Monday Night Football: Chiefs at Patriots, Scott Pioli's Team Faces the True Patriot Way For the First Time
By Jason Lisk
Year two saw improvement. A draft class had many members who contributed, including top pick Eric Berry, guys like Dexter McCluster and Javier Arenas on special teams, and TE Tony Moeaki. The weak schedule made the 10-6 record and playoff appearance show better than it really was, and Kansas City looked a long way off after a blowout home loss to Baltimore in the wildcard round.
Three years in, and things are not moving forward. Key injuries have certainly played a role, as the best player on offense (Jamaal Charles) and one of the best on defense (Berry) were lost for the season early. Matt Cassel is now out, officially placed on IR tody.. Kansas City is near the bottom in point differential despite the 4-5 record.
How big is the divide between Pioli’s new team and the old one? We find out tonight, as the Chiefs are massive underdogs on the road on Monday Night Football. The Chiefs aren’t where the fans hoped after three seasons into the Pioli era. The offense is a mess, before Cassel was hurt, and there is a rift between Haley and Cassel that has perpetually brewed. Pioli picked both. They didn’t necessarily pick each other, though.
New England should be able to do what they want offensively with their two tight ends and Wes Welker going against Kansas City’s safeties, linebackers, and nickel corners. The one guy who can stay with New England’s weapons athletically is Derrick Johnson, but Brady will probably just choose to avoid whoever he (and Brandon Flowers on the outside) is covering. Glenn Dorsey is also out tonight, thinning out the defensive line.
On the other side, Tyler Palko is the great unknown. He is 28 years old and has thrown 13 career passes in the NFL. To this point, his claim to fame is being the other quarterback in the Joe Flacco-Pitt affair. He is undersized and his performance in the preseason inspires no great confidence. The best hope is that he can be like the better version of another Tyler that played for Kansas City a few years ago, Tyler Thigpen. Kansas City will want to move him around, and let him make plays with his feet. Look for short passes early. The Patriots defense has been vulnerable, but played well in getting pressure on Mark Sanchez in the last game. They don’t exactly draw a difficult assignment in this one. A bad performance from New England should reaffirm fears, even if they win.
[photo via Getty]