NFL Week 1 predictions: Staff picks for Chiefs vs. Patriots

The Arrowhead Addict staff put together their picks for Thursday’s season-opening match-up between the Chiefs and Patriots.

Months and months of a long offseason are finally behind us. John Dorsey has been fired. Jamaal Charles and Jeremy Maclin are on other teams. Andy Reid has been extended. The future of the franchise has been drafted. What a crazy offseason for the Kansas City Chiefs.

That said, it’s time to play real, meaningful football and it begins on the biggest stage possible. The Chiefs are suiting up to play at Gillette Stadium against the defending Super Bowl champions on a night where they celebrate their legacy. It’s the season-opening game in primetime and the entire nation will be watching.

We polled our staff writers at Arrowhead Addict to get their predictions on who will win tonight and why.

Anthony Crane
Final Score: Chiefs 28, Patriots 24
The Chiefs’ front seven will have their coming out party in Boston tonight. Kansas City will get a touchdown from Kelce, Hill, and two from Hunt.

Nick Floyd
Final Score: Chiefs 27, Patriots 24

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The Kansas City Chiefs have something to prove this game. Yes, playing the champs in the home opener for the entire is a tough way to start but they have all they need to take them down. The Patriots still bitter from the primetime whooping at the hands of KC, simply are not the same team without their number one receiver option in Julian Edelman. This game will come down to who has the better offensive line versus who has the better defensive front. This is where the Chiefs excel over New England. Look for linebacker Justin Houston to return to his former healthy self in this game, and even get to Brady a time or two. In the end, the Chiefs defense shows that there are here to make a statement in a big win in front of the entire NFL.

John McCarty
Final Score: Patriots 31, Chiefs 21
Bill Belicheck has proven to play chess while others are playing checkers. And while Andy Reid has shown he can play a little chess himself, it will be a challenge going into the lion’s den that is Gillete Stadium and defeating the defending Super Bowl Champions. Tom Brady is better then Alex Smith, and the Patriots return a majority of the best defense in the NFL from 2016. I look for the Patriots to use scheme and formation to dictate passing reads and options in an effort to force players such as Chris Conley or lesser players such as Albert Wilson, Demetrius Harris or De’Anthony Thomas to beat them. And while the Chiefs will be able to get points and this game likely stays close through a majority of the fourth quarter, the chessmaster and Tom Brady at quarterback will win the day.

Austin Owen
Final Score: Chiefs 27 Patriots 24
Give me the upset here. K.C. goes into New England and stuns the defending champs on opening night. I expect a game very much like the 2015 divisional playoff, but K.C. pulls it out this time. The Chiefs front seven will be too much for Brady to handle. He will be rushed into throwing at least one pick, to Eric Berry. While the defense holds Brady in check, the steady hand of Alex Smith, along with playmakers Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill, will generate just enough offense to take the Patriots down. Andy Reid may be the biggest key to a victory here. With his bevy of weapons, and all this time to prepare, I predict Andy to orchestrate an offensive masterpiece. One of the biggest wins in Reid’s tenure right here.

Reach
Final Score: Chiefs 24, Patriots 21
For the next week, the balance of power shifts in the AFC as the Kansas City Chiefs will shock the New England Patriots in the season opener in Foxboro tonight 24-21. A determined Alex Smith will put on an inspired performance and test New England’s defense by stretching the field, subsequently creating space for newcomer Kareem Hunt to run roughshod over the Pats’ front seven. Justin Houston and Dee Ford make for a nightmarish start to the regular season for future Hall of Famer Tom Brady. Rob Gronkowski gets his, but without Julian Edelman and a dependable run to help sustain drives, New England has some trouble scoring early on.

Prather Silverthorn
Final Score: Patriots 24, Chiefs 21
The Chiefs offense will have some success against a Patriots front 7 that has some question marks. Kareem Hunt should be able to get into a rhythm. Alex Smith will have time to go through his progressions but don’t expect many wide open targets against a talented Pats secondary. The Patriots offense with Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, and new addition Brandin Cooks will do just enough to get the win at home.

Travis Steffen
Final Score: Patriots 28, Chiefs 21
With Steven Nelson out, I worry about slot corner. They will be picked on by Tom Brady all night no matter who it is. The problem will be the offense as usual, because the Patriots will force Alex Smith to beat them deep and we will see the same conservative Alex we are all used to.

Chris Taylor
Final Score: Patriots 27, Chiefs 22
The Chiefs won’t look bad in this one, however the atmosphere in Foxboro will be too much for Kansas City to come in and steal a win. Much as it was for the Patriots the last time they visited Arrowhead, just a closer score.

David Thomas
Final Score: Chiefs 28, Patriots 24
This is not the same team that lost to the Patriots in the divisional round of the playoffs in 2015. This is not the same team that blew the Patriots out of the water on Sunday Night Football in 2014. In 2016, we saw the Chiefs play in a way we haven’t seen in a long time. They won tough close competitive games against the best teams in the league. With the team healthy and hungry, I have the Chiefs picking up where they left off last season. Winning a tough competitive game against one of the best teams in the league. The player who will be most key in the Chiefs victory will be Kareem Hunt.

Thomas Welte
Final Score: Patriots 28, Chiefs 17
This game will be closer than the score indicates. Both offenses are facing big adjustments with playmakers being out of the line up. Don’t be surprised if the Chiefs take an early lead. The Patriots are coming in with plenty of weapons around Tom Brady, even without Julian Edelman. Do not sleep on running back Mike Gillislee who may end up giving the Chiefs defense fits. Brandin Cooks may be a big factor as well, possessing the speed that has proven to give the Chiefs secondary fits. The Chiefs success will ride heavily on Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill making plays in the passing game. Kareem Hunt has looked good in preseason, but this will be a big test for him. I suspect this game will be reflective of the last match up between Kansas City and New England: competitive for half the game with the Patriots pulling away in the mid to late third quarter.

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