Big Plays Fuel Patriot Victory

A half dozen New England Patriots made big plays. None made as many as Tom Brady.

Brady threw for 315 yards, including a touchdown pass to Deion Branch, and the Patriots beat the Kansas City Chiefs, 27-19, on Monday night for their 24th win in 25 games.

The victory was New England’s third in a row after its NFL-record 21-game winning streak was ended in Pittsburgh last month.

The Patriots (9-1) took advantage of the absence of Priest Holmes, out because of a knee injury, by shutting down the Kansas City running game for most of the night.

But Trent Green also took advantage of injuries in the New England secondary, throwing for 381 yards, including touchdown passes of 65 and 26 yards to Eddie Kennison. The Patriots played without starting cornerbacks Ty Law and Tyrone Poole.

The second score to Kennison came after Corey Dillon, who had two short touchdown runs, fumbled at the Kansas City three-yard line as the Patriots seemed set to take a 31-13 lead. Instead, Green drove the Chiefs the length of the field to cut their deficit to 24-19 with 6:13 left.

The Chiefs (3-7), however, couldn’t stop the Patriots, who killed nearly 4 1/2 minutes on a drive that ended with Adam Vinatieri’s 28-yard field goal.

Dillon, who carried 26 times for 98 yards, had two runs for one first down, then Brady, who completed 17 of 26 passes, threw 14 yards to Christian Fauria and nine yards to Branch, who had six catches for 105 yards.

He was one of just many Patriots to make big plays.

Rodney Harrison stopped a Kansas City threat with an end zone interception in the last minute of the first half; Tedy Bruschi forced a field goal by stuffing Derrick Blaylock on a third and one after a long Chief drive in the third quarter; tight end Daniel Graham had two big catches; and David Patten’s only reception was a 46-yarder that set up a touchdown.