Kansas City are the best team in the AFC; the Patriots are the Patriots. Any outcome is plausible as we await a mouthwatering AFC Championship game
As usual, Tom Brady knew something we didn’t. As the alarm bells rang this season – Brady doesn’t look right; he doesn’t have enough weapons; the defense isn’t quick enough – the New England Patriots kept chugging along, clinching a playoff bye and a home playoff game. And, lo and behold, the quarterback was at his methodical best against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, completing 34/44 for 343 yards, and a touchdown. Brady’s tendency to throw quick and short helped negate the impact of the Chargers pass rush, who had zero sacks and rarely applied pressure on Brady in the pocket.
Indeed, LA were outclassed and bullied as they went down to a 41-28 defeat. You have to be near-perfect in the postseason to beat the Patriots, particularly in Foxborough, and LA looked out of sorts from the opening kickoff. There were no schematic or personnel changes they could make to slow down Brady and Co. And they continued to stub their own toes, with multiple delay of game penalties, and a muffed punt return that was recovered by the Patriots.
Written by Oliver Connolly
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/jan/14/tom-brady-patrick-mahomes-afc-championship-game-nfl-playoffs under the title “The MVP v the GOAT: even Tom Brady may struggle to master Patrick Mahomes”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
