One of the biggest reasons for the New England Patriots’ 37-31 win in the AFC Championship Game against the Kansas City Chiefs was the team’s ability to control the clock. The conference’s second seed started the contest by focusing on running the football and putting itself in favorable down-and-distance situations. The game’s opening series was already a perfect illustration of that.
On their way to taking a 7-0 lead, the Patriots covered 80 yards in 15 plays while simultaneously milking 8:05 off the clock. They were able to do all of that thanks to a balanced attack that focused on the ground game but was equally efficient through the air, and by converting all three of their third down attempts.