Once again, the New England Patriots are heading to the AFC Championship Game. The Patriots had little trouble against the Chiefs, as Kansas City attempted to match touchdowns with field goals in the first half. On the first drive of the third quarter, it looked like Kansas City would make this an interesting game, but Knile Davis fumbled in New England territory. Tom Brady led his team down the field for another touchdown as a result, throwing another one to Rob Gronkowski and making it 21-6. New England never looked back. Alex Smith led the Chiefs to within seven points by the end of the game, but some poor clock management forced the Chiefs to attempt an onside kick with about one minute left. After New England recovered, Brady needed one first down to win and a wacky deflection got the job done. The Patriots will either head to Denver or host the Steelers next weekend.
Here at Last Word on Sports, we’ll be handing out post game awards immediately after each NFL playoff game. In particular, we’ll be naming a game MVP, most surprising performance, an unsung hero and the biggest disappointment.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at which players distinguished themselves (both good and bad) with their performance today.
Kansas City Chiefs vs New England Patriots Post Game Awards
Game MVP: Tom Brady
What else is new? Tom Brady had another fantastic playoff performance and he clearly deserves the MVP award for this game. The Kansas City defense had no answer for the Patriots passing attack all game. Brady completed 28 of his 42 pass attempts for 302 passing yards, three total touchdowns, and no interceptions. What makes Brady’s performance even more impressive is the fact that he had very little help from his running game, as the Patriots finished with only 38 rushing yards. Brady’s quest for five rings lives on for another week at least.
Surprise Performance: Julian Edelman
Julian Edelman is a very good wide receiver, but I’m still listing him as the surprise performance only because he came into this game banged up and he hadn’t played since November. The dynamic slot receiver caught 10 passes for 100 yards and he was the leading receiver for New England. While he did drop a few passes at the beginning of the game, he eventually got into a rhythm and couldn’t be slowed down. The Chiefs have some very good defensive backs, but nobody could cover Edelman (or Gronkowski for that matter, but what else is new?).
Unsung Hero: Chandler Jones
Despite the controversy revolving around Chandler Jones this week, he did not seem fazed once the game started. He didn’t exactly light up the stat sheet, as he accumulated only 4 tackles (1 sack and 1 tackle for a loss), but he made the key play of the game on the first drive after halftime and showed why he is one of the best defensive ends in the league. The Chiefs were driving down the field and looking to come back from a 14-6 deficit, but Chandler Jones stripped Knile Davis in New England territory. After that play, New England drove down the field and put the game away for good. Jones might not get much recognition because of the huge performance by the offense, so he is the unsung hero.
Biggest Disappointment: Knile Davis
Knile Davis has been given opportunities all season, but he continues to blow them. Spencer Ware was banged up today, and Andy Reid gave Knile Davis the opportunity to back up Charcandrick West. His 30 yards rushing and 13 receiving yards were not disappointing numbers for a backup running back, but the crucial fumble on the first drive of the third quarter killed Kansas City’s momentum. If he hangs onto that ball in New England territory and the Chiefs score on that drive, this game could have been entirely different.
Main Photo:
