Gronkowski, who was questionable to play with back and knee ailments, caught an 8-yard touchdown pass from Tom Brady on New England’s opening drive to give the Patriots an early 7-0 lead over the Kansas City Chiefs in their AFC divisional round playoff game Saturday.
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The Patriots entered the game with a 64 percent chance to win, according to ESPN’s Football Power Index, and they extended their win probability to 79 percent by the half. If the Patriots can get the ball across the middle of the field to Rob Gronkowski then they will have success on offense.
The Chiefs’ offense ranked 27th with an average of 331.2 yards per game, but it looked much better in a 41-14 win over the Patriots in last year’s meeting – the second-worst loss of the Belichick era.
The Patriots had an extra week to rest leading up to the anticipated playoff matchup, and Brady is expected to be a full go after suffering an ankle injury in the final game of the regular season.
The New England Patriots were supposed to be amidst a season to remember. He declined to elaborate on what happened, and coach Bill Belichick refused to say whether Jones would be benched for any part of the game.
After the teams exchanged a pair of punts, the Patriots extended their lead on a Brady quarterback sneak that was set up by Brady’s 10-yard scramble to the 1. With gronk missing practice, to Chandler Jones being rushed to the hospital, this Patriots team is focused on anything but football right now and the Chiefs are going to take advantage of that.
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Overall, the Patriots are rolling in the passing game. The tight end sustained the injury in New England’s 30-24 overtime loss against Denver Broncos on November 29. Those close to the team expect Gronkowski to play and Kansas City is preparing for a healthy Patriots tight end. While that process should get easier as the postseason rolls on, New England has had some missed opportunities here in the first half. The Chiefs have lost all five meetings in New England since last winning there in 1990. Maclin might not play against the Patriots.
