That's the way to start a new season.
Patrick Mahomes' first game back from torn knee ligaments. Kenneth Walker's debut. A home opener in primetime to cast aside the frustration of a six-win season against the reigning AFC West champs. The Kansas City Chiefs were hoping to put up a real challenge for the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football, but few could have predicted that they would steamroll them on their way to a XXXX win to start the year.
Before the Chiefs turn their attention to the Indianapolis Colts in Week 2, we've got some immediate takeaways to read while we all celebrate a surprisingly convincing victory over a hated rival.
A legitimate ground game
Expect Kenneth Walker headlines aplenty in the days to come. He deserves them after putting up such a tremendous effort in his Kansas City debut. Walker finished with XXXX and has some fans already ready to place him in the Ring of Honor after so many years of watching a lifeless backfield. What a story.
But the run game resurgence was bigger than just Walker, and it deserves mentioning here in the aftermath of the Chiefs' win. It's Andy Reid's commitment to establishing and then leaning on the backfield when so many questioned whether or not he'd really do so. It's the guys up front creating room. It's Emmett Johnson looking like a fifth-round steal in relief work.
The first takeaway here is the main one, because the Chiefs' ground game is going to be the talk of the entire NFL on Tuesday morning.
R Mason Thomas is the real deal
Several Chiefs defenders stood out on Monday night, but R Mason Thomas's performance deserves a special mention here without getting lumped in with the rest. The second-round rookie went against type as a slighter speed option who profiles as a situational pass rusher, which brought up usage questions in the offseason. (Do you sense a theme here?) As it turns out, Thomas was revelatory. His burst off the edge and ability to continue to accelerate while bending was a big problem for Denver's celebrated offensive line all night long. K.C. hasn't had this speed element before, and the dividends were immediate.
A rebuilt secondary looks ready to go
Trent McDuffie is gone. Jaylen Watson, too. Joshua Williams, Bryan Cook, Nazeeh Johnson—all departed. A host of new faces—veterans and rookies—were brought in to compete and the rebuilt secondary was very impressive in their debut. While there will be a learning curve, the overall speed and aggression, especially among the corners, was something to see. L'Jarius Sneed looks back at home in Spags' defense. Nohl Williams looks like he's made a big leap forward. Mansoor Delane even grabbed an INT before leaving with a shoulder injury, and Kristian Fulton looked good in relief.
Once these younger players get more time together, and once Delane is healthy and ready to return, this unit has elite potential. Consider that Alohi Gillman is learning and leading as he goes, while Chamarri Conner missed the entire game. Spags has to be excited with the state of the secondary.
The passing game is still a work in progress
As fun as the night was for Chiefs fans, there are plenty of wrinkles to iron out, especially in the aerial attack. There were obvious timing issues with Patrick Mahomes making his way back from injury. A miscommunication with Xavier Worthy led to an easy interception for Denver linebacker Brandon Jones. No receiver could create any real separation with any consistency. Some of the same fears from last season have carried over into this one, even after such a dominant win, and will still be a talking point going forward.
Mahomes knee is A-OK
Since we're talking about the passing game, it feels only right to note that the single biggest concern for the Chiefs this offseason turned out to be no big deal. The buzz around Mahomes' work ethic was the stuff of legend, but those rumors turned out to be true when watching the Chiefs star quarterback run in two scrambles for touchdowns in the first quarter (after the first was nullified by a penalty). He told reporters he would play like himself when it was time, and he wasn't lying. Mahomes was ready, just like he said he would be.
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