Divisional Round Chiefs @ Patriots First Half Thoughts

As the New England Patriots enter half time of their divisional round game against the Kansas City Chiefs with a 14-6 lead, here are some first half thoughts:

Coming Out Hot- The Patriots opened the game with the ball and came out of the gates on fire. They started with the ball on their own 20-yard line and methodically worked their way down the field on all passing plays for an 80-yard scoring drive. Looking primariy for his top targets, Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady tore up the KC defense. On the drive, the team converted all three third down attempts, including the final play of the drive which was a touchdown pass to Gronkowski.

TB12 The GOAT- Brady's first half play was superb, with the exception of a couple of throws. The future Hall-of-Famer completed 17 of 25 pass attempts for 157 yards and 1 touchdows in the first half. The 38-year-old also capped off New England's second scoring drive with a 10-yard scamper in which he was called just short of the goal line. He took the ensuing snap right over the top of both lines for another patented Brady QB sneak touchdown.

Gronk Spike- After countless concerns about his knee and a questionable status heading into the game, New England tight end Rob Gronkowski came out and answered all questions about his health with a productive first half. On four first half targets Gronk has four receptions for 47 yards and the one score from the opening drive. A similar second half for the All-Pro could spell doom for KC.

Edelman Factor- Here's a fact; the Patriots are just a much better team with Julian Edelman on the field. In his first game back since suffering a Jones fracture in a Week 10 win, the diminutive pass catcher snagged 5 passes for 45 yards, including a few big catches on the opening scoring drive. Edelman did seem to have a bit of an issue catching the ball in the first half, as he did have a few drops on routine type passes. Other than that, he's helped the offense put 14 first half points on the board.

Bend But Don't Break- The Patriots defense played the first half like they've played all season. They were solid overall and while the bent a bit on a couple of drives the ultimately did not break, keeping the Chiefs out of the end zone in the first half. They did struggle on third down on the opening drive for Kansas City, but were able to force a field goal by the end of the drive. They also had a tremendous defensive stand midway through the second quarter. After a bad punt and quality return set the Chiefs up at the New England 35-yard line, the defense pinned their ears back, caused a loss of yards on the opening play and stood up the Chiefs on the two ensuing plays, forcing a punt. The following New England drive resulted in the team's second score.

98.5 Yards- After a great drive to open the game, the Patriot offense hit a wall for a few series, After a big time defensive stand and an unnecessary roughness penalty on Danny Amendola on the punt return, the Pats were backed up to their own 2.5 yard line to start their next drive. Without batting an eye lash, Brady led his troops all 98.5 yards down the field and got the team back into the end zone for the second time on the day.

Make A Stop- KC deferred so they get the ball to start the second half. The New England defense needs a big stop quickly, to get their offense back on the field with chances to score.