Count Boomer Esiason among the true believers in the New England Patriots.
The CBS NFL analyst predicted Monday during his appearance on WEEI’s “Mut & Callahan” the Patriots will beat the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game. The teams will face off Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium with a berth in Super Bowl LIII on the line, and Esiason believes Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and his assistants will scheme their way past the Chiefs.
“It will be close, it will be a good game, but I’m picking the Patriots to win the game,” Esiason said. “I’m sticking with them. I think Belichick and (Brian) Flores and of course Josh McDaniels and Tom Brady will come up with something that will keep this game close and they’ll hold onto the ball a little bit more. I think it will come down to the fourth quarter.
“It’s the dream matchup we wanted at CBS, we got it, and the fact that it’s Brady and Belichick, McDaniels and Flores, going up on the road against Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid makes it a really enticing matchup.”
Esiason delivered his bold prediction hours after the Patriots dispatched the Los Angeles Chargers, 41-28, in the AFC Divisional Round to advance to their eighth consecutive AFC Championship Game.
The challenge of returning to the Super Bowl will be as daunting as ever for the Patriots. The Chiefs are set to enjoy home-field advantage, and the Patriots’ 3-5 record on the road this season will concern their fans in the build-up to the game.
Nevertheless, Esiason is here to remind us all New England’s experience at this stage of the season might prove decisive come kickoff time.
