So much for the Kansas City Chiefs being dead. Far from it.
With the league’s premier quarterback in Patrick Mahomes, back already from last year’s torn ACL and other knee injuries, KC served up a masterpiece with a 31-10 win over the Denver Broncos, two more teams on the Bills’ schedule.
While Mahomes was average (by his lofty standards,) he still accounted for 3 total touchdowns, while Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III was already earning his big contract with 173 yards rushing, including a 60 yard score.
Defensively, the return of L’Jarius Sneed and the addition of Alohi Gilman, along with regular standouts Chris Jones and Nick Bolton held Denver to just 10 points. One would be unwise to look past this proven winner.
Los-t Angeles Rams
Yes, it was only one game, but, the so called “super team,” the Los Angeles Rams are staring at some early season adversity. LA was manhandled by San Francisco in the game in Melbourne, Australia.
Head coach Sean McVay didn’t think the club traveling 15 hours “down under” while arriving there some 28 hours before kickoff was the reason they lost. I can’t imagine it helped, while the 49ers, who went there a week early, looked like the fresher, more rested team and deserved the win.
It was clear all-world end Myles Garrett was anything but. Granted, tackle Trent Williams has shut down many star pass rushers in Hall of Fame to-be career. It was also clear Myles, acquired in a blockbuster off-season swap with the Cleveland Browns, wasn’t 100% healthy, dealing with a knee injury.
Garrett will undergo a procedure and is out indefinitely. It makes one wonder if Aaron Donald would retire again, doesn’t it? Again, I expect LA to get it together, but, for now, their aspirations for a home Super Bowl game are on hold.
Sleeping Giants are awake
Since their win in Super Bowl 46, the New York Giants have been in the playoffs only twice since then, going through a carousel of coaches and quarterbacks. Maybe, just maybe, they finally have that successful combo in first year sideline boss John Harbaugh and 2nd year signal caller Jaxson Dart. Harbaugh, a championship head coach in his time with the Ravens, was let go after 18 seasons.
Dart, who showed promise in his rookie year, is a product of Ole Miss, whose long connection to the Giants goes back to Charlie Conerly, who took the team to an NFL title in 1956 and Eli Manning, who led Big Blue to their last two Super Bowl championships. While it’s early to determine if Dart will do the same, it’s clear his talent is eye-catching. four total touchdowns, while, with Harbaugh’s influence, it’s clear they look like an NFL team again and were impressive, sans penalties, in their opening win over the Dallas Cowboys, whose defense was supposed to be improved, but looked more like the sieve it was a year ago.
Times are heady in the New York/New Jersey region, as the Giants and the Jets, each won their opener for the first time since 2009. Don’t plan the parade at the Canyon of Heroes just yet, but you try to enjoy any optimism you can if you’re a fan of those franchises.