Chiefs at Patriots - Week 1 - Record: 1-0 - Part II

A lot of things to mention about this one, so let's roll. Here are my impressions in no particular order.

Eric Berry. Didn't this happen before? Berry being lost for the season in the very first game? Yeah, back in 2011, when he got smeared by some Bills blocker messing up his knee. This year it was his Achilles, and that same injury took Derrick Johnson out for the year in the first game of the season in 2014!

What is it with the Achilles? How on earth does that happen? Berry was just dancing around on the field covering Rob Gronkowski like he had all night and ::pop!:: there goes the Achilles.

The interesting thing is that in 2011, after a slow 0-3 start, the Chiefs won a few games and toughed out a 7-9 record with a pretty horrible team (we also lost Jamaal Charles early in the season), largely because our defense was not that bad and very well conditioned actually. That was one of the few good things about Todd Haley, he had our team in shape.

What will happen this year? Everyone is stunned about the Berry thing, but we do have some depth and Berry is a very strong leader in the clubhouse, that won't go away.

The offensive line. Everyone was raving about Alex Smith and Kareem Hunt and well they should. Smith was 28-35 with tons of yardage on long accurate strikes to receivers breaking open and four touchdown passes on the night. Awesome, truly awesome. I do think having Pat Mahomes right there knowing he'll be taking over some day is getting Smith to step up his game, I really think that's some of it.

Then there's Kareem Hunt, who had 148 yards rushing and a truckload more on pass receptions. It was the greatest debut performance by a running back in NFL history. Sensational, truly sensational.

But really. Taking nothing away from Smith and Hunt, it was made possible by the terrific play of our offensive line. This was and always has been a major concern of mine. This year people were saying we're good there, we're good, don't worry -- but I've still wondered.

Tonight? I was blown away, simply because Alex Smith actually had time. I mean, please, it was like night and day. You know, you do: the times we watch Alex Smith step back and get creamed in the pocket, is, well, legion. You know! Meanwhile the times we watch the opposing quarterback step back in the pocket and look around, fry an egg, read a book, take a nap before waking up and throwing the ball downfield for an easy pass completion... Errgh!

Tonight it was splendidly wonderfully gloriously different.

Alex Smith had time to go through his progressions.

That was huge, really really huge. We've always been told Smith is one of the smartest quarterbacks there is, and I've always wondered, well, how come he's really crappy at seeing those receivers break open for optimum pass completions???

A lot of it was answered tonight.

The offensive line finally gave him plenty of time to do that. Sure there were a few times he tucked it and tried to scramble away. Sure the New England defensive front played more poorly than I think a lot of people thought. Sure the whole Patriot defense looked already defeated in the 4th quarter when our offense put a 21-spot on the board.

But give credit to that offensive line for making this all happen.

Justin Houston. Justin Houston just being on the field and 100% healthy got Tom Brady scared (see my last post). If Tom Brady played scared, think about what will happen with other quarterbacks. Our defensive line was especially resilient even though I think it was a bit more soft than I wanted to see. It held strong however when it counted most, notably on two critical 4th down-and-inches stops.

Andy Reid. Just a quick shout-out to one particular thing I know we all liked really really a-lot.

The two-minute drill just before the end of the 1st half.

How great was it to see us take the ball a long way down the field with just over two minutes left to score a touchdown bringing the score from 17-7 down to just 17-14 down. It was methodical, it was mistake-free, it was robust, it was imaginative.

Oh that we might see that happen more this year, especially at the end of close postseason games to get wins.

The Patriots fans. I have no animosity towards the Patriots at all, I really don't. I know lots of people do because they're the NFL equivalent of the "super team". But if you can legitimately build a fine professional sports franchise then you should benefit from your success, more power to you. Of course, I am and always have been a big fan of the Golden State Warriors, the NBA's version of the Patriots. I'm great if they win the next 57 titles.

But then, I do want the Chiefs to be a super team also, but they must earn it, and I'm great with that. All that said, I must say that through the 4th quarter it was kind of fun to hear the silence in Gillette Stadium, behold the stunned looks on the faces of those Patriots fans, and listen to the announcers tell of how much the place resembled a morgue. It gave you a chance to enjoy the only thing you could hear, all the whoops and hollers of the Chiefs players when they scored all those touchdowns putting the game out of reach.

But then this is the curse of winning. It is indeed an odd thing. Except for the instance when they actually consummate the season and win the actual title, whenever the Warriors win a regular season game I confess it is kind of, eh, they won again, whatever. When they lose it's, Whuhh?! Are you kidding me? When the Chiefs win like they did Thursday night, it is thrilling! We weren't supposed to win.

Having a very difficult history in the postseason? Hey, right now that's great for Chiefs fans because the wins are that much more gratifying. It's devastating for Patriots fans! Right now. I'd rather be a Chiefs fan.

I'm sure there are a number of other items related to this game, this is great for now. It wasn't a perfect game by any means, and I do believe too much is made of the Patriots loss when again, they were still ahead at the start of the 4th quarter. It isn't as if they're suddenly a bad team.

And the Chiefs are not suddenly a juggernaut. They play in the very tough AFC West and we have the schedule of a division-winning team.

But it is easy to like what we saw Thursday night, and we'll see if they can get decent play from Berry's replacement and continue the vibrant enthusiasm that carried them to this win.
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