Kansas City Chiefs: Alex Smith was brilliant in season opener

The Kansas City Chiefs are still reeling after their stunning upset over the New England Patriots this past Thursday night. Even more stunning was the performance of Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith.

Here are two sets of stats for you. One is from Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith‘s performance on Thursday night and the other is from Tom Brady‘s performance in the same game. I want you to tell me which stat goes with which quarterback. Okay, ready? Go!

• 28 of 35, 368 yards, 4 TD
• 16 of 36, 267 yards

Do you have your answer? Are you sure, because the answer might surprise you. While many would probably assume that the top stat belongs to Brady, those were actually Smith’s numbers from Thursday’s game.

That’s right. Mr. “Dink and Dunk” “Captain Checkdown” Alex Smith out dueled Tom Brady in this one and the numbers weren’t even close. Smith was the better quarterback on Thursday and no one could argue that.

More from KC Kingdom

• Win $650 GUARANTEED Plus $100 Off NFL Sunday Ticket With Caesars, FanDuel and DraftKings Kansas Promos!
• This Plus-Money Bobby Witt Jr. Prop Bet is on Fire (Hit in 15/21 Games)!
• How to Bet on the Chiefs vs. Cardinals in NFL Preseason Week 2
• The Royals Need to Extend Bobby Witt Jr. Immediately
• The 3 Most Intriguing Games on the Chiefs’ Schedule

There’s something about the way Alex Smith steps up when there’s a fire lit underneath him. During the end of his time in San Francisco, the 49ers drafted Colin Kaepernick and Smith became a whole new quarterback. The same appears to be happening to Smith in Kansas City, as his team traded up to draft Patrick Mahomes this year, and now… Smith is on fire.

Sure, it’s only one game and there’s still a ton of football to be played, but how can fans not be excited about what they saw on Thursday? Smith was amazing, connecting with eight different receivers on his 28 completions. He spread the football around and appeared to be really clicking with his weapons.

Most impressive about Smith’s performance, however, was that he did what he hadn’t done before… He threw the ball down the field and made big plays.

The play tweeted above is something we didn’t see much from Smith. If Tyreek Hill were open down the field (as we saw in the playoff game against Pittsburgh), then Smith wouldn’t see him or just wouldn’t throw to him out of fear of being picked off.

Related Story: Ten Best Chiefs Season Openers in Franchise History

Now, however, Smith looks confident in making this throw. Football fans always say, “Good things happen when you throw down field” and looky there… A good thing happened! I won’t knock a quarterback for throwing down the field, even if he gets intercepted. Attempting to make a big play is something that all quarterbacks should do, and Smith did so exceptionally well on Thursday.

Smith’s next task will be to face the Philadelphia Eagles next weekend. Will he be as electric against the Birds as he was against the Patriots? I sure hope so.

If this is the Alex Smith that Kansas City gets for the entire 2017 season, then holy moly… Watch out, other teams. Your path to the title just got a lot tougher.