What I'm Watching for Tonight

Football is finally back as the 2017 season kicks off tonight with the Chiefs playing the Patriots. Here's what I'm interested in seeing:

Patriots:
1. The offense on 3rd downs
How did the Patriots come back in their last 2 Super Bowls? By dominating on 3rd down on both sides of the ball. A large part of this success on offense was the Brady-to-Edelman connection. Edelman is out for the season, which has made a big difference to their 3rd down offense in the past...but this year Brady has new weapons to mitigate this loss.
2. The defense
The Patriots traditionally use a bend-but-don't-break defense until the opponent reaches the red zone, then turn up the heat. The years they have won the Super Bowl recently, they've had enough talent on defense to make enough plays to win the big games. They have plenty of talent in the secondary, and the linebacker corps is good, but their pass rush looks weak on paper.
3. Brady's connections
When new receivers come to town, it tends to be very hit or miss as to whether they pick up the offense quickly, slowly, or not at all. Brady isn't known for his patience, so while these additions look terrific on paper, will that translate? And will it take some time to do so?

Chiefs
1. Can Tyreek Hill be a focal point?
Hill was a big part of boosting the Chiefs offense in the second half of last season. Whether it was improving field position as a return threat or using his speed to stretch the defense as a receiver and runner, it added a dimension that had been lacking.  Now, with Jeremy Maclin gone, Hill has to play the part of a #1 receiver to keep the offense from being limited. Can he do it, or is he another Devin Hester?
2. The pass rush
The Chiefs have a great inventory of pass rushers on paper, but they haven't had all of them healthy at the same time the past couple of seasons. If they're going to compete with the best teams in the NFL, the pass rush will have to lead the way defensively. Three seasons ago, it did and they demolished the Pats. Two seasons ago in the playoffs it did not and they never really had a chance.
3. Can Andy Reid manage the game?
Reid is a fascinating and frustrating coach. He's brilliant at scheming offense, and he clearly is a respected leader of a football team. But he's awful at game management. Calling timeouts, deciding what the challenge, getting selectively aggressive, or using the hurry up offense when behind, Reid tends to fail at them all. Im not hopeful, as Reid has had almost 20 years as a head coach to improve and hasn't. But if the Chiefs are to take the next step to true contenders, he's going to have to get better.