Getty Gallery: 3/6
No. 3 Kansas City Chiefs
No. 4 New England Patriots
It would be unfair to dock the Chiefs for losing a wild shootout on the road in what many believe could be a potential Super Bowl preview against the Rams. Kansas City looked good in the game, and although they had some mishaps, the same can be said about their opponent in that one.
The Chiefs have one of the brightest young stars in the NFL in quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who's thrown for 3,628 yards and an incredible 37 touchdowns through 11 games. He's averaging 318.5 passing yards per game and has fueled one of the NFL's best offenses. Although the second-year signal-caller may lose out on the NFL's Most Valuable Player award to Drew Brees, he has as strong a case as anyone to be in the mix.
Arguably the best part about Mahomes following his team's loss to the Rams was that he took a whole lot of the blame, due to his three interceptions (he also had six touchdowns). Per USA TODAY:
"I gave them 21 points through turnovers," said Mahomes, who completed 33 of 46 passes for 478 yards. "It sucks right now, plain and simple. You wanted a win like that over a playoff team."
Fortunately, Chiefs coach Andy Reid didn't seem overly concerned by the turnovers, likely due to the fact that aside from this game, Mahomes had thrown just seven all season. Reid said that the quarterback has "made enough of those players where you have full trust in him."
"He's resilient and has confidence in himself. Things are going to happen in a game," Reid said. "The great ones come back firing and tries to rip their hearts out the next series."
Bye Week Does Patriots' Offense Well
There may be no team who needed a bye week more than the Patriots, and the fact that theirs fell in Week 11 came at a good time. Following a loss to the Tennessee Titans, the Patriots were banged up essentially across the board. Even quarterback Tom Brady popped up on the injury report.
Fortunately, the team was able to come out far more healthy and it was apparent in the Week 12 victory over the New York Jets. While the Jets are struggling this season, New England went about handling business and got it done in every facet. They won 27-13 with Tom Brady completing 20-of-31 passes for 283 yards and two scores.
Arguably the most important part of this game for the Patriots was the health of both Rob Gronkowski and Sony Michel. Both players have been banged up and missed time, but each flashed upside and most importantly, good health during this win. Gronkowski hauled in a touchdown and totaled 56 yards, also receiving a team-high seven targets from Brady.
Michel was impressive once again, coming back from the bye and looking like the player who began turning a corner just weeks prior. He rushed 21 times for 133 yards and one score in the win and the Patriots moved to 8-3 in the process. Next up for Bill Belichick and company is a date with the Minnesota Vikings at home.