Chiefs at Patriots Sunday, September 07, 2008 12:00 PM
1 2 3 4 Total Chiefs 0 3 0 7 10 Patriots 0 7 7 3 17 Final

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by Bob Gretz
It was a game where both starting quarterbacks suffered game-ending injuries. It was a game where the defenses seemed in more control of the outcome than the offenses. It was a game where New England was able to score one more touchdown than the Chiefs. Ultimately, that was the difference as the Patriots grabbed a 17-10 victory at Gillette Stadium.

In the first quarter, the Chiefs defense was very active, forcing a pair of New England fumbles. The Patriots won the opening coin toss and naturally elected to put their high-powered offense on the field. QB Tom Brady drove them five plays before the Chiefs defense stopped them on a third down and New England was forced to punt. CB Brandon Flowers ran into P Chris Hanson and the five-yard penalty gave the Patriots a first down.

But three plays later, WR Wes Welker caught a pass and the ball was punched out by CB Patrick Surtain, recovered by FS Jarrad Page and the Chiefs had possession at their own 40-yard line. On their next offensive series, the Patriots were moving the ball when Brady completed a pass to WR Randy Moss. The ball came loose when Moss hit the ground untouched and the fumble was recovered by CB Brandon Carr. Worse for the Patriots, at the end of that play, New England suffered a bigger loss, as Brady was hit on the left knee by blitzing S Bernard Pollard. The Patriots signal caller left the field with assistance from the Patriots training staff and did not return.

When the Patriots offense came back on the field, they were directed by fourth-year QB Matt Cassel. Two runs by RB Sammy Morris produced minus-one yard as the Chiefs had the Patriots backed up at their own goal line, but then on third down from their own one-yard line, Cassel hit Moss for a 51-yard gain to get New England out of a field position hole as the first quarter ended.

Later in that possession, on a third down-and-eight play at the Chiefs 10-yard line, Cassel found Moss at the back of the end zone and he caught his 125th career TD pass. The PAT kick gave New England a 7-0 lead. Late in the second quarter, the Chiefs got a drive going, as they converted a trio of third down plays. The big play in the possession was a 20-yard completion from QB Brodie Croyle to TE Tony Gonzalez. But the drive bogged down and K Nick Novak nailed a 40-yard FG that cut the Patriots lead to 7-3 at half-time.

The Chiefs took the opening kickoff of the second half and picked up a pair of first downs before the Patriots defense ended the possession on a third-down sack by LB Adalius Thomas. P Dustin Colquitt got off a 55-yard punt that led to a touchback.

On that sack, QB Brodie Croyle suffered a right shoulder injury and went to the Chiefs locker room for treatment and did not return to the game. The Patriots took over at their own 20-yard line and marched 80 yards in 11 plays, using 6:14 of the third-quarter clock. They converted two big third down plays and ended up in the end zone thanks to a five-yard run by RB Sammy Morris The PAT kick gave New England a 14-3 lead.

The Chiefs offense came back on the field with QB Damon Huard under center and moved down the field in their best possession of the game, going 10 plays and 63 yards and finishing up with a Huard to WR Dwayne Bowe 13-yard TD pass. Novak’s PAT kick cut the Patriots lead to 14-10. The big play in the drive was a 22-yard run by RB Larry Johnson, who was sprung by a nice block from rookie LT Branden Albert, one of six rookies to start for the Chiefs, the club’s highest Opening Day total since the AFL-NFL merger.

A 37-yard FG by New England K Steve Gostkowski capped a 10-play, 34-yard drive and gave the Patriots a seven-point lead with less than 2:30 to play. The Chiefs took over at their own 22-yard line and hit their biggest play of the game, as Huard connected with WR Devard Darling for a 68-yard play. Darling was tackled on the New England five-yard line. The Chiefs had four plays to score, but three Huard passes fell incomplete and a Johnson run went for no gain as the Patriots narrowly escaped with a narrow 17-10 victory.