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Patriots take on Chiefs to open the NFL season

Roar Rookie
6th September, 2017
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(Jeffrey Beall / CC BY-SA 3.0)
Roar Rookie
6th September, 2017
1

With the regular season merely a few days away, let’s take a look at the opening game of the 2017 season where Alex Smith and the Chiefs travel to Foxborough to take on Tom Brady and the 2016 Super Bowl champion New England Patriots.

After a successful season culminating in another Super Bowl victory the Patriots could be forgiven for taking it easy. At least for a few months.

Instead they ‘won’ the off season. In came wide receivers Brandin Cooks from the Saints fresh off a 1173-yard eight-touchdown season. So too came Phillip Dorsett, along with TE Dwayne Allen from the Colts.

Joining them are also running backs Rex Burkhead who rushed for 344 yards from 74 attempts at 4.6 yards a carry and Mike Gillislee also going for 577 yards on 101 attempts at 5.7 yards a carry. These two help soften the blow of losing touchdown machine Legarrette Blount to the Eagles.

Cornerback Stephon Gilmore also joined from the Bills and you can start to see why many pundits have stated that the Patriots could potentially go 16-0 this year despite losing Julian Edelman to a season ending ACL injury.

Their opponents on opening day, the Kansas City Chiefs, have had a considerably quieter off season, trading up to draft QB Patrick Mahomes with the 10th overall pick, surely an eventual replacement for Alex Smith.

Not many really give the Chiefs a shot coming into Gillette Stadium and taking the W, but I do. I believe that Kansas City do have the weapons to trouble the Patriots, including Tyreek Hill, Spencer Ware and Travis Kelce. This is along with defensive guns Eric Berry, Justin Houston and interception machine Marcus Peters, The Chiefs have a decent shot to roll into Gillette Stadium and upset the apple cart.

As we have seen though in previous seasons, everything needs to go right for the travelling Chiefs to stand a chance at coming out of Foxborough with a win to start the season.

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For me the Pats will have too much firepower on both sides of the ball, but I do expect Kansas City to come in and have a red-hot crack and try to knock off the reigning champs off on their home deck.

Final score
Patriots 34
Chiefs 24

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