Football 2020

[MiniDave]

KC opened the 2020 NFL season Thursday night playing Houston, and sent Houston home with their first loss of the season.

A couple of highlights, the new KC rookie running back has definitely got the chops and if he stays healthy will have a great year as KC has decided  to increase their running game this season. It's not that Mahomes won't pick up right where he left off after the superb bowl last Feb, but I think they want to shore up what many teams thought was a weak spot where they might be vulnerable.

The Chiefs also have a walk on undrafted kicker, who looks pretty good so far too as he hit every extra point and the one punt he made pinned them on the 5, all the kickoffs went into the end zone.

Fans were allowed into the stadium, tho only about 20% of the normal capacity crowd (Chiefs routinely sell out the stadium - seats and parking are stupid expensive - to me), and non-family members were spaced out around the stands.

Every one who was on the field was wearing a special bracelet, so if anyone tests positive they can trace everyone who came near them all night.

All in all, an OK night for the first game of the 2020 season, and a tiny bit of normalcy in an otherwise crazy year.

[gr8kornholio]

Good to see, at least so far that the $450 million contract didn't effect his play. With $142 million guaranteed. It is over 10 years so they need the running game to keep him healthy.

[MiniDave]

True, so many times we see a player land a huge payoff and the next year they just suck completely.....Jackson for his part did not seem to be the player he was last season, where he seemed to be able to escape for big runs when they needed them. Either their front line was weaker allowing the chiefs to contain him, or the Chiefs front line was just better this year? Hard to say, could be both.....

It will be interesting to see what Brady does at Tampa this year......

Next big game for me is Dallas at the LA Chargers  - they have a new $5 billion stadium to play in, but it also will be mostly empty. I'm not heavily invested in football, but there's not much else to watch these days.

[gr8kornholio]

Big Ben is a perfect example of big contract and stopped caring. At least this year the LA teams have an excuse why it's empty. Lol. Are the Raiders in Vegas now?

Yep, Tom Shady better take Tampa deep into playoffs or the rumors will start flying he was only good cause of Bellacheats system.

[MiniDave]

Not a real good day for the Brady bunch today against New Orleans, as the Saints went marching by just a few too many times. He looked strong the first score, taking the ball in himself, but it went downhill from there....and not in a good way.

[MiniDave]

KC has now started 4 seasons in a row at 4 wins or more, 1st in the NFL to do that....

Their game against the Patsies was delayed a day when ol Camshaft came up positive for Covid. they tested both teams and one of the Chief's practice squad players also came up positive, but everyone else tested OK< so they went ahead and played Monday night - so there were two Monday night football games.

I don't think the Chiefs played particularly well in any of the games they've won so far, but then they did play well enough to win them I guess.

[MiniDave]

My last statement still holds true - they're 8-1 which is great, and they seem to be doing just enough to win but some of the teams I thought should have been a cakewalk (0-8 Jets for example) were actually a close game.

Mahomes is still brilliant, but the combination of devastating injuries, testing positive for Covid, some sitting out the year and so on means he's working with a LOT of backup players.

We'll see if they make it to the stupid bowl or not, still some tough games ahead.