After 49 years of waiting, is it time for Kansas City to finally break through, making it back to Super Bowl for the first time since before the merger? Its offense has had success moving the ball against the Patriots in recent years.

Kansas City ripped up the Patriots 41-14 the last time these teams met at Arrowhead. That was the game where Tom Brady got pulled late, with Bill Belichick busting into his “we’re on to Cincinnati” routine.

When these teams kicked off the 2017 season, Kansas City shocked them 42-27 at Foxborough, with Tyreek Hill and Kareem Hunt piling up lots of yards.

And KC lost a 43-40 shootout at New England earlier this year.

These teams also met in the playoffs in 2015, and the Patriots won that one 27-20 (again at Foxborough).

Belichick is probably the best defensive coach in the history of the game, but Andy Reid has had some success against him, with 40-plus points in three of the last four meetings. In the last 10 years, only two other opponents have scored 40 points against New England.

PATRIOTS ALLOWING 30-PLUS POINTS (last 10 years)
YearOpponentScore
2017Kansas CityL 27-42
2014at Kansas CityL 14-41
2017vs. Philadelphia L 33-41
2012San Francisco L 34-41
2018Kansas CityW 43-40
2009at New Orleans L 17-38
2015Philadelphia L 28-35
2009at IndianapolisL 34-35
2018at TennesseeL 10-34
2010at ClevelandL 14-34
2009at HoustonL 27-34
2011at BuffaloL 31-34
2018at Miami L 33-34
2009BaltimoreL 14-33
2014at Miami L 20-33
2017CarolinaL 30-33
2017HoustonW 36-33
2015at BuffaloW 40-32
2018at JacksonvilleL 20-31
2016Seattle L 24-31
2012at BaltimoreL 30-31
2013at HoustonW 34-31
2013DenverW 34-31 (OT)
2014BaltimoreW 35-31
2012BuffaloW 37-31
2018at ChicagoW 38-31
2013Pittsburgh W 55-31
2015at DenverL 24-30 (OT)
2013at NY JetsL 27-30 (OT)
2010BuffaloW 38-30

—Ian Allan