Kansas City Chiefs: The Patriots Biggest Threat
By Ben Almquist
Defense:
Pass Rush
It has been a bit of a slow season for the Kansas City Chiefs pass rush, thanks largely to injury issues. However, this is as dangerous a unit as any in the NFL, and they are finally looking healthy. Star pass rusher Justin Houston already has one safety on the year, and is well noted for his ability to force fumbles. You had better believe Tom Brady knows that.
Apart from Justin Houston, the Chiefs also have players like Dee Ford, Dontari Poe, and Chris Jones who have shown the ability to wreak havoc in an opposing backfield. There is also Tamba Hali who should be coming into the postseason relatively fresh after a season of limited snap counts. That is a scary group for an opposing quarterback.
If the Patriots get pinned deep, they are going to have to rely on their run game to get them out of trouble. That’s not necessarily bad for New England. They can run the ball and KC struggles to stop the run. However, it does limit the playbook dramatically, and you never know when a guy will bust through the line to make a stop. Chiefs punter Dustin Colquitt excels at pinning opponents deep, so this is a scenario that may come up.