KC Chiefs Have Ultimate Respect for Bill Belichick Entering Game vs. Patriots

New England may have a poor record, but Kansas City still recognizes the excellent coach standing on the sideline this year.

Much of the talk this week has been about the Kansas City Chiefs' closing schedule. Over the next four weeks, Andy Reid's team will face four consecutive backup quarterbacks. That stretch kicks off with a Week 15 matchup against Bailey Zappe and the New England Patriots, who have a 3-10 record. Taking down this version of a Bill Belichick squad should be easy, right?

Not necessarily, if you ask Kansas City.

Even with New England being 1-5 in its last six games, the Chiefs aren't taking them lightly. They understand the damage that a Belichick-led team can still do if an opponent doesn't come prepared. Speaking to the media this week, Reid tipped his cap to Belichick and assured everyone that the hosts will be ready for whatever's thrown their way on Sunday. 

“Listen, he’s the best," Reid said. "I mean, he’s a phenomenal coach, you know his guys are going to be ready. They’re well-coached and they play hard, you know that. That’s a tribute to him for how he goes about his business.”

To say it's been a bumpy season for the Patriots would be an understatement. As the franchise continues to navigate a post-Tom Brady world, success has been extremely difficult to come by. This year's offense seemed poised to help the team take at least a small step forward, with many picking New England to win between six and nine games. Barring some unprecedented improvement, that isn't going to happen. Through 14 weeks, the Patriots rank dead last in scoring and are 28th in yards gained on the offensive side of the ball.

While the offense is flailing, the Patriots' defense is still a very solid group. That's always expected. Ranking eighth in the league in yards, the unit is also fifth in points surrendered per drive. On an EPA per play basis, New England ranks 12th on defense. Its success rate is ninth. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is well aware of the challenges posed by a Belichick defense. 

“I think they do a great job of making everything look very similar but doing little things here and there to change it up," Mahomes said. "That’s where they get you in trouble at the quarterback position. He knows tendencies. He’s going to really break it down, what you do well and try to take that away. Even if they play a coverage and the rules say you might need to play it this way, he’s going to adjust it just enough to affect where you want to go as a quarterback. It’s a great challenge for you. I think that’s why you see the young quarterbacks, especially like I was early in my career, you have trouble. Even veteran quarterbacks. You think you know where to go with the ball before the snap, but he makes those adjustments week in and week out to take those away and make you get through your progressions and be perfect every play. It will be a great challenge obviously for the offense, but for me especially.”

In three career regular-season outings against the Patriots, Mahomes has completed 65% of his passes while throwing for 871 yards, seven touchdowns and three interceptions. His playoff numbers in one game versus New England are mostly brilliant, as were his stats the last time he saw them back in Week 4 of the 2020 season. With that said, some first halves of those games saw the reigning NFL MVP struggle to catch on early. 

In many ways, the Patriots are a throwback team. They value a balanced attack on offense, stopping the run on defense and being physical. The 'Patriot Way' of getting the most out of every single practice rep and preparing like a consummate professional remains in place, even if it doesn't make the same impact it used to. Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones refers to New England as "well-coached" and Belichick as "hard-nosed" and "generational." On paper, there shouldn't be much of a reason for the Chiefs to be too cognizant of this game. They're a significantly better team. That isn't stopping them from recognizing the greatness of Belichick, though, as Sunday draws nearer.

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