New England Patriots will visit Kansas City Chiefs for AFC supremacy

The Kansas City Chiefs will host the AFC Championship next Sunday, and its opponent has been set.

After a statement win by the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday night that guaranteed the team a spot in the AFC Championship game, the club learned who they will be playing after watching the New England Patriots beat the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.

Homefield advantage proved to be a huge factor in the win against the Indianapolis Colts as the Chiefs kept the former off balance for the majority of the game. The only touchdown surrendered by the Chiefs defense came in the final quarter when the Chiefs already had a sizeable lead. Great execution by the Chiefs led to what will be its first AFC Championship since 1994. What is even more interesting is that this is the first time in franchise history that the Chiefs will be hosting the AFC Championship in Arrowhead Stadium.

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If the Chiefs want a solid chance at beating the Patriots, having the home-field advantage will a huge factor in the AFC Championship. The Lamar Hunt Trophy, which is the award given to the winner of the AFC Championship game, has a chance to be presented to the Hunt family and the Chiefs in Arrowhead Stadium for the first time in franchise history.

It would be a huge honor for not only the franchise but its owner, Clark Hunt, to receive an award named after his late father. Clark was Lamar’s successor after the latter passed away in 2006. The founder of the AFL in Lamar Hunt was honored with the trophy as it has been presented to every AFC champion since 1984.

The Chiefs’ defense has been nothing to write home about all season. However, as outside linebacker Dee Ford said, they were riding the wave of the team’s final regular season game, in which the defense nearly shut out the Oakland Raiders. While playing at home, the defense has been considerably better. Defensive coordinator Bob Sutton coached like a man trying to keep his job.

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid also put together an excellent game plan and kept his foot on the accelerator against the Colts to finish the job. Last month I wrote the following:

"Schottenheimer was often criticized for “letting his foot off of the gas,” a man unable to hold a lead in the postseason. This is the primary reason why I draw comparisons between the pair. Reid’s deceleration was evident against the Tennessee Titans in the 2017 Wild Card round, where the Chiefs had acquired a 21-3 lead at halftime but was unable to hold it in the second half. Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota led his team to a second-half shutout over the Chiefs, eventually winning the game 22-21."

If what I wrote was correct by any means, quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Reid compliment each other in such a way that the former makes Reid a better coach in the playoffs.

As the Chiefs seek its first AFC Championship win in several decades and its first ever Lamar Hunt Trophy, the chemistry between Mahomes and Reid will need to be even stronger. Mahomes’ jaw-dropping plays will be necessary against a team as experienced and decorated as the Patriots. The raucous crowd of Arrowhead Stadium will also need to be even louder than the Divisional Round game if the team wants to win.

The Chiefs take on the Patriots in Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday, January 20th at 5:40 p.m. C.T.