Chiefs vs. Lions, Week 1 Preview

The Chiefs kick off the NFL regular season at Arrowhead this Thursday against the rising Detroit Lions.

It’s been a long seven months, but we finally made it: NFL football has returned.

The best part? The Super Bowl LVII-winning Kansas City Chiefs are kicking off the regular season Thursday against the NFC North’s Detroit Lions. Chiefs-Lions would have been an anticipated matchup regardless due to Detroit’s sudden return to relevancy, but the fact that we’re getting it to start the season is a treat.

Key game details

Date: Thursday, Sept. 7
Time: 7:20 p.m. CT
Network/streaming: NBC, Peacock
Radio: 106.5 The Wolf, Chiefs mobile app
Broadcasters: Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth
Referee: John Hussey
Betting line: Chiefs -5.5 to -4.5
Weather: Approx. 81°, sunny, 7 mph winds

Injury reports from Wednesday

Chiefs

Did not practice: TE Travis Kelce (knee)

Full participants: OL Nick Allegretti (pec), WR Richie James (knee), CB Nic Jones (hand), CB L’Jarius Sneed (knee), DE B.J. Thompson (hamstring), WR Kadarius Toney (knee), DT Tershawn Wharton (knee)

Game designations: TE Travis Kelce (questionable)

The late addition of Kelce on the injury report has many folks nervous, and for good reason. Kelce is the team’s No. 1 pass-catcher by far, so missing the game means the team would have to rely on an unproven receiving squad.

The good news is Sneed and Toney are tracking to play. The bad news, aside from the Kelce injury, is that there’s no sign of defensive tackle Chris Jones, who continues to hold out.

Lions

Limited participants: DB Emmanuel Moseley (knee)

Full participants: DT Isaiah Buggs (illness), S Ifeatu Melifonwu (hamstring), C Frank Ragnow (toe)

Game designations: DB Emmanuel Moseley (out)

The Lions come into this game pretty healthy, with Moseley as their only player out for the game.

Key players and matchups to watch in Week 1

Chiefs receiving squad (possibly without Travis Kelce)

The Chiefs’ receiving corps would have been one to watch anyway, but now with Kelce potentially out of the mix, all eyes are on Patrick Mahomes’ other 2023 weapons. That includes receiver Skyy Moore, who projects to be the team’s top target, and Toney, who is battling an injury but is said to play anyway. Eyes will also be on rookie Rashee Rice and undrafted enigma Justyn Ross, though they both may take a backseat to Justin Watson and Richie James (much to fans’ dismay).

Don’t forget about the tight end squad, either. Noah Gray finished with 299 yards and a touchdown last year – could this be the season he breaks out?

Chiefs defensive line without Chris Jones or Charles Omenihu

Oh boy. This has the potential to be really bad, or really surprising. With Jones holding out and Omenihu suspended, Wharton and Derrick Nnadi project to start on the inside, while second-year man George Karlaftis and fourth-year Mike Danna will start on the outside.

Of course, rookies Felix Anudike-Uzomah and Keondre Coburn could see time, but how much? And what can we expect from those two in Week 1? History says not much, as defensive linemen can take up to three years to develop as a rule of thumb, but hopefully those guys pick things up much more quickly.

Lions QB Jared Goff vs. Chiefs secondary

Remember the last time Goff played against the Chiefs? Let’s refresh: It was 2018, and Goff was the signal-caller for the Los Angeles Rams. Goff threw for 413 yards and four touchdowns (and added a rushing TD) on his way to a 54-51 win over Kansas City in a classic, all-time thriller.

Of course, that was a different offense led by Rams coach Sean McVay, and that Chiefs defense was much, much worse. But Goff did have a good season in Detroit last year, leading the team to a 9-8 record. Can Goff compete with Mahomes once again in another shootout? It’s possible, though it’s unlikely the score results in over 100 total points.

Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs

This is more of a football (and fantasy football) “to watch” than a Chiefs one, but Gibbs is an intriguing prospect. He was taken 12th overall by the Lions in the 2023 NFL Draft, much higher than he was projected to land, in an age where drafting a running back in the first round (especially that high) is considered a big no-no.

Clearly, the Lions have faith in Gibbs – so much so that they traded away a proven commodity in De’Andre Swift in order to feature Gibbs as their No. 1 back. Detroit did this for a reason: Gibbs is good. Darn good. But will he see immediate success? And how long can he sustain that success for, if so?

Top stats to know

4,267 and 46.

We are officially on Patrick Mahomes Stat Watch this season. He needs only 4,267 yards passing and 46 passing touchdowns to surpass Chiefs great Len Dawson, who holds both of those team records. Barring an injury, Mahomes will pass the yards mark this season, and the TD mark is certainly in reach this season as well. It’s a matter of when, not if.

126.

More Mahomes records? Yep. Mahomes needs 126 more yards rushing to break the Chiefs’ record for most rushing yards by a quarterback. Who holds that record now? Alex Smith. Mahomes should be able to break this record in a handful of games.

597 and 8.

Mahomes isn’t the only one on Stat Watch. We’re under Travis Kelce Stat Watch as well! Kelce needs 597 more yards and eight more touchdowns to break Tony Gonzalez’s Chiefs receiving records. When Kelce is healthy, that’ll take, what, seven games? Eight?

Chiefs-Lions matchup history

The Chiefs are 9-5 all-time against the Lions dating back to 1971. Kansas City currently holds a two-game winning streak over Detroit.

The last time the Chiefs and Lions played…

The Chiefs beat the Lions 34-30 on Sept. 29, 2019. Mahomes threw for 315 yards but somehow finished with zero touchdowns. Instead it was former Chiefs running backs LeSean McCoy and Darrel Williams who pounded the ball into the end zone for a total of three times.

Then-Lions QB Matthew Stafford kept things close with almost 300 yards and three scores of his own, but Mahomes won the game thanks to a touchdown-scoring drive with a little over two minutes to go.

The best Chiefs-Lions game ever was…

Likely the aforementioned game from 2019, though the Chiefs and Lions played a close one on Thanksgiving 1996 which saw two of the greatest running backs of all time – Marcus Allen and Barry Sanders – rush for a combined 150 yards and three touchdowns. The Chiefs won that game 28-24.

Chiefs-Lions prediction, picks

Chiefs are missing their best defensive player and another one of their best pass rushers? Yep, sounds like a shootout to me. We all know Steve Spagnuolo’s defenses don’t come together until around November anyways, so Chiefs fans should just enjoy the offensive battle coming our way.

Will the Chiefs beat the Lions?

Despite missing Jones, yes, I believe the Chiefs will defeat the Lions. Mahomes is 5-0 in Week 1 with 19 total touchdowns and zero interceptions. Kelce or no Kelce, he’ll be on his A game.

Will the Chiefs cover the spread?

Honestly, probably not. The Chiefs are 4-6 against the spread in their last 10 games. Mahomes said it best: “I just keep it real close ‘til the end.”

Wes’ pick: Chiefs 35, Lions 31