How Wide Of Roster Gap Actually Exists Between Patriots, Chiefs?

The Chiefs have established themselves as the new class of the AFC, a crown that once belonged to the Patriots, and it appears New England quickly is falling behind.

Kansas City this Sunday will play in its fourth Super Bowl in five seasons, and Patrick Mahomes could reach legendary status if he beats the San Francisco 49ers for his third championship. While the star signal-caller might not think he’s in the conversation with Tom Brady, that’s what folks around the NFL will think if he continues on his path toward being one of the greatest in the sport.

Bill Belichick parted ways with the franchise, and Jerod Mayo will lead a new generation of the Patriots. New England hasn’t found much success since Brady left, but Robert Kraft hopes that changes with new blood on the sideline.

But how far behind are the Patriots? Let’s go up and down the organization and see if New England truly has lost its touch on what it takes to win in the NFL.

Let’s start with the front office. General manager Brett Veach made a bold move when the Chiefs traded Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins in 2022. But it paid off with successful drafts featuring players who contributed right away to keep the team’s Super Bowl window open while also retaining their top stars. It’s unknown who is running the Patriots front office. The series of reported moves this offseason would hint at director of scouting Eliot Wolf, and it remains to be seen if those moves will be successful. But Belichick mishandled the last two offseasons with poor free agent signings and draft classes that have proven to be disastrous for the future of the franchise.

It’s a similar story with head coach. Mayo received strong reviews from players, but it’s up in the air whether he’ll succeed in his first year. While Belichick was able to coach up a top defensive unit, his decisions on the offensive side of the ball have been downright awful. Andy Reid remains one of the top offensive minds in the league, and Steve Spagnuolo has rivaled Belichick this season in coaching up a top defense.

Obviously, there’s little that needs to be said about quarterback. Mahomes is light years better than Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe, and even Blaine Gabbert would have been a better signal-caller than either of the Patriots’ options. Skill position players also can be included in that. Kendrick Bourne, DeMario Douglas and Hunter Henry were the only consistent options, but Rashee Rice and Travis Kelce blew them out of the water this season. Rhamondre Stevenson suffered an injury this season, but Isiah Pacheco showed he’s capable of handling a full workload. While the depth of skill position players might not be there for Kansas City, the top end is more than better than New England’s.

Offensive line might be a toss-up. Creed Humphrey and David Andrews arguably are top-five players at their position. Mike Onwenu and Trent Brown were New England’s only consistent offensive linemen. And Joe Thuney and Trey Smith round out Kansas City’s dominant interior line. The Patriots could be in trouble with Brown and Onwenu walk, so Kansas City would have the offensive line edge if New England doesn’t probably address that group.

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Christian Barmore and Josh Uche were the only Patriots players to have a PFF pash rush grade over 60. The Chiefs had four players in that category. Things could change if Chris Jones enters free agency, and if Matthew Judon continues his production before his injury. New England isn’t that far behind when it comes to the defensive line.

There’s another toss-up when you look at linebacker and secondary. Jabrill Peppers and Jahlani Tavai were excellent for the Patriots in pass coverage. Jonathan Jones is one of New England’s more consistent corners and Mack Wilson emerged as a playmaker late in the season. However, Trent McDuffie and L’Jarius Sneed are among the best corners in the league. Joshua Williams and Chamarri Conner also emerged as solid contributors this season. New England still is keeping up with the pack when it comes to the back end of the defense.

The Patriots special teams was a disaster, and Kansas City always has been fine on that end. But this exercise does show that New England isn’t that far behind the Chiefs when it comes to defense.

The return of Christian Gonzalez and adding more pieces should make the Patriots a top-10 defense. The gap between the sides really is felt on offense. Even if Kelce retired, New England needs difference-makers like the Chiefs have with Rice and Pacheco. And of course, everything always will go back to who will be the man under center to compete against Mahomes.