The 2017 NFL season is open for business as the Kansas City Chiefs visit the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots.

8:35PM: The Patriots unveil their fifth Super Bowl banner using “Jump Around” by House of Pain along with some live Mark Wahlberg narration. Cheers to Julian Edelman for popping up on field during the ceremony. That’s a man’s man there.

8:41 – Roger Goodell is in the house tonight. As mentioned on the blog, there are roughly 60,000 Goodell clown towels floating around Gillette Stadium tonight.

8:42 – Game 1 of 256 regular season games is off and running…

FIRST QUARTER

BALL AT NE 27

8:42 – Brady misses a wide open Dwayne Allen that may have been a touchdown had he connected. Rare miss by Brady there on the first play.

8:44 – Brady to Cooks nets a first down as  the Patriots hurry to begin rolling down the field.

8:47 – Mike Gillislee runs it in for a score but offsetting penalties negate the play. Lucky for Nate Solder.

8:49 – Gillislee wants those fantasy points. He goes in from the 2. Easy money for the Patriots early on.

PATRIOTS 7, CHIEFS 0

8:55 – Rookie running back Kareem Hunt loses a fumble on his first NFL carry. He didn’t lose a fumble in college…and only actually fumbled once. Damn.

8:56 – On a 3rd and 7 from the KC 29, James White picks up 8.

8:58 – Brady to Gronkowski on a 3rd and 11…and free play….FOR SIX. Gronk appears to be injured somewhat and that ball may have hit the ground. REVIEW TIME.

9:01 – Gronk can’t hold on according to an official review but the Chiefs get an offsides call.

9:04 – Chiefs get a 4th and 1 stop near the KC 10 as the Patriots opt for a Gillislee handoff instead of a Brady sneak. Perhaps a game-saving play early on.

9:07 – Chiefs take over….and are rolling down the field. Hunt with 25 yards on three carries.

9:13 – Andy Reid and the Chiefs emptying out that junk playbook tonight. Pulling out all of the bullsh*t tricks on the second drive.

9:14 – Kansas City goes 90 yards in 12 plays and cap it with a short Demetrius Harris touchdown catch. Basically, Harris did his best Draymond Green impersonation by boxing out safety Devin McCourty.

CHIEFS 7, PATRIOTS 7

9:18 – So, the Chiefs go from being down 14-0 or 10-0 to being tied at 7. Andy Reid brought his horseshoe to Foxborough.

9:20 – New England shakes off their last drive haze by hitting Amendola at midfield and a play action route to Cooks to land near the red zone.

9:23 – James White comes up just inches short on a 3rd and 1 run. DECISION TIME.

END OF 1: CHIEFS 7, PATRIOTS 7

SECOND QUARTER

9:26 – Unwilling to let points get away, Belichick dials up Stephen Gostkowski for a field goal try. He nails it through.

PATRIOTS 10, CHIEFS 7

9:32 – Despite a NE personal foul penalty that landed KC near midfield, the Patriots D holds featuring a third down sack by Super Bowl hero Trey Flowers. Punt time for the Chiefs.

9:33 – Alex Smith’s career in summary:

9:38 – Amendola and Gillislee key another drive into Chiefs territory. Gronk finally makes his first official catch of the night.

9:41 – A holding penalty on the Chiefs inside of the KC 10 leads to a second Gillislee rushing touchdown as he carries a defender on his back. And just like that, the Chiefs are up by 10.

PATRIOTS 17, CHIEFS 7

9:43 – In case you’re wondering about Kansas City’s defensive strategy tonight….

Ultimately, that’s probably not the best way to handle business tonight.

9:49 – Alex Smith just got sacked by the turf monster to kill a Chiefs drive. On the punt, DeAnthony Thomas thinks it’s a great idea to run into Danny Amendola. PENALTY.

9:54 – Patriots take the ball just outside of their 40…However, can’t anything going. It’s a three and out for the Pats O with just over three minutes left before halftime.

