There can be no better measuring stick for the Chiefs and young quarterback

Beat the Patriots in Foxborough and all that excitement in Kansas City might be validated.

Remember, though, that the Chiefs, with Alex Smith, went into Gillette Stadium and won the 2017 kickoff to the season. They went on an up-and-down ride the rest of the way, lost in the wild-card playoff round, while the Patriots straightened out and made the Super Bowl before losing to Philadelphia.

Mahomes, of course, has looked immune to any sort of high-stakes pressure in leading the Chiefs (5-0) to the top of the AFC. He embraces this challenge and trying to outdo Tom Brady.

"It is going to be a great opportunity," says Mahomes, who has a league-best 14 touchdown passes. "He is one of the greatest quarterbacks, if not the greatest to ever play. I am going against their defense, but as a team we are going to go in and try to compete. They are a good team in the AFC every single year. Just to compete against one of the best teams in the league is going to be an awesome opportunity."

How familiar is Mahomes with three-time league MVP Brady, whom he has never met?

"I definitely watched a good amount of him in college (at Texas Tech)," he says. "Coach (Kliff) Kingsbury actually played with Tom at one point. He liked to show me some things that he did where he was in the pocket, his pocket movements and things like that. I have definitely taken some things from him. He does it at such a high level, it's something you have to strive to be like."

New England (3-2) is striving to be, well, New England. After a 1-2 start, the Patriots appear to have gotten back on their usual winning path.

The weekend began with Philadelphia's 34-13 road victory over the New York Giants. Carson Wentz threw a season-high three touchdown passes for the Eagles (3-3). They beat the Giants (1-5) for the fourth straight time and seventh in eight games.

Off this week are Detroit (2-3) and New Orleans (4-1)

Pittsburgh (2-2-1) at Cincinnati (4-1)

One of the NFL's most vicious and yellow-tinted rivalries . As in:

—These teams combined for four penalties for unnecessary roughness, one for unsportsmanlike conduct, one for taunting, one for roughing the passer, and two 15-yard penalties for grabbing a facemask in their previous meeting.

—Cincinnati set a club record with 173 yards in penalties in that messy affair, when the Steelers overcame a 17-0 deficit to win.