Kansas City Chiefs: Getting to know the Patriots before Week 4

On Sunday afternoon, the Kansas City Chiefs host a New England Patriots team that looks incredibly different from the last time these teams battled.

In the late afternoon slot, the 3-0 Kansas City Chiefs battle the Tom Brady-less 2-1 New England Patriots. New England replaced Brady with former NFL MVP Cam Newton who was let go by the Carolina Panthers during that organization’s own purging. But the Patriots lost even more players due to several members opting out of the season due to the current, ongoing pandemic.

And still, the Patriots have a winning record after upending the Las Vegas Raiders last weekend, 36-20. In fact, the Patriots were just one yard away in Week 2 from being undefeated.

To get to know New England better before the game, I once again reached out to Tarringo Basile-Vaughan of FanSided’s local Boston site, Chowder and Champions.

Here’s my conversation with Tarringo:

Starting with a broad question, can the Patriots capture the AFC East in 2020?

“You can never count the New England Patriots out in the AFC East. The Buffalo Bills are really their only challenge and that will likely come down to their two matchups this season. The Patriots have a tough schedule, but in coming a yard short of beating the Seattle Seahawks, Bill Belichick’s team showed the rest of the NFL that they will still be a factor in not only the AFC East, but the entire NFL.

While the head-to-head matchups will be key, how Josh Allen and the Bills do outside those matchups will determine the AFC East. If Allen and the Bills stay consistent, they could outlast the Patriots in the AFC East based on the difficulty of New England’s schedule. But again, can’t count out a Bill Belichick coached team that will only get better as the season moves forward.”

Early thoughts on how Cam Newton has fared so far this year?

“Cam Newton has been great.  In one game, he showed off his athleticism with leading the team in rushing. In the game against Seattle, he threw for 397 yards and looked better than ever.  In the game against the Las Vegas Raiders, he did just enough to help his team win. He has been funny, he has been a leader, he has been entertaining all whilst adapting to “The Patriot Way.” I don’t think the Patriots have fully opened up the playbook for Cam Newton, but after 3 weeks the offense has averaged nearly 30 points per game behind a diverse running game, great offensive line play and an energetic Newton who is “tired of being humble.”

Which would be more surprising to you this weekend: if the Patriots defeated the Chiefs, or if the Chiefs blew out the Patriots?

“It would be more surprising if the Kansas City Chiefs blew out the New England Patriots because of Bill Belichick and the threat of Cam Newton. I know the Chiefs handled Lamar Jackson and the Ravens, but if the Patriots have success running the ball, they will keep the ball out of the hands of Patrick Mahomes. On the defensive side, Belichick will find a way to force Mahomes into some early mistakes as history has proved. Will it be enough to completely limit the exciting, young quarterback? It might not be, but slowing down the game gives the Patriots a shot to win the game.”

On defense, who are some Patriots that Chiefs fans need to keep an eye on this Sunday?

“Chiefs fans may get tired of hearing the name Chase Winovich. Not only is the Michigan product morphing into the team’s best pass rusher, his motor is outstanding. The second-year linebacker just does not give up on a play and I could see him chasing down Mahomes a bit in this game.”