Miami Dolphins watch as AFC East division rivals fall
By Brian Miller
The Miami Dolphins will not be playing this week as they hunker down or get out of Miami as hurricane Irma moves closer to South Florida. They did however watch hurricane K.C. whip New England.
On Thursday night football to open the 2017 NFL regular season, Miami Dolphins rival the New England Patriots began their Super Bowl defense with a big loss. Visiting Kansas City Chiefs opened the season with an impressive win in Foxboro, Ma. A feat few have been able to accomplish. Let alone on opening day.
In fact in the last 14 seasons, the Patriots have lost only one home opener. A 2012 match-up against the Arizona Cardinals. In 2014 the Patriots lost the opening game of the season in Miami against the Dolphins.
The last time the Patriots faced the Chiefs in Foxboro was 2008. Tom Brady was injured on a sack and missed the entire season with a knee injury. All of that changed on Thursday night.
Previously the Patriots had won four straight game following a Super Bowl victory. The Chiefs looked ready to hand them a fifth when the Patriots took a second half lead after the Chiefs had held a small lead. Then it was all Kansas City.
The 28-3 score that showed on the stadiums digital boards was a reminder of the comeback the Patriots made in last years Super Bowl. They hoisted their 5th Super Bowl banner and the Chiefs set them up for another comeback. It failed.
Kansas City put up 42 points on New England but more impressive was the gut wrenching looks on the Patriots fans as the Chiefs continued to roll and the Patriots continued to flounder. The Patriots spent a lot of money on free agents this year in what appeared to be a stacked team hoping to make a run at perfection.
New England traded for WR Brandon Cooks and signed top cornerback Stephen Gillmore. They added talent everywhere but it didn’t matter. Out of sync the Patriots fell to last years number two seed.
The Dolphins will at least start the regular season in week one looking below them to see New England who will start the season on the bottom of the AFC East. Miami will have to play the Chiefs later this year in Kansas City on Christmas Eve. Whether or not the Dolphins will be contenders by then remains to be seen.
For now however Dolphins fans embracing for Hurricane Irma can take comfort in knowing that the Patriots lost. It was a little bit of good news for city coming under the seige of Mother Nature this weekend.