Patriots head coach Bill Belichick: Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes-Tyreek

Hill connection can kill teams on short and long pass plays Tonight Limited Danny Shelton Jersey , the New England Patriots will face their biggest challenge of the year when the unbeaten Kansas City Chiefs come to town. Combining an explosive offensive attack with an opportunistic yet at times inconsistent defense, the Chiefs are sitting at 5-0 heading into their game against the 3-2 Patriots – a contest that will likely have an enormous impact on the AFC’s playoff picture even this early during the season.Naturally, New England needs to bring its A-game as the Chiefs pose problems on both sides of the football. In the latest episode of the Belestrator, head coach Bill Belichick illustrated just how those problems look like: Belichick and quarterback-turned-commentator took a look at Kansas City’s pass rush, and the team’s explosive passing game led by second-year passer Patrick Mahomes:Belichick and Zolak start by taking a look at Kansas City’s defense, led by linemen Chris Jones and Dee Ford. “[Jones] is long, quick, powerful Jason McCourty Jersey , he can make plays with his power, with his quickness, with his pursuit; he bats balls, he’s a good pass rusher,” Belichick said about the Chiefs’ starting defensive tackle who is ranked as Pro Football Focus’ 22nd best player at his position this year.“He can ruin the game and so can Dee Ford,” Belichick continued. “This guy’s as fast as a pass rusher as we’ll see all year. He’s got good quickness.” Ford currently leads the Chiefs with 4.0 sacks and with fellow linebacker Justin Houston likely out tonight will play an even more important role when it comes to stopping Tom Brady and the Patriots’ offense. “Those two guys cause a lot of negative plays for the Chiefs defense.”While Jones and Ford are without a doubt outstanding players, the main reason for Kansas City’s success so far in 2018 is the team’s offense led by MVP candidate Patrick Mahomes and explosive pass catchers Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce. New England needs to find a way to slow the two talented receivers down today: the duo has combined for 55 catches this season, for 832 yards and six scores.“We’re dealing with a strong-armed quarterback Troy Niklas Jersey , and a receiver with explosive speed that can run through any type of defense,” Belichick said about the Mahomes-Hill connection, which hooked up 27 times so far this year. “[Hill] can kill you on the short plays just as quickly as he can kill you on the long ones.”Kelce cannot be forgotten either, though. Arguably the NFL’s second best tight end behind the Patriots’ Rob Gronkowski, the 29-year old leads Kansas City with 28 catches. “Kelce [is] really a go-to guy for them anywhere on the field but particularly in the red area and near the goal line,” said Belichick about him. “This guy’s a really good football player, especially in the red area, third down Limited Donald Trump Jersey , and goal-line situations.”Belichick’s breakdown further confirms one thing: New England will have its hands full today.The Patriots’ matchup against the Chiefs looks familiar We’ve seen this before haven’t we? Those of us who remember the Patriots vs. Colts battles back in the day have seen this before. When I sit back and analyze the matchup between New England and the Kansas City Chiefs I’m brought back to that place in time. Why do I feel like this is a blast from the past? Let’s discuss and I’ll paint a picture.Quarterback playThe Chiefs have a highly touted quarterback who is rolling at the moment. While he’s not a Peyton Manning by any means, he comes into this game with similar intangibles. Both are accurate throwers with Patrick Mahomes having a cannon for a arm. The biggest difference between the two at this stage is Mahomes has scrambling ability unlike Peyton who was a true pocket passer. Look for the Patriots defense to try and keep Mahomes in the pocket without letting him extend plays with his legs.Running back playEdgerrin James and Kareem Hunt both possess the ability to take over a game on the ground. When I think about it they have a similar set of skills. While it is a different league now than when James played, the headache is still there. The Patriots always handled James, something they weren’t able to do last season with Hunt. The Patriots have to keep him in check for them to be successful in this game.Wide receiversWhere to begin with this one? The Colts brought in Marvin Harrison as their number one receiver. The Chiefs bring in Tyreek Hill who can flat out fly. I know you can’t allow Hill to go off in this game. The absolute lethal speedster can cause havoc both as a wideout and a punt returner. Don’t even kick it near him if you don’t have to. The Patriots defense will need to be very aware of him at all times. I suppose you can say Sammy Watkins would be the Chiefs’ equivalent of Reggie Wayne. I don’t personally believe that, but for this we can roll with it. The Kansas City wideout is a bit of a wildcard. They gotta be aware of him on the field, assuming he suits up. The Patriots defense will have their hands full this week just like they did back in the day with the Colts.I hope I connected the dots for everyone in my comparisons. We’ve seen this song and dance quite a few times haven’t we? Let’s hope like the other times the Pats get a win Sunday night.You can follow me on Twitter @Chris_Blackey and as always – Go, Pats!