Chiefs’ snaps vs. Patriots: rookie Willie Gay draws first career start, defense shines
The Chiefs are in the history books after Monday night’s hard-fought 26-10 win over the New England Patriots at Arrowhead Stadium.
The Chiefs moved to 4-0, marking their fourth-consecutive such start to a season since 2017 — an accomplishment that makes the Chiefs the first team in NFL history to reach that milestone.
Dating back to Week 11 of the 2019 season, the Chiefs have now reeled off a team-record 13 straight wins, regular season and postseason combined.
Here’s how the snap counts worked out in Week 4’s win.
QUARTERBACKS: Patrick Mahomes (56)
Mahomes looked human in the first half, but finished the game completing 19 of 29 passes for 236 yards and two touchdowns, which extended his run of consecutive games with a passing score to 14. The accomplishment marks the longest active streak in the league.
He also rushed eight times for 28 yards.
RUNNING BACKS: Clyde Edwards-Helaire (41), Darrel Williams (15), Darwin Thompson (9 on special teams), fullback Anthony Sherman (3, 18 on ST)
Edwards-Helaire did all the heavy lifting Monday night and totaled 91 yards (64 rushing) against the Patriots. Williams totaled one carry for 2 yards.
A week after losing a fumble, Thompson didn’t play an offensive snap.
WIDE RECEIVERS: Tyreek Hill (52), Sammy Watkins (46), Mecole Hardman (26, 7 on ST), Demarcus Robinson (23), Byron Pringle (11 on ST), Marcus Kemp (11 on ST)
Hill totaled four catches for a team-high 64 yards on six targets. He also scored on a 6-yard reception, marking his fourth straight game with a receiving touchdown.
The dynamic receiver becomes the third player in team history with at least one touchdown catch in each of the team’s first four games of the season. Tight end Willie Frazier last did it in 1972.
Hardman made the most of his 26 offensive snaps by finding the end zone on a 6-yard scoring catch.
Watkins chipped in with four catches for 43 yards on seven targets, while Robinson wasn’t targeted in the game.
TIGHT ENDS: Travis Kelce (43), Nick Keizer (19, 13 on ST), Deon Yelder (12)
Kelce’s 45-yard grab in the third quarter helped set up Hill’s touchdown to cap off a drive. The tight end finished the game with three catches for 70 yards.
Yelder recorded his first catch of the season, which went for 5 yards.
OFFENSIVE LINE: Eric Fisher (56, 7 on ST), Mitchell Schwartz (56, 7 on ST), Austin Reiter (56, 7 on ST), Kelechi Osemele (56, 7 on ST), Andrew Wylie (56), Mike Remmers (5 on ST), Nick Allegretti (5 on ST)
A week after being a late scratch because of a stomach illness, Wylie was back in the starting lineup at right guard.
DEFENSIVE LINE: Tanoh Kpassagnon (66, 3 on ST), Frank Clark (61), Mike Pennel (46, 3 on ST), Derrick Nnadi (43, 2 on ST), Tershawn Wharton (41), Alex Okafor (21), Taco Charlton (17), Mike Danna (5, 2 on ST)
Charlton’s strip-sack on Patriots quarterback Brian Hoyer in the third quarter proved to be the play of the game. The Chiefs held a 6-3 lead at that point and the Patriots were driving deep in Kansas City territory.
On third-and-8 from the Chiefs’ 10-yard line, Charlton broke free to get to Hoyer, whose fumble was recovered by linebacker Ben Niemann. The Chiefs would score on the ensuing possession to go up 13-6.
With Chris Jones (groin) inactive, Pennel stepped up and produced a career-high 10 tackles against the Patriots.
Clark produced four tackles, a sack and three quarterback hits.
LINEBACKERS: Anthony Hitchens (56, 2 on ST), Damien Wilson (51, 7 on ST), Willie Gay Jr. (25, 16 on ST), Ben Niemann (20, 11 on ST), Dorian O’Daniel (18 on ST)
After playing 15 defensive snaps in the first three games as a reserve, Gay drew his first career start and produced two tackles.
The Chiefs then rotated their second-round pick of the 2020 NFL Draft with Niemann. As the season progresses and the rookie becomes more comfortable in the defensive scheme, expect Gay to assume a full-time role alongside Hitchens and Wilson.
Hitchens paced the linebackers with six tackles.
DEFENSIVE BACKS: Tryann Mathieu (75), Rashad Fenton (75), Juan Thornhill (73), Charvarius Ward (59), Daniel Sorensen (52, 9 on ST), Antonio Hamilton (25, 18 on ST), Tedric Thompson (14, 6 on ST), Armani Watts (18 on ST), BoPete Keyes (3 on ST)
The defensive backs turned in a show Monday night with three interceptions, as Mathieu, Thornhill and Fenton each recorded a pick.
Mathieu’s fourth-quarter interception turned into a pick-6 and sealed the game.
Thornhill and Sorensen led the secondary with each player recording six tackles, while Fenton turned in an exceptional game with three tackles, the pick and four passes defensed.
SPECIALISTS: Harrison Butker (11), Tommy Townsend (9), James Winchester (9)
Townsend established a new team record by averaging 60.8 yards per punt on four attempts.
DID NOT PLAY: Quarterback Chad Henne, center Daniel Kilgore
INACTIVES: Defensive tackle Chris Jones (groin), tight end Ricky Seals-Jones, defensive end Demone Harris, linebacker Darius Harris, offensive lineman Yasir Durant
Jones entered the weekend as questionable on the injury report before the Chiefs elected to not dress him against the Patriots.
Monday marked the fourth straight game that Seals-Jones and Harris were healthy scratches.
