The Patriots were off on Sunday, but from a New England perspective, there was still plenty to keep an eye on. Here are five thoughts on the action.
1. A few things really jump out when you look at the Chiefs. One, you simply can’t let the game get away from you. It’s true with every team, but even moreso when it comes to Kansas City. You have to control the pace and tempo or the Chiefs will just roll over you. On Sunday, the Jags let the thing get out of control in the early going, and they ended up really paying the price. If the Patriots are able to run the ball against a (statistically) substandard run defense and control the pace of the game in the early going, they’ll have an excellent chance to win. But really, no team is more reliant on fast starts than Kansas City. Including Sunday’s game against the Jags, the Chiefs have outscored their opponents 59-9 in the first quarter this season. Drawing first blood and establishing the tempo early is a HUGE reason for their success. Oh, and the fact that Pat Mahomes is crazy good right now.
.@patrickmahomes5 to the @cheetah! Got 'em.
?: CBS #ChiefsKingdom pic.twitter.com/yaPFfcA5cN
— NFL (@NFL) October 7, 2018
This dude Bortles spiked the ball off an O-lineman's head and it turned into an INT LMAOOO ??? pic.twitter.com/dAqH3o0wRi
— New Account (@ftbeard_17) October 7, 2018
"500!!! Dead or alive" -Ben Roethlisberger before he threw this pic.twitter.com/EwaVYmqCuK
— New Account (@ftbeard_17) October 7, 2018
The LOLphins are back!!! ??
Miami was up 17-0 at one point in the 3rd quarter pic.twitter.com/FJzzBPetBc
— New Account (@ftbeard_17) October 7, 2018
WALK OFF WIN FOR THE @BUFFALOBILLS!!!
STEVEN HAUSCHKA'S GAME WINNING FIELD GOAL IS EVEN BETTER WITH TITANIC MUSIC!!!
??? pic.twitter.com/OZvMWfkmvl
— ???TITANIC TD??? (@TitanicTD) October 7, 2018