The NFL season begins Thursday night in Foxborough, Massachusetts, with what is supposed to be a dual commemoration of the on-field prowess of the . They and their fans are to celebrate last season’s fifth triumph during the reign of Coach Bill Belichick and quarterback . Then the Patriots will embark on what some believe could be the first 19-0 season in NFL history.
And, oh yeah, the are scheduled to be on hand at Gillette Stadium, also. It’s pretty much a requirement for an NFL game that an opponent is present.
But is there any realistic chance that the Chiefs could spoil the Patriots’ opening night party?
Actually, there is.
“It’s a big game and it’s an important one,” Brady said during his weekly meeting with reporters. “You know, we’re playing one of the best teams in the AFC. Last year, they were the second seed (in the AFC playoffs). They try to make this game big. They get good teams playing, and we know we’re going to have to play a great game in order to win.”
The Chiefs have some history of providing early-season misery for Brady and the Patriots.
In 2008, Brady suffered a season-ending knee injury on a hit by Chiefs safety Bernard Pollard on opening day. In 2014, Brady threw two interceptions and was replaced by backup in an ugly 41-14 defeat at Kansas City in a Monday night game that dropped the Patriots’ record to 2-2 and prompted speculation that the beginning of the end of Brady’s tenure as an all-time-great might be at hand.
That was two Super Bowl victories ago for Brady and the Patriots. Brady has pretty much ended all debate as to which quarterback is the best ever. It’s him. That is virtually indisputable at this point.
Yet, even at age 40 and with all those accomplishments piled so high, there will be opening night jitters Thursday, Brady said this week.
“I think everybody does,” Brady said. “Everyone works hard, and it’s very unpredictable. You never know what’s going to happen. We as players feel like that, too. We’re prepared. We’re confident. But you’ve still got to go out there and do it. And you’ve got to do it against a team that you’ve studied but not much this year … Yeah, there will definitely be nerves and being anxious. But that’s part of football. And once you get out there and start going, those things calm down.”
The key to having a chance to beat the Patriots, as always, is having pass rushers who can bother Brady — hit him regularly, disrupt his rhythm and put him on the move. The Chiefs have that in Justin Houston and Dee Ford. They also have standout players in their secondary in cornerback Marcus Peters and safety Eric Berry.
“They’re very explosive and really force the ball out of your hands quick because they get a good rush,” Brady said. “And then their playmakers in the secondary have eyes on the quarterback and they’re trying to make plays, too … They’ve got a lot of playmakers. That’s why they’ve forced that many turnovers. That’s why they’re so complementary as a team. You know, they get the turnovers. They score points. They get a lead. They rush the quarterback — strip sacks, turnovers — and it just keeps going. Hopefully we can get off to a fast start like we always talk about. But it’s a very challenging team.”
The primary objective on offense for the Chiefs could be for quarterback to find ways to get the football into the hands of second-year wide receiver Tyreek Hill. The speedster had a dozen touchdowns last season as a rookie — six on catches, three on rushing attempts, two on punt returns and one on a kickoff return.
“He’s a tough guy to defend,” Belichick said at a news conference this week. “Tackling is an issue when he gets the ball. Sometimes they throw it to him. Sometimes they hand it to him. Sometimes he gets it on a kick return. He can get it in a lot of different ways, and it involves a lot of different players that might have to deal with him in one way or another. It’s a lot of stress on your team. It’s not like you just match up one guy on him. Every guy on the team basically in the kicking game or on defense might have to deal with this player. Yeah, he’s fast. He’s quick and he’s a big playmaker.”
Can the Patriots make this 2007 all over again and threaten a perfect season? That remains to be seen. For now, what matters is their bid to be 1-0.
“It’s great that we’re here,” Brady said. “I think all the players look forward to this (opening) weekend. It’s a long offseason. It’s a lot of preparation and it’s for this game. When the schedule comes out, you’ve got this first game is the only one you’re really looking at and all the preparation — everything’s building for this week. It goes for both sides. I’m sure they’re looking forward to it, too. I’m excited for this year and to see if all the hard work we put in could amount to something.”
With the Patriots, it usually does.
