5 things we learned on opening night

Here are five things we learned from a surprising opening night in the NFL.

Kareem Hunt is the real deal

Welcome to the show, Kareem Hunt.

Hunt emerged as the Chiefs' starting running back when Spencer Ware suffered a torn PCL during the preseason. Although it's the smallest of sample sizes, Ware could be out of luck when he returns from injury, as Hunt looks to be a star in the making and quite possibly the steal of the 2017 NFL Draft.

He set the NFL record for yards from scrimmage in a first game Thursday night, rushing for 148 yards and recording 98 receiving yards in his professional debut. The former Toledo standout showed his small-school pedigree wouldn't hurt him at the professional level, and his ability to dominate as a runner and receiver showed he could be another modern prototype.

Did the Chiefs unveil a future star? If anything, the Patriots ought to know, after unearthing Tom Brady only when Drew Bledsoe suffered internal bleeding early in the 2001 season.

Patriots' defense needs time to jell

Bill Belichick is inarguably the greatest defensive coach of all time, with seven Super Bowl victories (five as the Patriots' head coach, two as the Giants' defensive coordinator), one game plan in the Hall of Fame, and countless defenders that have improved significantly under his watch.

The Hoodie ought to be seething well into Friday morning.

New England's 42 points surrendered Thursday night were the most allowed by the organization during Belichick's reign as head coach. For a team that finished first in scoring defense last season (15.6 points per game allowed), it was a shocking reversal of form and a clear sign that this year's unit needs more time to jell.

Stephon Gilmore was a particularly guilty culprit Thursday night, getting scorched by Tyreek Hill on a 75-yard score in the third quarter. Trey Flowers generated two sacks but the rest of the front seven failed to show up, allowing Alex Smith to grow more confident in the pocket throughout the contest. Malcolm Butler was nowhere close to second-team All-Pro form. The Patriots couldn't stop Hunt from bursting out of screen passes, nor could they account for a few unorthodox sub-packages the Chiefs used in the running game.

New England still boasts enough talent to re-establish itself as a top defense. After Thursday's showing, Belichick and defensive coordinator Matt Patricia will certainly preach the message that talent, continuity, and the spoils of last season won't offset the team's mistakes.

Is Gillislee the next LeGarrette Blount?

Mike Gillislee was the lone bright spot for the Patriots on Thursday evening, scoring three rushing touchdowns in his debut with his new club. Gillislee went largely unnoticed while backing up LeSean McCoy as a member of the Buffalo Bills, but he's certainly on the national radar after opening night with the defending champions.

The Patriots used LeGarrette Blount to great effect in short-yardage scenarios last season and the bruising back led the NFL with 18 rushing touchdowns. In trademark Patriots fashion, the organization found him to be expendable, cutting him loose. Enter Gillislee.

Gillislee was signed for pennies on the dollar after quietly averaging 5.7 yards per carry in consecutive seasons with the Bills. Boasting a combination of field vision and power the Patriots crave at the goal line, along with the speed to separate from his initial defender, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels has another potent weapon in his arsenal. Now, the rest of the pieces need to fall in line.

Patriots miss Edelman more than we realized

Julian Edelman tore his ACL during the preseason and the response was largely indifference, as many believed the Patriots would seamlessly replace the veteran talent. Edelman was a key fixture in the Patriots' latest two Super Bowl victories, and his absence spoke volumes Thursday.

Chris Hogan was marginally useful in the running game, rushing for 17 yards on three carries, all on designed end-around plays. Brandin Cooks caught three passes for 88 yards, but most of his contributions came on a 55-yard gain. Rob Gronkowski was nowhere near his all-world form, held to two catches for 33 yards. New England may be teeming with talent, but it was evident that Brady sorely missed one of his safety valves.

Danny Amendola suffered a concussion during Thursday's game, while Malcolm Mitchell was placed on injured reserve with a knee injury prior to the showdown. Although it would be unwise to bet against Belichick's ability to find capable receivers out of nowhere, Brady has cultivated a strong rapport with Edelman - one that simply didn't carry over to the rest of his targets versus the Chiefs.

Smith's tenure with the Chiefs isn't over yet

When the Chiefs traded up 17 spots with the Buffalo Bills to select Patrick Mahomes 10th overall in the 2017 draft, many predicted that Smith's tenure with the team was coming to an end. The pundits are eating and deleting their words now.

Smith submitted one of the best performances of his career, one that'd be hailed as a virtuoso offering if Tom Brady posted the same stat line. The 13th-year pro went 28-of-35 for 368 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions, shattering the notion that he can only operate a hyper-conservative offense. He found Hill in stride when the receiver beat Stephon Gilmore off the line of scrimmage for a 75-yard touchdown, and later scorched the Patriots' defense by throwing a picturesque pass to Kareem Hunt for a 78-yard score.

Alex Smith: 2-0 all-time head-to-head in regular season vs Tom Brady pic.twitter.com/BSfUc48siE

- ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) September 8, 2017

Mahomes may be the quarterback of the Chiefs' future, but with Smith at the helm, the organization ought to be focused on the present. They showed Thursday they're prepared to make a deep playoff run, punditry and groupthink be damned.

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