Patriots defense will see if they can measure up against Patrick Mahomes

FOXBORO – The Patriots didn’t feel the need to mince words when the subject of Patrick Mahomes came up this week.

The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback has lit the NFL on fire. His offense is leading the league in scoring, averaging 35 points per game. Mahomes leads the NFL with 14 passing touchdowns. He's fifth in passer rating, third in yards per pass completion and is sacked less than every quarterback in the NFL except Tom Brady. He can also run and has scored two [...]

FOXBORO – The Patriots didn’t feel the need to mince words when the subject of Patrick Mahomes came up this week.

The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback has lit the NFL on fire. His offense is leading the league in scoring, averaging 35 points per game. Mahomes leads the NFL with 14 passing touchdowns. He's fifth in passer rating, third in yards per pass completion and is sacked less than every quarterback in the NFL except Tom Brady. He can also run and has scored two rushing touchdowns this season.

What can’t this second-year quarterback do? It’s uncertain.

“He gets the ball to all of his receivers quick, quick release, sees things quickly,” Bill Belichick said. “Can extend plays, got a great arm, got a fabulous arm, can throw the ball out of the stadium.”

“There’s probably not too many in the league that can mimic what Mahomes does,” added Duron Harmon. “He’s a special, special talent.”

Said Stephon Gilmore : “He’s the reason why they’re successful right now.”

The Patriots defense has a tall task ahead of them this weekend. With the Chiefs coming to town for a Sunday night matchup, this unit has a chance to make a statement against one of the best in the league. Leading up to this game, the Chiefs are in the driver’s seat. Of course, we’ve seen this before.

Last year, the Chiefs started 5-0 and that included a 42-27 drubbing over the Patriots in Week 1. When it was all said and done, the Chiefs were 10-6 and lost in the wild card round. The reason for optimism surrounds their young quarterback.

Mahomes is athletic enough to keep a defense on their heels when he escapes the pocket. His arm strength is no joke and you can see the video evidence on social media as he can literally toss a football the length of a football field. This season, he set an NFL record for the most touchdown passes thrown through the first three games of a season (10).

For the Patriots defense, it’ll take a cautious approach. If the pass rush steps out of the rush lanes, Mahomes will hurt the front seven. If you give his offensive weapons too long to get open, he has the arm strength to hurt the secondary.

“You have to be competitive in coverage, but at the same time, you don’t want balls just going over your head or we don’t want to cut people free,” said Patriots cornerback coach Josh Boyer. “I would say with Mahomes in particular, one, he can make all the throws he needs to make, has a very strong arm. He also has a great ability to extend plays, whether he’s going to do that running or extending it and scramble to give his receivers time to get open.

“So, we’ve got to do a great job being where we need to be, using our help in coverage if we have any, and making sure that we’re tight on receivers in competitive situations.”

Mahomes also has plenty of help with several athletic offensive weapons.

Tyreek Hill and Sammy Watkins are burners and dangerous at the receiver position. Tight end Travis Kelce is among the best at his position. Then there's running back Kareem Hunt. He rushed for over 1,000 yards last year and also caught 53 passes in his rookie season.

For the Patriots, coming off two wins in a row, a win over the Chiefs would show the AFC that the conference runs through them. Conversely, a win for Mahomes increases his legacy and shows the AFC that there’s a new sheriff in town.

Quarterbacks will always garner the headlines, but the Patriots defense has a chance to make a name for themselves, too.

“I would say one things, it’s going to be a great game. I measure it more as the opportunity,” Harmon said. “Two good teams going at it, battling, Sunday night football. It’s going to be a great atmosphere. It’s going to be an opportunity to go out there. You could say a measuring stick, but [we’ll] kind of see what we’re made of against another good football team, a great football team.”