Patriots could lean on a familiar formula when it comes to trying to stop Pat Mahomes, Chiefs

FOXBOROUGH — The best way for the Patriots to slow the Chiefs' offense is to go back and rewatch how some opponents used to try and slow Tom Brady.

The Kansas City offense is a wagon right now. It just put up 30 points on the Jaguars, a top 5 defense that smothered the Patriots in Jacksonville earlier this season. The Chiefs are averaging 35 points a game, and have a boatload of elite offensive options around quarterback Pat Mahomes.

The best way to beat them? Keep him off the field. According to former Chiefs defensive lineman Mike DeVito, keep him and the rest of the Kansas City offense for as long as humanly possible. Slow the game down, control the tempo and work the clock. That’s one thing Devito recommended to me in a conversation Wednesday morning.


DeVito, a New England native who grew up on Cape Cod before going on to play for the Jets and Chiefs, said it was what teams he was a part of always tried to do when going against Brady and the Patriots. And while those game plans enjoyed varying degrees of success, he can see New England trying the same thing Sunday night against Kansas City.

“It’s tough to slow (the Chiefs) down, but having played the Patriots so many times, that’s was always our biggest point of emphasis,” Devito said when asked about the pace of the game. “What we always wanted to do was play excellent complementary football — limit mistakes and keep Brady off the field. Run the ball and eat up the clock. That’s probably the best mindset for the Patriots against Kansas City and Mahomes.”

Of course, there’s zero margin for error whenever you face a team as talented as the Chiefs. But when you’re going against a quick-strike team like Kansas City, it’s an even greater point of emphasis.

“They have so many good players on that offense, with guys like (Travis) Kelce and Kareem Hunt and Tyreek Hill,” Devito said. “And when you pair them with Mahomes, it just makes for a deadly combination. I know that Kansas City had high expectations for Mahomes — I know they were excited about him last year, but I can’t imagine anyone in the organization realized he could be this good. He’s been playing pretty close to perfect football. That’s fun to watch.”

The Chiefs' first-quarter scoring differential of plus-50 is the best in the NFL. In addition, they’re third in the league in terms of plays of 20 yards or more, trailing only the Rams and Saints, and tied for fifth when it comes to plays of 40 yards or more (four). Mahomes can hit you with a bolt of lightning, and all of a sudden, you’re down by two scores.

For what it’s worth, New England is one of the best teams in the league when it comes to slowing big plays. The Patriots are tied for fifth when it comes to defending plays of 20-plus yards, having allowed 12. And they’re tied for first when it comes to defending plays of 40-plus yards (just one). Ultimately, it’ll be a challenge for both teams.

For the Patriots, the goal is clear — put together some steady, consistent drives that allow them to control the tempo. Whether that means running the ball with the likes of Sony Michel and James White or working the short passing game with Julian Edelman and others, it would appear to be a formula for success. The alternative? As we saw in the Jags-Chiefs game, it isn’t pretty.

“The difference is that if the Kansas City defense makes a stop, things can get out of hand really quickly,” Devito said of the Chiefs’ offense. “When you go in with that game plan, as conservative as it sounds, it can come back to bite you. If KC gets a stop, the Patriots have to punt, I mean, given their track record, Kansas City could be up two scores quick.

“A lot of teams see Kansas City’s defensive stats, and they’re skewed because they’ve had leads and have been willing to trade yards for clock. Honestly, the best way to beat them is a lot like the way we used to game plan for the Patriots when I was in New York. We wanted to use the clock and keep Brady off the field. The problem with that? You better be able to put points on the board when you have your chance, or it’s going to be a long day.”