Here are some stark numbers. In their past five games going back to their win over the Browns, the Patriots have scored touchdowns just twice in eight goal-to-go situations. In each of the past three games, they’ve failed on their only trips in close. In the red zone over their past five games, they are 8-for-19 scoring touchdowns when they get in the red zone including 2-for-3 last week. They are at 48.98 in red-zone scoring for the season, 24th. They’ve scored eight offensive touchdowns in the past five games and two of those came late last week when they were swimming upstream against the Texans.
The point? The Patriots aren’t generating points and this week they go against a Kansas City team which is well-stocked and always a threat to drop 30. Can the Patriots offense keep pace if the New England defense is merely respectable as it was last week against Houston? Or do the Patriots need to get the Chiefs muzzled to have a shot?