I'm not often stunned. The NFL season kicked off in ways I never anticipated. The last game to throw me off like this--to challenge my assumptions about NFL teams and players--was Super Bowl 42, when a six-loss Giants squad somehow stopped an 18-0 Patriots team that had won each game by an average of nearly 19 points.
To those who rejected my calls to sit Kareem Hunt, congratulations. Sure, Travis Kelce was bottled up as expected. And Rex Burkhead predictability fell flat. But on the whole, this was a game of opposites--of Alex Smith playing like Tom Brady, of Brady playing like Smith, of Gronk getting shut down, of Danny Amendola leading New England in receiving, and of a third-round running back playing at an historic level.
This was a game won by Smith, Hunt, Tyreek Hill, and KC's D and lost by a Bill Belichick-led team known for its brilliant mid-game adjustments . . . but inexplicably unable to execute such adjustments, even after Eric Berry was carted off with what might be a devastating season-ending injury. Smith became the first QB with 300+ yards and four TDs against a Belichick-coached team. During Belichick's 17+ year reign in New England, no other team has put up 42 points.
The Pats looked ready to roll over the Chiefs with two TDs inside the first six minutes. In hindsight, when Gronk's TD catch was called back and Belichick then opted to go for the kill on fourth down rather than settle for a field goal, the momentum shifted. Hunt's fumble on his first NFL carry was forgotten. It's as if the visiting team snapped out of its funk and started executing a Week 1 game plan it probably had been working on and perfecting for months.
To be clear, this was not the norm, and it doesn't take much to guarantee things will play out somewhat differently the rest of the season. How differently? That's the big question this morning. Brady and his teammates will regroup, just as they did after a 41-14 thrashing against the Chiefs in Week 4 of the 2014 season (at which time many--including me--were wondering whether Brady's career was on the slide). Brandin Cooks will find the end zone a number of times. Gronk will be Gronk . . . while he's healthy, at least. James White will find more open field. I can't conceive of anyone selling low on any of these guys, but obviously if you want to pluck one from an opponent, today's the day to try. But be polite about it; your opponent probably woke up a bit pissed off.
The concern right now for New England is how quickly they'll regroup. Amendola suffered a concussion late in the game--a common ailment for the usually underachieving wideout. Malcolm Mitchell is out for the year. Chris Hogan has caught 47 Brady-thrown balls in his career. Beyond Gronk and the two pass-catching running backs--White and Dion Lewis--no one has established sufficient chemistry with Brady. The loss of safety valve Julian Edelman could be felt yesterday.
As for Kansas City, consider that Hunt racked up more yards from scrimmage in his first game than any NFL player since the 1970 merger. The 86th pick in this year's draft was always going to challenge Spencer Ware for starter's carries. And when Ware went down, Hunt's value deservedly spiked. But the four-year starter out of Toledo has entered the league in a way most of us have never seen. Expectations for top 5 RB production are now sky-high. The Chiefs have the second toughest schedule according to CBS Sports, so it will be beyond interesting to see how defenses--many of them good or great--will adjust going forward. Hunt looked like the real deal last night. Games 2 and 3 will help tell us whether he is, in fact, the real deal.
Meanwhile, Alex Smith's career day came out of nowhere. There was rumblings that KC's drafting of Patrick Mahomes put the middling veteran on notice: elevate your game, or the future is now. So who's the real Alex Smith? I suspect he'll return to being a bottom-12 fantasy option most weeks. QBs at his age and with his track record don't suddenly become QB1s. Again, the NFL is about offensive and defensive adjustments. Surprising greatness sometimes slips through the cracks, but it usually doesn't remain there very long.
In a couple weeks we'll have a better sense of what "normal" is for the 2017 fantasy season. For now, I and likely many football fans remain stunned.
To those who rejected my calls to sit Kareem Hunt, congratulations. Sure, Travis Kelce was bottled up as expected. And Rex Burkhead predictability fell flat. But on the whole, this was a game of opposites--of Alex Smith playing like Tom Brady, of Brady playing like Smith, of Gronk getting shut down, of Danny Amendola leading New England in receiving, and of a third-round running back playing at an historic level.
This was a game won by Smith, Hunt, Tyreek Hill, and KC's D and lost by a Bill Belichick-led team known for its brilliant mid-game adjustments . . . but inexplicably unable to execute such adjustments, even after Eric Berry was carted off with what might be a devastating season-ending injury. Smith became the first QB with 300+ yards and four TDs against a Belichick-coached team. During Belichick's 17+ year reign in New England, no other team has put up 42 points.
The Pats looked ready to roll over the Chiefs with two TDs inside the first six minutes. In hindsight, when Gronk's TD catch was called back and Belichick then opted to go for the kill on fourth down rather than settle for a field goal, the momentum shifted. Hunt's fumble on his first NFL carry was forgotten. It's as if the visiting team snapped out of its funk and started executing a Week 1 game plan it probably had been working on and perfecting for months.
To be clear, this was not the norm, and it doesn't take much to guarantee things will play out somewhat differently the rest of the season. How differently? That's the big question this morning. Brady and his teammates will regroup, just as they did after a 41-14 thrashing against the Chiefs in Week 4 of the 2014 season (at which time many--including me--were wondering whether Brady's career was on the slide). Brandin Cooks will find the end zone a number of times. Gronk will be Gronk . . . while he's healthy, at least. James White will find more open field. I can't conceive of anyone selling low on any of these guys, but obviously if you want to pluck one from an opponent, today's the day to try. But be polite about it; your opponent probably woke up a bit pissed off.
The concern right now for New England is how quickly they'll regroup. Amendola suffered a concussion late in the game--a common ailment for the usually underachieving wideout. Malcolm Mitchell is out for the year. Chris Hogan has caught 47 Brady-thrown balls in his career. Beyond Gronk and the two pass-catching running backs--White and Dion Lewis--no one has established sufficient chemistry with Brady. The loss of safety valve Julian Edelman could be felt yesterday.
As for Kansas City, consider that Hunt racked up more yards from scrimmage in his first game than any NFL player since the 1970 merger. The 86th pick in this year's draft was always going to challenge Spencer Ware for starter's carries. And when Ware went down, Hunt's value deservedly spiked. But the four-year starter out of Toledo has entered the league in a way most of us have never seen. Expectations for top 5 RB production are now sky-high. The Chiefs have the second toughest schedule according to CBS Sports, so it will be beyond interesting to see how defenses--many of them good or great--will adjust going forward. Hunt looked like the real deal last night. Games 2 and 3 will help tell us whether he is, in fact, the real deal.
Meanwhile, Alex Smith's career day came out of nowhere. There was rumblings that KC's drafting of Patrick Mahomes put the middling veteran on notice: elevate your game, or the future is now. So who's the real Alex Smith? I suspect he'll return to being a bottom-12 fantasy option most weeks. QBs at his age and with his track record don't suddenly become QB1s. Again, the NFL is about offensive and defensive adjustments. Surprising greatness sometimes slips through the cracks, but it usually doesn't remain there very long.
In a couple weeks we'll have a better sense of what "normal" is for the 2017 fantasy season. For now, I and likely many football fans remain stunned.