Grading the Chiefs in Monday’s game
First quarter
Key play: Alex Smith hit Dwayne Bowe for 15 yards, setting up Jamaal Charles’ 2-yard touchdown run.
Key stat: New England ran seven offensive plays in the first quarter.
Second quarter
Key play: Knile Davis ran through a hole created by center Rodney Hudson and Mike McGlynn for a 48-yard run, the longest offensive play of the season.
Key stat: The Chiefs’ 303 yards of offense were the most ever allowed in a half by a Bill Belichick-coached team.
Third quarter
Key play: Tamba Hali sacked and stripped the ball from Tom Brady at the Patriots 9.
Key stat: Hali’s play and Sean Smith’s interception were the Chiefs’ first takeaways of the season.
Fourth quarter
Key play: Smith found Donnie Avery open for a 27-yard gain on the third play of the quarter.
Key stat: The Chiefs had 26 first downs to Patriots' 13
Player of the game: Charles, in his first meaningful action of the season, sparked the team and showed how much his absence — or lack of use — hurt the team in the first two games.
Reason to hope: The Patriots might be a shell of themselves, but the Chiefs could have beaten anyone on their rugged schedule … maybe even Seattle.
Reason to mope: Where were these guys in the season opener against Tennessee?
Looking ahead: The Chiefs travel to San Francisco’s new Levi’s Stadium for a date with the 49ers before the bye week.
Randy Covitz, rcovitz@kcstar.com
Report card
A | Rush Offense | What a difference a healthy Jamaal Charles makes. And he wasn’t even the leading rusher. That was Knile Davis, who like Charles, took advantage of some good blocking up front. |
A | Pass Offense | Alex Smith, behind good protection, took advantage of all his weapons. Dwayne Bowe came alive with clutch catches, and Travis Kelce introduced himself to a national television audience. |
A | Rush Defense | The Chiefs smothered the Patriots’ running game, leaving little running room for Shane Vereen and Stevan Ridley. |
B+ | Pass Defense | The Chiefs made Tom Brady look very ordinary, denying him open receivers and getting in his face. Tamba Hali and Justin Houston got sacks and Sean Smith and Husain Abdullah intercepted passes. |
A | Special Teams | Dustin Colquitt buried the Patriots at their 10, 9 and 1 with his first three punts, and Cairo Santos’ first four kickoffs went for touchbacks, eliminating the chance for big returns. |
B+ | Coaching | Andy Reid had his team ready for prime time, going deep in the playbook for some creative offensive plays that turned into big gains. Clock management at the end of the first half may have cost the Chiefs a shot at a touchdown, but they salvaged a field goal, and on this night, that was enough. |
This story was originally published September 29, 2014 at 10:58 PM with the headline "Grading the Chiefs in Monday’s game."