Patriots fall to the Chiefs, 27-17: Quick observations after Patriots fade in second half
Bailey Zappe and the Patriots’ offense gained just 57 total yards in the second half.
After a promising start on offense, New England ran out of steam in the second half against the Chiefs en route to a 27-17 loss at Gillette Stadium.
Despite some stretches of strong play on both sides of the ball, a sluggish second half and several costly penalties at critical junctures of the game limited New England’s ability to keep up with the likes of Patrick Mahomes and Co.
The Patriots are now 3-11 on the season, while the Chiefs are 9-5.
Here are a few early observations from Sunday’s loss in Foxborough:
Bailey Zappe starts strong … but fades down the stretch.
Has Bailey Zappe … fixed New England’s offense?
You can certainly make the case — in the first half of games.
After throwing three first-half touchdowns in New England’s road win over the Steelers on Dec. 7, New England’s second-year QB once again kept his team in the fight in the first half of Sunday’s showdown against the reigning Super Bowl champions.
Zappe has developed a knack for starting off strong since taking over as QB1 for New England. In his last two games, Zappe has completed 31-of-40 pass attempts with four touchdowns and zero interceptions in the first half.
New England trailed KC, 14-10, at the half. But Zappe couldn’t keep up his high level of play as Sunday’s game progressed.
After KC padded their lead with a field goal from Harrison Butker just 4:31 into the third quarter, Zappe’s next throw was easily snagged out of the air by Chiefs linebacker Willie Gay for a brutal interception.
Just two plays later, Patrick Mahomes hit Clyde Edwards-Helaire for a six-yard touchdown to give Kansas City a 24-10 lead.
It was a brutal sequence for a Patriots team that had little margin for error against a team like Kansas City.
New England eventually found the end zone again in the fourth quarter — with an interception from linebacker Jahlani Tavai setting the stage for an 18-yard rushing score from Kevin Harris with 8:24 to go in regulation.
But by that point, it was too little, too late against a Chiefs team that added to its lead throughout the afternoon.
Despite their strong start, Zappe and New England gained just 57 total yards on their eight drives of the second half. Zappe finished the game 23-of-31 on pass attempts for 180 yards, one touchdown and one pick.
Zappe’s pocket poise and arm strength have offered much higher returns than what Mac Jones provided during his extended reign as New England’s starting QB.
Still, it hasn’t been enough to elevate a Patriots offense still severely lacking in terms of talent and execution.
Penalties loom large
Even though New England did fade down the stretch of Sunday’s loss, a few brutal penalties limited the Patriots’ ability to build some early breathing room.
New England’s second drive of the afternoon offered plenty of promise, with Zappe airing the ball out against KC’s defense and marching 63 yards down the field. But after starting a 1st-and-10 on the Chief’s 12-yard line, Demario Douglas was whistled for a facemask that put the Patriots back another 15 yards.
The drive eventually stalled out in frustrating fashion when rookie Chad Ryland missed a 41-yard field goal.
In the second quarter, New England gained new life after Zappe hit Hunter Henry for a 16-yard touchdown off of a 4th-and-2 sequence.
On Kansas City’s next offensive play, Mahomes was picked off by rookie Marte Mapu for the first interception of his career — giving New England another drive that started at the Chiefs’ eight-yard line.
On a 3rd-and-3 play, Zappe evaded pressure and hit Henry for another touchdown that would have given the Patriots a 14-7 edge — only to have the score get nullified by a holding penalty against left tackle Conor McDermott. Ryland eventually connected on a field goal to cap off the drive, but New England still left four points out there on the field.
As has been the case all year, Jabrill Peppers sparked some momentum for New England’s defense in the third quarter, recovering a fumble and bringing it to New England’s 41-yard line.
But Peppers’s turnover was quickly turned aside after corner Alex Austin was whistled for defensive holding, allowing KC’s drive to continue. Butker eventually connected on a 29-yard-field goal to give the visitors a 17-10 lead that would continue to build.
Injuries strike New England’s O-line
The injury bug stung New England once again on Sunday. Already without starting left tackle Trent Brown on Sunday due to illness, the Patriots also lost their starting left guard Cole Strange midway through the second quarter.
The Patriots’ second-year guard needed to be carted off the field after suffering a knee injury — with both New England and Kansas City players kneeling around him before he was shuttled off the field.
The Patriots immediately ruled Strange out for the remainder of the game due to a knee issue. With Strange out, rookie Atonio Mafi replaced him at left guard for the remainder of the game.
Strange, who missed most of the preseason due to a knee injury, was playing his best stretch of the season before going down with his injury.
In the fourth quarter, New England tabbed McDermott as questionable to return due to a head injury, prompting Vederian Lowe to step in at left tackle. McDermott did not return to the game.
New England’s offensive line relinquished four sacks and six quarterback hits in the loss.
Special-teams woes continue
Most of the criticism doled out against the 2023 Patriots has centered around their lackluster offense.
But New England’s special-teams unit — once a pillar of strength in Foxborough — has left a whole lot to be desired.
Brendan Schooler got New England started on the wrong foot, with his team-leading fifth penalty of the season negating what was a 46-yard return from Jalen Reagor on the first play of the afternoon. As a result, New England had to start its opening drive on its own 13-yard-line en route to a 3-and-out.
As noted by 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Alex Barth, Schooler now has more special teams penalties this year than both the entire Eagles (3) and Chargers (4) rosters.
To make matters worse, New England left points on the board later in the first quarter after Ryland missed his 41-yard field goal attempt in the fourth. Ryland has now only made 13 of his 20 field-goal attempts this season.
For those keeping track, veteran kicker Nick Folk — who New England let go in favor of Ryland this preseason — entered Sunday afternoon with 26 made field goals on 27 attempts with the Titans.
A Swiftie Showing
Of course, plenty of the headlines drawn from Sunday’s showdown between the Patriots and Chiefs had little to do with what played out on the field — but rather, who was taking in the game from the luxury suites.
After plenty of rumors swirled throughout the week, music superstar Taylor Swift was in attendance for Sunday’s game to watch her boyfriend — Chiefs star tight end Travis Kelce — play.
Swift drew a loud cheer from the Gillette Stadium crowd when she was shown on the videoboard in the second quarter.
Despite Swift’s appearance, Kelce didn’t end up doing all that much in Sunday’s win — catching five balls for just 28 total yards.
Odds and Ends
New England’s O-line was far from the only segment of the roster that was crushed by injuries on Sunday. Special-teams captain Matthew Slater spent time in the medical tent in the third quarter after appearing to injure his knee during a punt-return sequence.
He was later joined in the blue tent by tight end Hunter Henry, who was slow to get up on several occasions due to some low hits doled out by KC’s defense. Later in the fourth quarter, veteran linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley was banged up after a scrum near the line of scrimmage, but later returned to the game.
Henry — who was tabbed as questionable to return due to a knee ailment — finished the game with seven catches for 66 yards and a touchdown in Sunday’s loss.
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One thing worth keeping tabs on postgame: Cornerback J.C. Jackson did not play a single snap on Sunday against the Chiefs, even though he was on the active roster.
Alex Austin started in his place for most of the afternoon. Considering that backup corner Shaun Wade was inactive, it was a perplexing decision, even if Jackson has struggled over several stretches during his second go-around in Foxborough.
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LIVE UPDATES
3:37: Kevin Harris runs it in from 18 yards out. New England trails, 27-17, with 8:24 left in the fourth quarter.
3:36: Tavai picks off Mahomes. New England’s defense is still trying to keep this team in it.
3:34: Another punt for New England leads to plenty of boos.
3:33: Henry is questionable to return with a knee injury.
3:29: Wise and Wilson team up for a sack on Mahomes. Punt for KC.
3:25: Now Ja’Whaun Bentley is down for New England.
3:20: Another hit against Henry has him hobbling to the sidelines.
3:16: End Third: Patriots trail the Chiefs, 27-10.
3:14: Nice hit from Jon Jones to break up a pass.
