In their rundown analyzing the Kansas City Chiefs upcoming Monday Night game against the New England Patriots. Scouts, Inc. agrees with most, er, everyone that the Chiefs are not likely to win. Whether it's the quarterback comparison, being on the road, the momentum, the coaching or most other factors, the Patriots are simply going to come out on top. But there's an area of weakness that Gary Horton says should be a concern for the Pats: the secondary.
"With so many injuries on the back end, the Patriots are forced to simplify their scheme with a lot of three- and four-man rushes with seven and eight defenders in coverage," writes Horton. "We will see more zone and man/off looks, and they likely won't lock up a lot in tight man coverages. Kansas City does not have a vertical passing attack, and it seems to be happy with a lot of checkdowns and short passes. Patience will be critical for the Chiefs because they will need multiplay drives to score. Fill-in QB Tyler Palko has limited experience, and this offense will continue to be very conservative with him as the starter."
That last line is a bit funny since KC's offense has been criticized all year for being so conservative on first down even with Matt Cassel under center. It's hard to imagine that they become even more limited with Palko, yet the statement is true of any new quarterback. Still, here's hoping his reps in practice this week and even the extra day on Sunday allow Palko to find a nice early rhythm with his talented receivers.