Chiefs Patriots

Chiefs Patriots - The Kansas City Chiefs play the New England Patriots Nov. 21 on Monday Night Football. The Patriots are one of the best teams in the AFC and have a one game lead on the Buffalo Bills in the AFC East. The game marks the beginning of a crucial five-game swing for the Chiefs with backup quarterback Tyler Palko(notes) playing in his first NFL start.


The Chiefs and Patriots have a rivalry that goes back over 50 years. Here's a look at some facts and figures surrounding both teams when they have played each other.

* Kansas City actually has a 16-12-3 overall record against the Patriots. However, the Chiefs have lost four of the last five meetings. The two teams used to be regular rivals in the AFL days when they played each other twice a year.


* The longest winning streak the Chiefs have against New England is five games between Nov. 12, 1967 and Sept. 23, 1973. If you count ties, Kansas City has a non-losing streak of nine games from Oct. 3, 1965 to 1973.

*Len Dawson's first start with the Chiefs was way back on Sept. 8, 1962, when they were still the Dallas Texans. Until that game, Dawson had seen limited action in Pittsburgh and Cleveland. In his first full game, the hall of famer was 16-for-23 with 202 yards and two touchdowns. His game against the then-Boston Patriots launched a legendary career in a Chiefs uniform. Kansas City won 42-28 in Dawson's debut.

* Kansas City has shut out the Patriots twice. The first was a 34-0 win Dec. 11, 1960, in the teams' second meeting. The other shutout was Sept. 21, 1969, by a 31-0 score. The Patriots have never kept the Chiefs scoreless.

* Since the NFL-AFL merger, Kansas City is 6-7 against the New England Patriots. The teams have never met in the playoffs.

* Perhaps the most memorable game in the series was Sept. 22, 2002. Adam Vinatieri(notes) kicked a 35-yard field goal in overtime to win in Massachusetts. The game was tied 17-all going into the fourth quarter and the final score was 41-38. Priest Holmes scored three touchdowns and Tom Brady(notes) had 410 yards passing. The game marked the most points scored between both teams. Holmes scored the game's final two touchdowns to tie the game at 38 apiece to send it to overtime.

William Browning is a fan of the Kansas City Chiefs after latching on to the team during the lean years of St. Louis football. Born in the gateway city, he is also a lifelong St. Louis Cardinals fan. He currently resides in Branson, Mo.