FOXBOROUGH https://www.thechiefsfanshop.com , Mass. (AP) —in the first half of their 38-24 victory over the Colts on Thursday night.The second half brought just as much to be concerned about.New England’s gaps on the defensive side of the ball were both noticeable and troubling as the Patriots opened 1-2. The lack of a sustained pass rush combined with missed assignments in the secondary helped opponents average 26 points in the three games.The defense rebounded to give up just seven points in a 38-7 win over Miami, in which it forced a turnover and held the Dolphins to just 172 total yards.The Patriots were off to a similar start against the Colts on Thursday night, holding them to just three points in the first half and intercepting quarterback Andrew Luck.But the bad habits that befell the defense during the losing streak came back in the final 30 minutes as Indianapolis got within seven points following a pair of touchdown passes from Luck. Indianapolis finished the game with 439 total yards, the third team this season to eclipse 400 yards against New England.Linebacker coach Brian Flores said it is proof there’s still room for improvement with a visit from Kansas City and quarterback Patrick Mahomes up next. Mahomes is the hottest quarterback in the NFL, throwing for 14 touchdowns and no interceptions in the unbeaten Chiefs‘ first four games.“We want to be a tough, aggressive, fast team. There’s always room for improvement in those areas,” said Flores, who is handling play calling duties for the Patriots this season. “I think it’s something we talk about every day. It’s something we harp on. We want the guys to play fast. We want them to play free. We want them to play aggressive.“I think we’ve gotten that at a more consistent level, but I think we’re always looking for more.”Injuries have been an issue for the defense this season, though it is getting close to full strength.Defensive end Trey Flowers and safety Patrick Chung both sat out Week 3 with concussions before returning against the Dolphins. Both combined on a sack against Indianapolis. Chung finished with 11 combined tackles and also had an interception.He said the next step for this group is finding consistency.“That is huge; inconsistency is the worst thing you can have in football. We need to continue to be consistent Kansas City Chiefs Customized Jerseys , continue to play hard and execute,” Chung said.That includes forcing turnovers. The defense had a season-high three against Indianapolis.“Our job is to get the offense the ball; we were able to do that today and had a couple of big plays,” Chung said. “Hopefully we are able to keep doing that.”The turnovers were also a welcomed sign to coach Bill Belichick.“I think defensively you take a lot of pride in those,” he said. “That’s really taking the ball away from the offense as opposed to them just giving it to you. We had a couple of plays like that. We had a couple of other opportunities that we didn’t capitalize on, but it’s always good when you take the ball away from the offense.” The Chiefs‘ Patrick Mahomes is just as efficient at home as he is on the road.He gets the same results, too.After winning his first three starts, all away from Arrowhead Stadium, the second-year pro finally made his regular-season home debut Sunday. Mahomes responded by torching San Francisco’s banged-up pass defense for 314 yards and three touchdowns in a 38-27 victory over the 49ers.Mahomes now has 13 touchdown passes without an interception, breaking the NFL record for TD passes in the first three weeks of a season. Peyton Manning threw 12 to start the 2013 campaign.Mahomes’ touchdown passes to Chris Conley, Demetrius Harris and Sammy Watkins , along with a pair of TD runs by Kareem Hunt Kansas City Chiefs T-Shirts , helped Kansas City (3-0) race to a 35-7 lead late in the first half.Few leads are safe against the Chiefs’ porous defense, though.The 49ers (1-2) rallied behind running backs Matt Breida and Alfred Morris, who kept gouging the Chiefs’ defensive front, and Jimmy Garoppolo, who threw for 251 yards and two scores . It was Garoppolo’s 11-yard pass to Marquis Goodwin early in the third quarter that started the comeback, and Morris scored on a short touchdown run later in the quarter to make it 35-24.After the Chiefs tacked on a field goal early in the fourth to extend their lead, the 49ers came back with a grinding, 17-play drive that wiped out more than half the period. But it ended in a strange sequence that began with Garoppolo taking a hard hit from Steven Nelson along the sideline. Garoppolo easily could have stepped out of bounds, but instead he was crushed on his throwing shoulder and had to leave.C.J. Beathard came in and threw what appeared to be a fourth-down touchdown pass to George Kittle, but it was wiped out by offensive pass interference.There was only 5:17 left, but rather than go for it on fourth-and-goal at the Kansas City 25 https://www.thechiefsfanshop.com/hats , 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan elected to kick a field goal 鈥?keeping it a two-possession game.San Francisco proceeded to kick it deep rather than try an onside kick. The Chiefs picked up a first down on a penalty, and Hunt churned his way for two more first downs to put the game away.The 49ers have not won in Arrowhead Stadium since Dec. 26, 1982.FOSTER’S FRUSTRATION49ers LB Reuben Foster had a rough return from a two-game suspension for violating the league’s personal conduct and substance abuse policy. Foster was hit with a personal foul for hitting Mahomes as the QB was sliding in the first half, Kelce beat him in pass defense, and the young linebacker left early in the fourth quarter when he was shaken up on a tackle.INJURIES49ers: The defensive backfield was in tatters by the fourth quarter. CB Richard Sherman left with a calf injury, FS Adrian Colbert hurt his ankle and backup CB Tarvarius Moore left with a wrist injury. SS Jaquiski Taylor was already inactive with a shoulder injury.Chiefs: LB Dee Ford left with a groin injury in the fourth quarter. … Conley briefly left with a right ankle injury, though he returned to make his TD catch. … SS Eric Berry (heel) remained inactive for the third straight week. He has not practiced since early in camp.UP NEXT49ers: Play the Chargers in Los Angeles next Sunday.Chiefs: Visit the AFC West-rival Broncos next Monday night.___