Former Patriots defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel came in with a great game plan to stop Tom Brady, and it still hasn’t been enough.
New England leads 10-3 at halftime despite an inspired effort by the Chiefs.
Midway through the second quarter, the Patriots only had 33 yards on 18 plays. The Chiefs had 133 yards at the time, with three sacks of Tom Brady, including a strip sack.
But the Chiefs struggled in the red zone, and had too many costly penalties. A blown coverage led to a 52-yard touchdown by Rob Gronkowski to give the Patriots the lead.
Tyler Palko has looked rather competent at times, completing 10-of-14 throws for 111 yards. The Chiefs have dominated the line of scrimmage at other times. It all only added up to three points.
Over the last six games, New England has averaged only nine points in the first half of games. They have usually played better at halftime.
That doesn’t bode well for the Chiefs.