Kickoff: The Patriots are coming off of a much needed win last Thursday night in Pittsburgh. Bailey Zappe and the offense played their best game of the season, scoring 21 first half points.

The Chiefs are reeling and are coming in losers of two straight to the Packers and Bills. This is a big game for Kansas City for playoff seeding purposes.

Here are four keys to the game for the Patriots.

1st Down: Get consistent pressure on Mahomes: The Patriots need to get consistent pressure on Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and force him to throw off platform. While Mahomes excels at those types of throws, he also has a tendency to force balls into tight spots when flushed from the pocket. Mahomes has thrown 11 interceptions this season and many of those have been throws where he tried fitting the ball the in area he shouldn’t. 

2nd Down: Run the ball: The Chiefs have one of the best secondaries in the league. Bailey Zappe and company will have a tough time throwing the ball in this game. The Patriots have to stay committed to the ground game as long as they can because if it is effective, they can set up play action and make plays in the passing game that way. 

3rd Down: Take away Kelce: The Chiefs passing game revolves around tight end Travis Kelce, especially this season. The Patriots will get physical with Kelce, try to re-route him and double him on occasion. Bill Belichick and the defensive staff will do everything they can schematically to limit Kelce’s effectiveness.

4th Down: Get creative on offense: The Patriots need to throw the kitchen sink at the Chiefs defense. Bill O’Brien needs to use everything in his arsenal to move the ball and score points. The Patriots skill group is limited. Reverses, double passes, flea flickers. It should all be on the table today. 

Extra Point: Kansas City holds a 20-16-3 series lead over the Patriots however the Chiefs are 8-11-2 in games played in New England, including 2-4 at Gillette Stadium (2-5 including playoffs).

Final Drive: Kansas City is desperate for a win and they will come out flying. The Patriots need to weather the storm early and hang around. If they can, they could potentially steal this game late. It is a tall order nonetheless because on paper, they simply do not match up against the Chiefs.