The New England Patriots will look to win three in a row in maybe the loudest stadium in all of sports. Monday Night Football kicks off at 8:30PM EST and will feature the (2-1) Patriots vs. the (1-2) Chiefs. Quarterback, Tom Brady, has struggled through the first few games of the season, as the Patriots offensive line does not appear to be as solid as it has been in years past.
The Patriots are being led thus far by their defense that ranks third in total defense and first against the pass in all of the NFL. The Chiefs were thought to be the better defense before the season began, but have struggled to stop the pass so far. The Chiefs run defense still ranks in the top 10 in the league, but with the Patriots potent passing attack, it will be interesting to see if the Chiefs secondary is exposed again.
Leading that secondary is Hispanic cornerback, Sean Smith. Smith who hails from Pasadena, CA is one of the top cornerbacks in the league. He played tough against Peyton Manning and the Broncos two weeks ago, and helped defeat his former team the Miami Dolphins last Sunday. Smith knows that he faces his toughest task of the season on Monday night in Tom Brady.
“There’s going to be some adversity there,” he said. “Brady is capable of moving the chains and our defense has to make some stops. But as long as we play with a lot of energy, we’ll be alright.”
Another point of emphasis is Chiefs field goal kicker, Brazilian born Cairo Santos. The 22-year-old Santos has struggled so far on the young season, going a meager 2 for 4 on field goal attempts thus far. He will look to get back on track however at home against New England. The Patriots feature their own Latino players in Linebacker Mike Rivera (who will not play in this game) and Italian quarterback, Jimmy Garoppolo. Despite the attention surrounding the rookie QB, all eyes will be on veteran Tom Brady.
Brady struggled against subpar teams Miami and Minnesota on the road, and was mediocre at best against Oakland. Through three games Brady has only thrown for 632 passing yards and three touchdowns.
The Chiefs currently are second in the Guinness Book of World Records for the loudest outdoor stadium record with 137.7 decibels. The record is held by the Seattle Seahawks, but the Chiefs fans are looking to beat that record tonight on Monday Night Football.
The Chiefs should get a confidence boost with the return of all-pro running back Jamal Charles who was out last week with a sprained ankle. Charles will look to attack the tough Patriots defense and break the Chiefs out of their current home slumps.
If Brady can attack the Chiefs secondary that is without Brandon Flowers, he should be able to get points on the board as he arguably has the best set of receivers in the game. Look for New England tight end, Rob Gronkowski and wide-receiver Julian Edelman to have big games as the Patriots sneak by the Chiefs in a tough road test.
My Prediction: 31 – 27 New England
Betting Odds Courtesy Of Bovada.lv:
New England Patriots: -3.5 / -155 Moneyline
Kansas City Chiefs: +3.5 / +135 Moneyline
Over/Under: 47
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