The Detroit Lions, which we are used to, would have given up Thursday night. In fact, the old Lions wouldn’t have been competitive at all. They wouldn’t even have been asked to start the season against the defending champions, but that’s another story.
The Lions were trailing in the second half of the NFL’s season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs. Detroit’s offensive was stuck. On the other hand, Patrick Mahomes again played like the best player in the world, even without Travis Kelce. And it would have been sensible for the Lions to ease up, accept their defeat and look forward to an easier contest.
But these aren’t the Lions we’re used to. The team, who haven’t won a division title since 1993, showed some crucial defensive play, finally got the offense going with the running game in a convincing drive in the fourth quarter, and created the first upset of the 2023 season by beating the Chiefs with 21: 1 defeated. 20. You watched the Chiefs make crucial mistakes as the game progressed, the kind of mistakes the Lions usually make.
The Chiefs were without the injured Kelce and star defenseman Chris Jones, who is out. It’s tough to win in the NFL without two of your top three players, and there’s no real shame if the Chiefs lose Thursday night.
The opening game might have revealed a lot more about where the Lions are headed. A game into the season, the Lions have already made a big statement.
The Lions come back into the game with a big game
The Lions played a pretty good first half. A brave fake punt call from their own 17-yard line resulted in a touchdown and a 7-0 lead. Detroit moved the ball well and had 188 yards before halftime. But Marvin Jones Jr. fumbled within range of the field goal. The Lions failed to stop Mahomes with a two-minute practice late in the half. Kansas City scored in the last minute and a reasonably good half by the Lions ended 14-7 down, with the Chiefs getting the ball first early in the second half.
It seemed like the Chiefs were taking control of the game early in the second half. Then Kadarius helped Toney Detroit out.
Toney dropped a pass down the middle that caught him square in the hands. The ball bounced straight to Lions rookie defenseman Brian Branch, who made a nice catch and lofted for a 50-yard touchdown. The game was suddenly a draw.
A huge audience tuned in to see the first game of the NFL regular season between the defending champion and a funny upstart. Branch’s big play made it a competitive game. Anyone who looks at the history of the Lions and Chiefs and expects Kansas City to go bust hasn’t paid enough attention to what Lions coach Dan Campbell has built.
The Lions take a late lead
The Lions were back in the game after Branch’s interception return touchdown but couldn’t capitalize on the advantage. Detroit’s first three drives of the second half ended in punts. The Lions’ defense did its part and kept the Chiefs from scoring, but the offense couldn’t get much going. The Lions held the Chiefs on a field goal after Mahomes slipped slightly early on a run and scored a second-and-1. Detroit didn’t allow a first down after Mahomes missed the first down. Harrison Butker’s second field goal of the game gave the Chiefs a 20-14 lead early in the second half.
Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) runs after the catch for a 9-yard touchdown in the first quarter against the Chiefs. (Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The Lions needed a big push at this point. That’s when they realized they have a fantastic offensive line and some good running backs. Detroit started running it effectively. Jared Goff hit a couple of great passes. They made a drive for nine plays and 75 yards. David Montgomery capped the game with an eight-yard touchdown run. The extra point gave the Lions a 21-20 lead.
Then the Lions defense made another big play. With six minutes left in the game, the Chiefs attempted a tricky Jets sweep on Rashee Rice after he sent a direct snap to tight end Blake Bell in third-and-1. Josh Paschal, the Lions defensive end, ruined the game and tripped Rice, losing three yards. The Chiefs made a punt and there was a real possibility that the Lions were on the verge of an upset.
The Chiefs defense made their own big game. The Lions had a four and two just past midfield and tried, hoping to decide the game. Safety Justin Reid blocked a Goff pass and the Chiefs took over with 2:30 left at their own 45 mark. Then Mahomes usually wins the game.
The Chiefs screwed up after that. Toney had a massive drop on a pass into the field. New left tackle Donovan Smith received a call that brought back a long catch from Skyy Moore. Moore had blocked a pass that was in his hands and failed incompletely on the second descent. After a third-round incompletion, the Chiefs tried fourth and 20th place. After a false start penalty, they decided to give it a try anyway in 4th and 25th place. Those are high odds even for Mahomes and a desperate pass was blocked. Montgomery ended the game by hitting a first down on a third down run. After that it was game over. As the Lions got on their knees to kill the clock, there was an audible cheer from the Lions fans who had traveled to Arrowhead Stadium.
The Lions had not won a season opener since 2017. Most years, her season was practically over before it even started. The fans were just hoping for a good performance on Thanksgiving. The offseason hype for Detroit was big after a good finish to last season.
For the first time in living memory, the Lions could be worth the optimism.
Comments are closed.