Going into the Week 15 game against the New England Patriots, the Kansas City Chiefs knew that their defense would need to play with high levels of effort and physicality — because the 2023 Patriots need short, low-scoring games. In New England, that starts with establishing the run.
But by the end of Sunday’s 27-17 victory, the Chiefs had limited the Patriots to 52 rushing yards on 16 attempts. Their starting running back Ezekiel Elliott had managed just 2.3 yards per carry — and didn’t earn more than five yards on any of his 11 rushes.