3:13: Matthew Slater is clearly hurting after that punt return.
3:11: Man, Zappe is getting crushed over these last few drives.
3:05: Kansas City is really starting to pull away. Butler hits on a 54-yard field goal and the Chiefs take a 27-10 lead.
2:50: Mahomes connects on a TD pass. 24-10 Chiefs with 9:22 left in the third.
2:48: A brutal throw from Zappe there. Chiefs now start at New England’s 7 after that pick.
2:44: A nice stand by New England’s defense in the red zone. Butker connects on a field goal to give KC a 17-10 lead.
Quite a few flops from Kelce on that drive.
2:38: Penalties continue to plague New England. A fumble recovery by Jabrill Peppers is negated by a defensive holding call on Alex Austin.
Brutal.
2:37: That didn’t last very long. Jones is back on the field.
2:35: Jonathan Jones is questionable to return with a knee injury.
2:21: Halftime: KC takes a 14-10 lead. KC will get the ball in the second half.
2:17: Mahomes to Jerick McKinnon for an 8-yard touchdown. Kansas City takes a 14-10 lead with 35 seconds left in the half.
Chiefs will also get the ball in the second half.
2:09: This Mahomes guy is pretty good. 31-yard throw to Watson on a 3rd-and-8.
2:02: Ryland’s kick from 25 yards is good. Patriots take a 10-7 lead off of Mapu’s clutch pick.
2:00: Zappe evades pressure and hits Henry again for a touchdown, but it’s called off for a hold on McDermott.
1:58: What a play by Marte Mapu. He picks off Majomes and New England starts from KC’s 8-yard line.
1:53: A clutch play from Zappe. On a 4th-and-2, Zappe hits Hunter Henry for a 16-yard touchdown. 7-7 game.
Zappe is 16-18 passing for 135 yards and 1 TD today
1:50: Contested catch for Parker for 19 yards. Nice grab.
1:47: Cart is coming out for Cole Strange. Plenty of teammates knelt down around him before he was loaded on the cart.
1:45: Henry has been having a strong game. 5 catches for 41 yards. Doing plenty of damage over the middle.
1:42: Your scheduled Taylor Swift update.
1:39: Christian Barmore continues to wreak havoc. 7-yard sack on Mahomes. Team-leading 5.5 sacks for him.
1:36: End First: KC leads, 7-0. Chiefs will start on their own 27 yard line to start the second.
1:29: Rice finds the end zone. McKinnon with the passing touchdown. 7-0 Chiefs with 1:30 left in the first.
1:28: Edwards-Helaire picks up 48 yards for KC off a screen. Plenty of real estate in front of him.
1:22: Wooof. Chad Ryland misses on a 41-yard field goal. Still 0-0 with 3:35 left in the quarter.
1:20: Pop giveth … Douglas whistled for a face-mask. New England goes back 15 yards.
1:18: Welcome back, Pop Douglas. He picks up another first down. 16 yard pickup.
1:17: Henry with another nice gain but he’s banged up. He’s slowly making his way off the field.
1:16: Back-to-back first down completions by Henry and Parker.
1:14: Alex Austin started over J.C. Jackson on that opening drive.
1:11: Kansas City can’t convert on its first drive. Butker’s kick from 39 goes wide. Still scoreless. First miss this season.
1:06: Patriots go 3-and-out.
1:06: New England’s starting O-line: LT: Conor McDermott LG: Cole Strange C: David Andrews RG: Sidy Sow RT: Mike Onwenu
1:04: Another brutal penalty from Brenden Schooler. His fifth of the year. Jalen Reagor’s return initially went 46 yards, but now New England’s starts at its 13.
1:02: There are a LOT of Chiefs fans here.
1:01: Kansas City wins the coin toss and defer. Patriots offense up first.
12:59: New England’s response?
12:53: And yes, Taylor Swift is here.
12:50: Not good new as far as inactives go for New England. Trent Brown is a sizable loss on the O-line, especially with Chris Jones lining up against the Patriots today.
12:45: How are we feeling?
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