Hold Your Horses

Everybody needs to relax. Yes, the Patriots got walloped by the Chiefs on Thursday night, but it has happened before. Back in 2015, on Monday Night Football in Week 4, the Chiefs thumped Tom Brady and company, 41-14. And guess what happened that season? The Patriots went on to hoist the Lombardi Trophy. There is no question that the expectations surrounding New England heading into their 2017 campaign were astronomical, but to write them off, or to reevaluate their chances of being a dominant team, after one week is a bit premature in my eyes.

In fact, what I took most from the game had nothing to do with New England at all. I was enthralled by Andy Reid’s offense. Alex Smith, who has the reputation of being a game-manager, absolutely let it fly in Foxboro, going 28 for 35 with 368 yards passing and four scores. Kareem Hunt had quite an NFL debut, as he racked up more than 200 total yards and a trio of touchdowns. Then there was the electrifying Tyreek Hill. In a sport where there are athletes galore, Hill is in another stratosphere.

I wouldn’t look at this game so much as the Patriots lost it, but rather the Chiefs deserved to win. Kansas City played a solid game of football, stifling Tom Brady and making play after play on offense. If the Chiefs can consistently perform at this level, I think they will be a real threat to represent the AFC in football’s biggest game.