9:56 – Sorry Alex:

10:12 – Kansas City gets a missed near interception by NE’s Patrick Chung and a pass interference call in the end zone against Malcolm Butler to key a 12-play, 92 yard scoring drive. It ends when Smith connects with Kareem Hunt for six on a short TD toss. A strong way to close the half for Kansas City.

10:14 – Just :13 seconds remaining before half…

FIRST HALF SUMMARY:

HALFTIME: PATRIOTS 17, CHIEFS 14

THIRD QUARTER

10:29 – Chiefs get the ball at their 25 to start second half…

10:33 – After allowing two 90-yard plus drives, the Patriots defense gets a good stop near midfield on a Tyreek Hill catch. Punt City for the Chiefs.

10:38 – Near disaster for the Patriots as Amendola fumbles but it rolls into a first down on the recovery for New England.

10:39 – Pats can’t get anything going as the Chiefs get the slightest amount of pressure. Eventually, New England stalls and it’s another punt.

10:41 – Following a personal foul penalty against KC, Alex Smith to Tyreek Hill on a 75-yard touchdown bomb. Hill confuses and then slays Stephon Gilmore.

CHIEFS 21, PATRIOTS 17

10:51 – New England briefly gets something going on a first down toss to Gronk outside of midfield. However, the drive runs out of gas quickly. THEY MISS EDELMAN…BADLY. Justin Houston also maimed Amendola on a third down drop. Another Patriots punt.

11:00 – Patriots lose Dont’a Hightower to a knee injury but are able to get the Chiefs off the field. By the way, low key subpar effort for Brady tonight. SHHH….

11:03 – Brady to Amendola outside of the red zone is followed by a pass interference in the end zone on the Chiefs.

11:04 – Gillislee TD #3 returns the lead back to the Patriots.

PATRIOTS 24, CHIEFS 21

11:10 – Chiefs go belly up on the possession deep in their own end as Smith gets sacked on third down. Trey Flowers brought his Super Bowl mojo with him tonight. Shout out to Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, who got a personal foul for taunting.

11:14 – After two running into the kicker penalties, finally the Patriots get the ball back. Brady to Cooks for 52 yards deep into KC territory. Another Patriots drive into Chiefs territory stalls despite Brady throwing an illegal TD pass to James White.

11:20 – Gostkowski Time.

PATRIOTS 27, CHIEFS 21

FOURTH QUARTER

11:27 – The Chiefs attack the Hightower injury and hit a 78-yard TD pass to Kareem Hunt, who is going to cause numerous fantasy owners to have wet dreams.

CHIEFS 28, PATRIOTS 27

11:30 – Al Michaels drops some important information tonight. That’s the third 90-yard plus drive allowed by the Patriots D tonight. Woof.

11:31 – Brady to White for 20 yards opens the drive. Drive comes up on a 4th and inches at the Kansas City 39.

11:33 – For the second time tonight, New England gets stopped on a 4th and inches play as Gillislee gets stoned at the line again.

11:40 – Patriots are dropping left and right. Hightower out. Amendola out. Patriots ball.

11:43 – New England gets a first down run by Rex Burkhard but a series of incomplete passes after that. Berry has Gronk checked; Cooks is probably being covered by the entire state of Missouri. Probably not a lot of options for Brady.

11:46 – Smith with 328 yards and four touchdowns. Woof.

11:53 – Kareem Hunt punctuates a potential Chiefs win with another touchdown. This is one of the worst Patriots defensive efforts in years. Just over five minutes left….

CHIEFS 35, PATRIOTS 27

11:59 – Just going to leave this here:

12:02 – Chiefs lose Eric Berry to an apparent Achilles injury. Meanwhile, Brady gets sacked on first down and then goes incomplete on two straight bombs. The wheels are off in Foxborough.

12:04 – Hunt hits another big one on the Patriots to setup a two-play, 79-yard drive. A touchdown run by Charcandrick West. Hunt with 140 yards on all of 10 carries.

CHIEFS 42, PATRIOTS 27

12:09 – Two sacks and an incomplete pass for Brady and the Patriots.

12:13 – …………..

FINAL: CHIEFS 42, PATRIOTS 27