The champs raised a banner. The Chiefs tore it down.
Seven months earlier, the Patriots came back in the Super Bowl. Down 28-3 behind the Falcons in the third, they tied the game, sent it to overtime and won. [ESPN]
No one expected the Chiefs to have a chance against the Patriots. They showed up and blew away New England 42-27 in Gillette stadium.
MOST POINTS A BELICHICK DEFENSE HAD EVER ALLOWED: 42 POINTS
Belichick had seen everything in 17 years. He hadn’t seen this.
42 points — the most any Patriots defense allowed in Belichick’s 17-plus seasons — and 537 yards to go with it, the most any offense ever hung on his defense. Kansas City did them a favor with 15 penalties for 139 yards. It didn’t matter. Hunt sped down the middle behind linebacker Kyle Van Noy and DE/LB Cassius Marsh to put Kansas City in front for good, and the Patriots never got it back. [CBS Sports] [SportsIllustrated]
THE ROOKIE WHO TOOK A 47-YEAR-OLD RECORD: 246 YARDS
Rookie Kareem Hunt, after fumbling on his first NFL carry, scored three times and set an NFL mark: Hunt’s 246 yards in his pro debut were a record since the 1970 merger. Alex Smith threw two long touchdown passes and became the first quarterback with 300-plus yards, four TDs and no interceptions against coach Bill Belichick. Both offenses kept marching — New England answered every time, until Hunt punched one in from three yards to end the half. [Boston Globe] [The Ringer]
THE BROKEN STREAK – 82 GAMES
New England led 17-14 at the half but still lost — the first time in 82 consecutive home wins that a halftime lead at Gillette Stadium didn’t hold up. Alex Smith found Tyreek Hill for a 75-yard touchdown to open the third quarter, then hit Hunt for a 78-yard score to start the fourth. The streak that held for over a decade was gone in twenty minutes. [ESPN]
THE LINE THEY BELIEVED: PATRIOTS -550
New England closed as heavy favorites — Patriots -550, Chiefs +375 with the spread pushing toward double digits by kickoff, -9.5 for New England. Vegas didn’t just favor the Patriots. They didn’t think the Chiefs belonged on the same field. A sure thing died on national TV. [Heavy]
The Patriots raised a Super Bowl banner and lost on the same night. -550 doesn’t lose by three touchdowns. Until it does.
Kickoff is coming. Get ready for the season.
FAQ
The Seattle Seahawks host the New England Patriots at Lumen Field on Wednesday, September 9, 2026 — a rematch of Super Bowl LX, which Seattle won 29-13. Seattle is favored over the Patriots. The Patriots were massive road favorites in 2017 and got run over; in 2026 they're the ones getting a short number as defending-champ opponents.
Yes, but it's rare — 2026 marks one of the few times the league has opened the season with the two teams that met in the previous Super Bowl.
New England rebounded to finish 13-3 and reach Super Bowl LII, where they lost to the Philadelphia Eagles.