (Jets, Eagles, Broncos) all rushing for more than 125 yards.

In three of their last six games, the Patriots allowed more than 125 yards rushing, and they lost each of those games.

4. Alex Smith and whomever is on the other end of the passing game



The questions surrounding veteran receiver Jeremy Maclin and his high-ankle sprain have dominated much of the talk in Kansas City. He’s the team’s leading receiver and his availability for Saturday’s game is in question after suffering the injury last week against the Texans.

He went through the early portion of Thursday’s practice and his status has been described as “day-to-day.” Coach Reid said Maclin would be a game-time decision.

Maclin missed one game earlier in the season against the Pittsburgh Steelers with a concussion. That was also the first of the current 11-game winning streak, which means the Chiefs have beat a playoff team without Maclin on the field. While he doesn’t play defense, it’s still worth noting that the Steelers didn’t have Ben Roethlisberger that day.

In that game back in Week 7, tight end Travis Kelce (5 receptions, 73 yards), second-year receiver Albert Wilson (3 receptions, 61 yards) and rookie Chris Conley (6 receptions, 63 yards and 1 touchdown) all stepped up in Maclin’s absence.



Alex Smith finished 21 of 32 for 251 yards and a touchdown, and it was Conley’s fourth-quarter touchdown that sealed the 23-13 victory.

That was the first time we saw Conley step up in Maclin’s absence, and then we saw it again last week against the Texans.
Just four plays after Maclin left with his injury, Conley caught a 9-yard touchdown and gave the Chiefs a 20-0 lead late in the third quarter. That was Conley’s only catch of the day.

“We’ll be leaning on [Chris Conley] a little bit more and ask him to fulfill that role (if Maclin can’t go),” offensive coordinator Doug Pederson said this week. “[Conley] got some valuable experience and we’ve moved him around in certain packages during the week, so he’s comfortable that way.”

It’s also worth noting that Smith is just 3 touchdown passes shy of becoming the lone franchise leader in postseason touchdown passes. He currently has 5 and is looking up at Pro Football Hall of Famer and Chiefs legend, Len Dawson (7).

5. Will special teams be the difference-maker this time around?

There has been a lot of discussion about whether or not last year’s 41-14 victory for the Chiefs on Monday Night Football over the Patriots means anything going into this game, and if you ask special team’s coach Dave Toub, he’s hoping it doesn’t.

“They got the best of us,” Toub noted. “Even though we won the game, they got us on special teams. We showed that tape a bunch this week already. We could play a lot better against them and we’re using that for motivation this week.”



According to Football Outsiders, the performance last week against the Texans by the Chiefs special teams units was the best of any team in 2015 and one of the best they’ve ever measured.

Here’s what they had to say:

“The Chiefs only fielded one kickoff, but of course Knile Davis returned it for a touchdown.Frankie Hammond averaged 19.5 yards on four punt returns, which is phenomenal.Dustin Colquitt punted four times with no returns; two of the punts landed inside the 10 and another was inside the 20. Cairo Santos had touchbacks on every one of his kickoffs and converted all three field goals, including two of 49 yards.”

Toub noted that the Patriots special teams units are “outstanding,” and that wasn’t the case with the Texans even before the Chiefs played them last week.

If the special teams units for the Chiefs can have an impact in this game, much like the one the Philadelphia Eagles had against the Patriots back in Week 13, when they had a blocked punt returned for a touchdown as well as a punt returned for a touchdown, the chances of knocking off the defending Super Bowl champions will be that much better.

[TopekaRoy]

Videos

NFL.com: Chiefs vs. Patriots Wild Card Preview 2:57

What to watch for 1:55

Focus Point: Chiefs vs Patriots 3:10

ESPN Preview 0:48

CBS Sports: Divisional Picks 1:46

Chiefs @ Patriots Preview 3:35

Eric Coleman Gives Chiefs Advice 2:16

NBC Sports / PFT 3:16

[kcvet]

comon KC do that voodoo you do so well !!!

[ctchiefsfan]

As usual Roy...A MASTERFUL JOB!!! I stayed up until 3:00 am hoping to catch the start of this thread but the ZZZZ monster caught up with me too soon. :(

I hope I'll be able to participate in this thread this afternoon. Like last week, I've taken the night off, but also like last week I'm on call if the restaurant gets busy and when I left last night we already had 18 reservations on the books for tonight so I suspect I'll be back in the kitchen for most of tonight's game.

Gotta say though...I REALLY WANT TO GET TO SEE OUR CHIEFS WIN THE GAME THAT GETS US TO THE AFC CHAMPIONSHIP.