In a prolific showdown between two highly talented teams, the Kansas City Chiefs and the New England Patriots faced off in the AFC Divisional round. En route to their fifth consecutive AFC Conference game, the Patriots ended the Chiefs’ 11-game winning streak to send them one week deeper into the postseason.

With consistent scoring, the Patriots were able to keep up the high tempo by scoring a touchdown in three of the four quarters, making it hard for the Chiefs to keep up.

The Patriots’ run game was minimal as long-time NFL great Steven Jackson accumulated only 16 yards on the ground.

The poor run game was made up for by terrific play by MVP caliber quarterback Tom Brady, who amassed 302 passing yards, two passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown.

The back and forth nature of the game’s scoring kept fans on the edge of their seats as the Chiefs almost came back to win it. Jamaal Charles’ presence was missed on the field for Kansas City, but Charcandrick West filled in nicely by rushing for 61 yards and a touchdown.

This alone was not enough as Julian Edelman’s return to football was electrifyingly great. He caught 10 passes and racked up 100 yards, being a consistent cog in the Patriots’ offensive machine. The Patriots lost four of their last six regular season games with the absence of Julian Edelman and his broken foot, but his return obviously sparked the whole team.

Edelman was not alone in spectacular performances as tight end Rob “Gronk” Gronkowski snagged 2 passing touchdowns to give his team the victory. One key moment in which the tide turned for the worst, in Kansas City’s case, was when defensive lineman Chandler Jones, seen lately in the media for his marijuana use, forced a fumble.

Young running back Knile Davis fumbled the ball in the first possession of the second half for Kansas City as Chandler Jones popped the ball out and recovered it, leading to a score. This turned the tide and separated the gap between the two teams, inevitably making it impossible for the Chiefs to overcome the small margin of points.

The lack of some high profile players on the Chiefs’ roster, such as Jeremy Maclin and Jamaal Charles, amongst others, led to their demise as their offensive production faltered without the presence of such players.

The Patriots ended the hopes of the Chiefs during the final minutes of the game with Gronkowski’s quick reflexes, jumping on the late onside kick, ultimately ending the game. Another win in Gillette Stadium gives the Patriots an overall post season record of 14-3 at home in the postseason, on top of Coach Belichick’s advancement to the 10th conference title game of his career.

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