Smith, Chiefs stage indefensible show
FOXBORO — It’s safe to say the Kansas City Chiefs and, more specifically, quarterback Alex Smith, are not known for their big-play ability. You could have fooled the Patriots after last night’s 42-27 shellacking in the regular season opener at Gillette Stadium.
Not only did Kansas City put together three touchdown drives of 90 yards, but Smith, normally allergic to taking deep shots, hit two huge ones, a 75-yard touchdown to wide receiver Tyreek Hill in the third quarter and a 78-yard scoring toss to running back Kareem Hunt in the fourth.
For a new-look Patriots secondary that made a big splash acquiring free agent cornerback Stephon Gilmore, its first time under the lights in a game that counted was a dud.
Smith completed 28-of-35 passes for 368 yards and four touchdowns, with a near-perfect quarterback rating of 148.6.
The run defense was not any better, and it did not help when Pats linebacker Dont’a Hightower left the game with a knee injury in the third quarter. The Chiefs rushed for 185 yards on 27 carries, a whopping 6.9 average.
All in all, it was a breakdown of historic proportions, the most points allowed by the Patriots since 1993. The 537 yards allowed was the third-highest in franchise history and most in the Bill Belichick era.
Whether it was the myriad crossing routes in the short and intermediate part of the field, or the bombs Smith usually doesn’t toss, everything seemed to work when the Chiefs threw the ball.
The Hill score, which helped put the Chiefs ahead 21-17 with 9:28 to go in the third, was particularly egregious. Gilmore appeared to expect safety help on the play, but as Hill left him in the dust along the right sideline, Devin McCourty did not provide it nearly in time as Hill caught the pass and strolled into the end zone.
“Every time we had a miscommunication, they made us pay,” Pats safety Duron Harmon said.
As was the case in Super Bowl LI, covering running backs remained a problem for the Patriots. Hunt, who caught five passes for 98 yards and two touchdowns, also ran 17 times for 148 yards and a score. He easily sprinted past defensive end Cassius Marsh on the 78-yard reception, then everyone else to help put the Chiefs ahead for good at 28-27 a minute into the fourth quarter.
The Chiefs tacked on two more touchdowns, and on the second, a 21-yard Charcandrick West run, the Pats appeared to simply give up on the play.
Harmon noted the defense can only improve, but silver linings were hard to come by.
“When they score 42 points on you and beat you on opening night,” Harmon said, “there ain’t really no positives.”