NFL Week 1 kickoff: Chiefs at Patriots open thread

Yes, it’s football time. It’s been approximately 213 days and 19 hours since we last saw real NFL football on our television screens. But that all ends tonight.

The World Champion New England Patriots begin their quest to defend their title on Thursday night as they host the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs are coming off a respectable 12-4 season with another disappointing postseason. After earning themselves a two-seed and a first-round bye, the Chiefs fell in a heartbreaker to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The last time the two faced off was during the 2015 playoffs. The Patriots edged out the Chiefs 27-20 in the divisional round.

But the two teams come into 2017 with high hopes. Both franchises have been extremely consistent over the past four years. Check out each team’s record since the 2013 season:

Patriots: 50-14
Chiefs: 43-21

So tonight should be a good opener, even if the result doesn’t pertain to the Detroit Lions at all.

Before kickoff, here’s all of the information you need to know about Thursday’s opener.

Chiefs at Patriots game information

Location: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Mass.
Game time: Thursday, September 7, 2017, 8:30 p.m. ET
TV channel: NBC
Announcers: Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya (sideline)
Online streaming: NBC Sports
Odds: Patriots by 9

Enjoy the game, and welcome back, football!