Written by Adam Kilgore at Washington Post.com
The New England Patriots win because of completeness. They have the biggest star in football in Tom Brady, but their five-Lombardi dynasty has been built on being deeper, more versatile and more prepared than everybody else. They thrive less on strengths than on a dearth of weaknesses. The things they aren’t great at, they’re good enough at.
Their performance Thursday night ran antithetical to the Patriots’ typical totality. The Patriots never have obvious holes, but their startling, 42-27 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs revealed a glaring void they must fill to get back on course as surefire Super Bowl favorites. The Patriots entered their opener as a colossus, with not a care in the world. They should exit it with their deepest concerns reserved for their nonexistent pass rush.
The Patriots allowed Alex Smith, a quarterback known/maligned for checking down and dumping off, to pass for 368 yards and four touchdowns on 28-of-35 passing. The totals included passes of 78, 75 and 25 yards. The Patriots sacked Smith three times. On one, he tripped and fell. The two others, both by Trey Flowers, accounted for losses of three yards and one yard.
New England only hit Smith four times at all, including the sack when he slipped. On many of his downfield attempts, Smith had ample time to scan the Patriots’ secondary without a soul near him. The Patriots did not harass Smith, did not shrink his pocket or force him to make plays on the move.
The Patriots never compile gaudy sack totals. Last season, they led the league in three-man rushes. Coach Bill Belichick’s defenses lean toward bend-don’t-break. He rarely gambles with heavy, exotic blitzes, and New England pass rushers do not veer from their lanes. But the Patriots do manage to consistently pressure quarterbacks, to force them into uncomfortable throws. They allowed Smith a shockingly comfortable night.
It has become silly to criticize the Patriots for dealing away linebackers Chandler Jones and Jamie Collins before and during last season, given that they won the Super Bowl without them and would have had difficulty finding salary cap room to pay them. But losing Jones and Collins, both hyper-athletic defenders who weren’t perfect fits for Belichick’s defense, reduced the Patriots’ pass-rush options, and they have not come close to replacing their skills.
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