Five things to watch tonight
FOXBORO — After the Patriots unveil their fifth Super Bowl banner tonight, they’ll get to work on the next one.
Hey, Robert Kraft said they have space for 11 banners with their redesigned structure, and Tom Brady repeatedly has said he wants to play another five or six years. The math adds up.
The Patriots kick off the season in spectacular fashion, and the reigning champs could claim a key tiebreaker right off the bat against the Chiefs, who finished last season as the AFC’s second seed. Here are five things to watch after the banner drops, the music stops and the smoke from the fireworks fades into the distance:
Make Gronk great again
Gronkowski dove full-time into Alex Guerrero's workout program and rededicated himself to a better diet, all of which was in addition to his normal routine. The 28-year-old has recognized the need to reshape some things off the field in the hope to stay healthier, and those familiar with Gronk's offseason workouts have raved about the potential dividends for the regular season. Everything went so smoothly for him that Bill Belichick decided to end the big guy's five-year preseason drought with a couple of appearances. It's time to unleash the beast, though a potential matchup with Berry will be as tough as it comes.
Pressure situation
Finally, the Patriots get to show off their new-look front seven after an offseason of adjustments that promise to unveil a myriad of blitzes. How often will Dont'a Hightower line up on the defensive edge and go downhill to attack quarterback Alex Smith? Will Trey Flowers start a highly anticipated season with a bang? How will Lawrence Guy, Deatrich Wise, Harvey Langi and David Harris look in their Patriots debuts? But more than anything, the Patriots have a versatile group that will rely on disguises to create additional pressure. Their first test comes against the Chiefs' gimmicky offense, so discipline will be the key to slowing down their visitors. But if they can force the Chiefs into passing situations, the Pats will turn up the pressure.
This is 40?
Check Tom Brady's birth records. He still doesn't look
40. Brady had a Brady-like summer and might even make another run at a recordsetting offensive output, and he's probably experienced a lot of joy knowing he has warded off his supposed replacement by immeasurable margins. So this is Brady's first test with Rob Gronkowski, Chris Hogan, Brandin Cooks and Danny Amendola, and it's against a defense that has a way of graying quarterbacks' hairs. A couple hits from Justin Houston, Dee Ford and Derrick Johnson or a couple of close calls with Eric Berry and Marcus Peters, and it'll force this Patriots group to endure some adversity for the first true time. But if the Pats briskly traverse through the Chiefs defense, it'll reinforce their intimidation factor to the rest of the league.
Lockdown crew
Tyreek Hill is fun to watch because of his speed and involvement in a number of ways, but the Chiefs don't exactly have an accomplished group of wide receivers. Their passing game revolves around tight end Travis Kelce. So how will the Patriots deploy Malcolm Butler and Stephon Gilmore? Butler might be the better matchup option, but it also wouldn't be all that surprising if the corners just stuck to sides and let the matchups come to them. This isn't the most exciting unveiling of the Butler-Gilmore combo because of the Chiefs' receiver depth chart. Regardless, Butler had a great training camp and is motivated to shake off some preseason issues, and Gilmore was dominant in the preseason by allowing a single 2-yard catch and breaking up the only other two throws in his direction.
Special delivery
The Patriots don't have to win the special teams battle, but they definitely can't lose it. Chiefs coordinator Dave Toub leads one of the best special teams groups in the NFL, and Hill and De'Anthony Thomas are two dangerous returners. Meanwhile, Pats special teams captain Matthew Slater (hamstring) and standout Nate Ebner (shoulder) are banged up. Shea McClellin is on injured reserve, and Danny Amendola is their only punt returner with any legitimate NFL experience because Julian Edelman and Cyrus Jones tore their ACLs. The injuries are the reason why the Pats traded for special teamers Marquis Flowers, Johnson Bademosi and Cassius Marsh. All are strong players, but it's vital for them to be on the same page because one broken assignment or missed gap can allow Hill or Thomas to go the distance.