Chiefs defense won't sleep on Patriots offense
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Charles Goldman
The New England Patriots have struggled to find consistency on offense this season, yet the Kansas City Chiefs are still giving their offense a great deal of respect.
Bailey Zappe, in particular, seems to have given this team a bit of stability at the quarterback position down the stretch. His steady and efficient nature has certainly caught the eye of Steve Spagnuolo as he gets his defense prepared for the trip to New England in Week 14.
“I tell you what, I see a really good, efficient football player that can move the ball,” Spagnuolo said. “I was watching one of the TV games – sometimes I put the TV games on to hear the – he’s won football games for them; I think they’re doing the right things with him. To me when they’ve got either of those running backs going, I think their quarterback becomes really pretty good.
“I know they’ve had injuries at wideout, but those two tight ends now that they are both healthy, I think they can be a little bit of a stress on us, we’ve got to be cautious of that. We probably haven’t played – I’d have to think back to teams we’ve played – but these two tight ends as pass catchers are as good of a twosome as I think we’ve faced.”
As for slowing down the offense, the focus is going to be on RB Zeke Elliott, who is filling in for starting RB Rhamondre Stevenson.
“We’re always talking about killing the engine,” Spagnuolo said. “The engine to us is the running back. We’ve got to make sure they don’t get him going. They won’t give up on trying to do that, we understand that. (Patriots Head) Coach (Bill) Belichick, best in the business, he understands it. Their defense is terrific – I told the guys the other day that we need to match or be better than their defense, to help our team win.
“They’re challenging because they play as a team, they win as a team, they find ways to win. You’re onto something, if we don’t bow up and play a physical game to match their physicality, they will make it tough.”
Chiefs L'Jarius Sneed is allowed ONE catch vs. Bills Stefon Diggs!
Dave Toub doubles down on his Chamarri Conner take:
The same week that Chiefs ST coordinator Dave Toub lauded Chamarri Conner as a player who has a bright future ahead of him, he was thrust into action on the defensive side of the ball. He played his most defensive snaps in a single game and recorded his first career interception.
“I hope I get him (Chamarri Conner) for the rest of the season,” Toub said. “I hope that’s the case. He’s a good football player. He’s going to get more and more on defense. In fact, he got 62 plays last game if you add up everything because I have to look at that all the time, how much is a guy getting, he was the most. If that continues, I’m going to have to pull him back because right now he’s a four-phase guy. He plays on everything right now for me, and that may be something I have to do.”
With Mike Edwards missing from practice so far this week, Conner could see a second consecutive week with an increase in snaps on the defensive side of the ball.
Only Weird Games: Chiefs ARE NOT as Great As They Once Were — And That's OK!
Nate Taylor, Seth Keysor, and Joshua Brisco look ahead to the Kansas City Chiefs matchup against the New England Patriots and discuss their expectations for the team for the rest of the season.
Thursday Injury Report:
Quick Hits:
- The Athletic’s Nate Taylor delves into what the Chiefs are doing to fix their issues.
- Chiefs WR Kadarius Toney finally spoke on the Week 14 penalty and whether the referees gave him a warning.
- The Kelce Brothers made fun of Giants QB Tommy DeVito’s agent on their podcast.
Important Dates Ahead:
- Dec. 17: NFL Week 15 - Chiefs at Patriots
- Dec. 25: NFL Week 16 - Chiefs vs. Raiders
- Dec. 31: NFL Week 17 - Bengals at Chiefs
