Julian Edelman has played in a number of big football games for the New England Patriots.
And during that time the veteran receiver has learned, especially of late, anytime the Patriots are facing head coach Andy Reid, quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, there's a lot on the line.
Edelman is taking that mindset into Sunday's Week 4 matchup against the unbeaten Chiefs (3-0).
“I mean, if you like competition, this is the game you want to play in," Edelman told reporters Friday. "This is the defending champs. They’re a very good football team on three sides of the ball. This is what you play the game for."
While Kansas City has been led by Mahomes and the offense, New England is well aware of the challenges their defense presents.
Kansas City is fourth in the NFL in passing yards allowed per game (202.7) while holding opposing offenses to 355.7 yards per game and 20 points or less in all three wins.
“I think you have to be ready for everything. They got that kind of spin-the-dial mentality where you don’t know what they’re going to run," Edelman said. "You’ve gotta stay in your fundamentals of each play, and worry about the keys to each play that you have, so I think that’s a huge part of it.
"They’ve got really good football players that get after the pass rush, they got great guys in the secondary, they got a couple safeties that are very instinctive, very good explosive players, and a knack for the ball, so it’s a very good defense," Edelman continued. "They’re defending champs for a reason."
It will take everything the Patriots (2-1) have when they enter Arrowhead Stadium to face the Chiefs, with kickoff set for 4:25 p.m. on Sunday.
