Kansas City quarterback Alex Smith threw for 368 yards and four touchdowns and rookie running back Kareem Hunt gained 148 yards on the ground and scored three touchdowns (one rushing, two receiving) as Kansas City rolled to a 42-27 win against the New England Patriots in each team's season-opener Thursday night at Gillette Stadium.
On a night when the Patriots celebrated their fifth Super Bowl win, Kansas City's offense rolled up 537 yards and scored six touchdowns, the most yards ever given up by a team coached by Bill Belichick.
Smith completed 28-of-35 passes for 368 yards and he finished with a rating of 148.3 as Kansas City scored 21 points in the fourth quarter to break open the game. Hunt caught five passes for 98 yards and two touchdowns.
New England quarterback Tom Brady completed 16-of-36 passes for 267 yards and he was sacked three times in the game. Running back Mike Gillislee scored three touchdowns.
PREGAME
Tom Brady will be a closely watched quarterback during the 2017 regular season. The scrutiny begins when seemingly ageless Brady leads the New England Patriots as they begin defense of their Super Bowl title against Kansas City in the regular season opener on Thursday Night Football (5:30 p.m. PT/8:30 p.m. ET, KGW-8, NBC).
Get everything you need to know including the latest score and stats provided above and complete details about how you can watch the game on TV on online provided below.
Brady is coming off one the greatest seasons in his 18-year career, when he threw 28 touchdown passes and just two interceptions during the regular season. He followed up with a historic performance in Super Bowl 51, leading the Patriots on a comeback from a 25-point deficit to win in overtime.
Brady, who turned 40 in August, says he wants to play at least five more years, but the Patriots and others will be watching for any signs of decline. The Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman, who suffered a season-ending torn ACL during a preseason game. But have plenty of firepower to help Brady. They traded to acquire wide receiver and former Oregon State star Brandin Cooks and tight end Rob Gronkowski is healthy after he missed the Super Bowl with a back injury.
Kansas City won eight of its last nine games to win the AFC West title, before losing to Pittsburgh in a divisional playoff game. Kansas City coach Andy Reid has led the team to the playoff in three of the four seasons he has been with the team.
Quarterback Alex Smith has won more regular season games than anyone not named Tom Brady or Russell Wilson during the past four seasons, but he doesn't command the same respect as those other two quarterbacks. However, Smith in 1-3 in playoff games and Kansas City fans seem to doubt if Smith is capable of leading the team to the Super Bowl.
Here's everything you need to know to watch the game, or follow along as we bring you the latest score, live updates, photos and video highlights in the comments section below.
What: New England Patriots vs. Kansas City
When: Thursday, Sept. 7, 5:30 p.m. PT/8:30 p.m. ET
Where: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA
TV: KGW-8, NBC
Watch online: You can watch a live stream of the game on gamepass.nfl.com. If the NFL Network is part of your cable package, you can also live stream the game through the NFL app on XBox, Apple TV, or Roku device on your TV.
Local players to watch: New England - WR Brandin Cooks (Oregon State), S Patrick Chung (Oregon), P Ryan Allen (West Salem H.S.), TE Jacob Hollister (Mt. View H.S.). Kansas City - CB Steven Nelson (Oregon State), CB Terrance Mitchell (Oregon), CB Kenneth Acker (Grant High School Generals), WR De'Anthony Thomas (Oregon).
Don't hesitate to jump into the comments and chat with us as the game rolls along.
-- Geoffrey C. Arnold | @geoffreyCarnold