FOXBOROUGH — On a night where defense was just a rumor, it was linebacker Dont’a Hightower's big play that made the difference in the early going.
In Sunday's win over the Chiefs, the veteran was able to come away with a key turnover in the first quarter, setting the Patriots up with terrific field position on the way to their first touchdown of the night.
On the play, Kansas City was sitting on a first and 10 at their own 23. Pat Mahomes dropped back to pass, and Hightower appeared to deliver a neat deke on Mahomes, faking a blitz and dropping into coverage in the middle of the field. Mahomes fired for tight end Travis Kelce, but Hightower stepped in front of the throw and returned it all the way to the Chiefs’ 4-yard line, setting up the Patriots first touchdown of the night.
“I thought (Hightower) was coming in on a blitz, and I kind of lost him,” Mahomes said after the game. “(Kelce) had beat his man so I was trying to get the ball on him as fast as possible to let him go to work with it. (Hightower) had dropped back into coverage and I just didn’t see him and I ended up throwing it. He made a great play.”
First regular season interception of @zeus30hightower's career leads to the first TD of the night. #KCvsNE | #GoPats pic.twitter.com/9tfRiixkMC
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) October 15, 2018
The Closer makes an appearance right before halftime. @dharm32 | #KCvsNE | #GoPats pic.twitter.com/WtkNLnxAA6
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) October 15, 2018