Print edition: 
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- — Chiefs quarterback Tyler Palko outdueled Tom Brady for the first quarter and a half of Monday night’s game against the Patriots.
The rest of the game was not as memorable for Palko, making the first start of his NFL career for the injured Matt Cassel, or the Chiefs. A promising start unraveled quickly in the Chiefs’ 34-3 defeat.
The Chiefs have lost three straight games and will take a 4-6 record into Sunday night’s game against Pittsburgh at Arrowhead Stadium.
The Chiefs held a 3-0 lead midway through the second quarter due in part to Palko’s efficient if not spectacular play. Three Palko interceptions helped fuel a string of 34 straight New England points to finish the game.
“There were some positive things out there as an offense,’’ Palko said. “We just couldn’t sustain any drives. We just needed to stay on the field and finish them off instead of turning the ball over or punting.’’
Offensive coordinator Bill Muir was on the sideline for the Chiefs rather than his usual spot in the press box but coach Todd Haley said Muir was still calling the plays.
“No different than what we normally do,’’ Haley said. “We just made an alteration with Bill (on the sideline). I just thought that we were at a point of the season where (the Chiefs needed) a little change. He talks to the offense all week and I just felt being in the box right now maybe wasn’t the best place for him.’’
The Chiefs outplayed the Patriots for much of the first half. They flooded their lineup with extra defensive backs, blitzed frequently and had New England and Brady confused well into the second period.
The Chiefs sacked Brady three times and forced him to fumble once, but because of a balky offense they trailed 10-3 at halftime.
“The Patriots are a team that gives you little margin for error,’’ linebacker Derrick Johnson said. “You can play a good game and then you make a little mistake and they just capitalize. That’s the type of team they are.’’
A 25-yard punt return by Javier Arenas early in the game gave the Chiefs starting field position near midfield. After Thomas Jones had a 26-yard run, the Chiefs had a first and goal from the New England 5.
The Chiefs never came close to scoring a touchdown. Jones carried for one yard and then Palko was trapped in the backfield for a six-yard loss. On third down, Palko threw short for Dwayne Bowe, who was tackled well short of the end zone.
Ryan Succop kicked a 26-yard field goal to put the Chiefs ahead 3-0.
The lead held up well into the second quarter. After Succop’s field goal, the Chiefs tried an onside kick. The ball hit Kansas City’s Cory Greenwood in the leg before it went 10 yards, so New England took over near midfield.
The Chiefs held when Wallace Gilberry sacked Brady and forced him to fumble. Allen Bailey recovered for Kansas City at the Chiefs’ 27.
The Chiefs moved the ball, outgaining New England 190 yards to 174 in the half. But a Leonard Pope holding penalty killed one drive and Palko’s erratic passing was another factor the Chiefs couldn’t overcome.
He missed an open Jonathan Baldwin on a third-down pass. Later, a throw intended for Steve Breaston was behind the receiver and intercepted by Kyle Arrington.
The Patriots eventually took advantage. The Chiefs left tight end Rob Gronkowski open to catch a 52-yard scoring pass that gave New England a 7-3 lead.
They padded their lead with a 21-yard field goal from Stephen Gostkowski with 10 seconds left in the half.
New England wasted little time to stretching the lead. The Patriots took the opening kickoff and moved downfield, finishing with a 19-yard Brady to Gronkowski touchdown that put them ahead 17-3.
The Chiefs then ran three plays and punted. New England’s Julian Edelman returned it 72 yards for another score and the Patriots’ lead was 24-3 less than six minutes into the third quarter.
Gostkowski’s 19-yard field goal on the last play of the third period pushed the score to 27-3.
The Chiefs had a scoring chance in the fourth quarter, moving to the New England 13. But on first down Palko forced a throw for Breaston into triple coverage and his pass was intercepted by Phillip Adams.
New England’s final touchdown came on Shane Vereen’s four-yard run on fourth down with 1:01 left in the game.
KC NE
First downs 16 20
Total Net Yards334 380
Rushes-yards 26-119 35-157
Passing 215 223
Punt Returns 4-7 12-81
Kickoff Returns 6-100 1-18
Interceptions Ret. 0-0 3-44
Comp-Att-Int 25-38-3 15-27-0
Sacked-Yards Lost 3-21 3-11
Punts 5-39.8 4-50.8
Fumbles-Lost 0-0 1-1
Penalties-Yards 5-34 3-20
Time of Possession 31:30 28:30
Kansas City 3 0 0 0— 3
New England 0 10 17 7 — 34
First Quarter
KC—FG Succop 26, 1:30.
Second Quarter
NE—Gronkowski 52 pass from Brady (Gostkowski kick), 4:18.
NE—FG Gostkowski 21, :10.
Third Quarter
NE—Gronkowski 19 pass from Brady (Gostkowski kick), 10:27.
NE—Edelman 72 punt return (Gostkowski kick), 9:24.
NE—FG Gostkowski 19, :00.
Fourth Quarter
NE—Vereen 4 run (Gostkowski kick), 1:01.
A—68,756.
Individual Statistics
Rushing—Kansas City, Jones 8-48, McCluster 8-39, Battle 8-33, Horne 1-5, Palko 1-(minus 6). New England, Green-Ellis 20-81, Vereen 8-39, Woodhead 5-27, Brady 2-10.
Passing—Kansas City, Palko 25-38-3-236. New England, Brady 15-27-0-234.
Receiving—Kansas City, Bowe 7-87, Breaston 6-73, Pope 3-26, O'Connell 3-22, Baldwin 3-16, McCluster 2-9, Battle 1-3. New England, Gronkowski 4-96, Hernandez 4-44, Woodhead 2-28, Welker 2-22, Branch 2-19, Green-Ellis 1-25.
Missed Field Goals—None.
