Lions Head into Chiefs Kingdom Hoping to Start off Strong
Introduction:
We finally made it. Today marks the beginning of the 103rd season of the NFL. Tonight, the Detroit Lions will look to start their season with a bang as they head into Kansas City to face the reigning Super Bowl champions—a tall task for an upcoming team looking to assert itself as a legitimate player in the NFC.
Breakdown - Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs will officially be without their star Tight End Travis Kelce, who is dealing with a hyperextended knee. The results on Kelce's knee returned negative, a huge sigh of relief for Chiefs fans. Without Kelce, Mahomes will have to resort to WRs Kadarius Toney, Marquez Valdez Scantling, and Sky Moore to make plays. Toney and Moore should be players in the short and intermediate games and could see the bulk of the load passing-wise. Second-year player Isiah Pacheco out of Rutgers will look to add to his impressive Freshman campaign. Pacheco accumulated 830 yards and five touchdowns while averaging an efficient 4.9 yards per carry. Expect him to have an even more increased role tonight to aid Mahomes in opening up the passing game. Defensively, the Chiefs are also without their biggest star, Chris Jones. Jones has been stuck in an ongoing contract dispute and has made it clear he has no plans to play until things are resolved. This is an insurmountable loss for the Chief's D-line as Jones is one of, if not the best, interior defender in the entire NFL. While inexperienced, the secondary for the Chiefs carries a lot of talent. Led by 26-year-old Corner L'Jarius Sneed, the young group of defenders looks to make its name known around the league. With KC spending multiple draft picks just a year ago at the Corner position, many will be looking to see how second-year players Trent McDuffie and Jaylon Watson continue to develop.
Breakdown - Detroit Lions
Just like the Chiefs, the Lions are facing expectations, but in a different manner. Detroit motored its way into the wildcard game last year, coming in with a 9-8 record. This was the first time since 2016 that the team has managed to make it to the playoffs, so naturally it comes with high hopes. Detroit will be looking to build off last year. For the Lions, Quarterback Jared Goff is where it all starts. As many know, Goff's career has been turbulent. Despite leading the Rams to the Super Bowl in 2019, LA decided to swap him for then-Lions QB Matt Stafford. Ultimately, the Rams made the correct move, winning a championship in 2021-2022. Despite all this, Goff rebounded nicely last year. He made the Pro Bowl for the first time since his Super Bowl campaign year and tied a career low in interceptions. The Lions have had talks with Goff about a potential extension, but will likely look to see if this kind of play carries out again this season. Goff's number-one target, Amon-Ra St. Brown, is also coming off a great season in his own right. St. Brown hauled in 106 passes last year for 1161 yards and six touchdowns, a career-best for the receiver. Expect him to continue to grow, entering his 3rd year as a pro and 2nd year with this QB. Detroit went into the draft looking to bolster their roster with talent. Some may disagree with the 1st round selection of RB Jahmyr Gibbs, but Detroit has an extensive plan for him. Expect Gibbs to be involved heavily tonight in the rushing and receiving game, as the young Alabama back is more than talented in both aspects. Safety Brian Branch, Gibbs' college teammate, was Detroit's 2nd round pick this year. Branch may see few snaps immediately, as he is charted behind solid veterans in Cameron Sutton, Kerby Joseph, and newly-acquired Strong Safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson. While limited, expect the young Bama safety to make an immediate impact when he touches the gridiron.
Prediction: Chiefs 27 - Lions 20
While on the rise, the Lions are still a decent way away from contending. The trenches should be in Detroit's favor as their tremendous O-line and young, upcoming D-line look to continue making an impact. Offensively, I'd expect to see a healthy dose of the run game with Gibbs and the recent addition of David Montgomery. No Chris Jones means gaps in the run game should open up more often. That said, if Detroit wants to win this game, they must put multiple scores on the board. For that to happen, Detroit must take advantage of the young secondary and push the ball downfield. There is no better player to watch for that than their number 1 Wideout, Amon Ra. While running the ball is essential, stopping the run for Detroit will be huge. Make the Chiefs one-dimensional, and get pressure on Mahomes. It's much easier said than done, but it needs to be done if they want to win.
No matter who is out there for the Chiefs, I expect Patrick Mahomes to make plays. Kadarius Toney, while healthy, has proven to be a dynamic player in Andy Reid's system with fellow playmaker Sky Moore. The Lion's defense, while talented, will still have its hands full even without Travis Kelce. I'm confident that the Chiefs will find success with short to intermediate passing and rushing the football. Andy Reid is a pure genius behind the clipboard. Indeed, he will have his players fired up and ready to go. If the Chiefs play a clean game with no injuries, no turnovers, and limited penalties they should walk out of Arrowhead tonight with a W.