The Detroit Lions battle the Kansas City Chiefs in the first game of the new season. Football is back! The Chiefs are the defending Super Bowl champs, while the Lions are out to prove they are serious contenders this year.
The preseason is DONE ✅
Next up: Lions vs. Chiefs
LET'S GOOOOOOO 🙌 pic.twitter.com/a9GywTZ3KL
— FanDuel (@FanDuel) August 28, 2023
Can the Lions start the season with a statement win, or will the Chiefs start 1-0 and prove they are contenders again?
Lions vs. Chiefs Odds and Match Details
Team | Spread | Total | ML |
Detroit | +6.5
-110 |
O54.5
-110 |
+225 |
Kansas City | -6.5
-110 |
U54.5
-110 |
-278 |
A new season begins with #Kickoff2023!
Lions vs. Chiefs on NBC and @Peacock. pic.twitter.com/l5aIWNF8HK
— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) September 5, 2023
- Fixture: Detroit @ Kansas City
- Date and Time: September 7, 2023 at 8:20 p.m.
- Location: GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri
- Weather Forecast: Sunny and 86 degrees
- Field Surface: Bermuda Grass
Lions vs. Chiefs Injury Report
Lions Injuries
- Emmanuel Moseley (CB)- Knee: Limited In Practice
Chiefs Injuries
- Richie James (WR)- Knee: Limited In Practice
- L’Jarius Sneed (CB)- Knee: Limited In Practice
- Tershawn Wharton (DT)- Knee: Limited In Practice
- Chris Jones (DT)- Contract Holdout
Lions Key Stats
The Detroit Lions finished last season 9-8 and second in the NFC North. Coach Dan Campbell has done a phenomenal job this past offseason, filling voids on both sides of the ball. They rebuilt their secondary by bringing in Cameron Sutton, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, and Emmanuel Moseley. They also added Marvin Jones Jr., Graham Glasgow, Jalen Reeves-Maybin, and running back David Montgomery.
The Lions traded running back D’Andre Swift to the Eagles after drafting Jahmyr Gibbs with the 12th overall pick in the draft. They also drafted linebacker Jack Campbell, tight end Sam LaPorta, defensive back Brian Branch, quarterback Hendon Hooker, and defensive tackle Brodric Martin in the first three rounds.
Detroit resigned some key players, including quarterback Nate Sudfeld, linebacker Alex Anzalone, EDGE John Cominsky, and defensive back C.J. Moore. They saw running back Jamaal Williams, linebacker Chirs Board, safety DeShon Eliott, and receiver DJ Chark find new homes in free agency.
This is one of the best Detroit teams we have seen since the days of Barry Sanders and Herman Moore. Campbell and the rest of this coaching staff have done a superb job bringing in players that will help fill the problematic areas from last year. They are serious contenders in the NFC this year and will reach double-digit wins with no problem.
Their offense is loaded with quarterback Jared Goff, who is highly underrated, at the helm. Rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs has been a stud in training camp and is being compared to Alvin Kamara. Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown is coming off a monster year in 2022, and Jameson Williams, suspended for the first six games, will be a dynamic duo. Receivers Marvin Jones Jr., Josh Reynolds, and Kalif Raymond add much-needed depth.
The Lions have one of the best offensive lines in the league. Anchored by center Frank Ragnow, left tackle Taylor Decker, left guard Jonah Jackson, right guard Halapoulivaati Vaitai, and right tackle Penei Sewell. This talented group will do an excellent job keeping Goff clean in the pocket.
The Detroit team brass and fans alike are highly optimistic about what this can accomplish this year. The defense, offense, and special teams look solid and very deep with talent. Don’t overlook the Lions in 2023 because of their past struggles.
Chiefs Key Stats
The Kansas City Chiefs finished last season 14-3 and defeated the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl. They were a balanced team last season and used numerous players on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. But there are serious questions heading into 2023.
Week one. pic.twitter.com/K66JmAaXX3
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) September 4, 2023
The Chiefs offense still has Mahomes and Kelce, one of the greatest duos in NFL history. Their offensive line lost a crucial component in Orlando Brown, who went to Cincinnati. They did replace him with Jawaan Taylor, but he isn’t the caliber of player Brown is.
They saw receivers Juju Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman sign with different teams, and their receiving corps is extremely thin. Skyy Moore, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Richie James, Justyn Ross, and rookie Rashee Rice are who Mahomes has to throw to this year. These guys are incredibly young and inexperienced. Seeing how Mahomes and Coach Reid manage the game with such a weak receiver group will be interesting.
Kansas City 🌃 #Chiefs Kadarius Toney will play in Week 1 vs #Lions per the Team #nflkickoff pic.twitter.com/V7cQgW9glA
— NFL Rumors (@nflrums) September 3, 2023
The biggest issue is getting a deal with the backbone of their defense done. Defensive tackle Chris Jones wants a new contract and is willing to sit out until the team gives him what he wants. Without Jones, the Chiefs win percentage has dropped significantly.
It looks like Chris Jones could be out for the Detroit #Lions vs. Kansas City #Chiefs season opener 👀 pic.twitter.com/BXhqcUSJIA
— Woodward Sports Network (@woodwardsports) August 30, 2023
Kansas City has a mediocre, at best, defense, and they will be one of the worst in the league if they can’t get Chris Jones back on the line. The defensive line features George Karlaftis, Tershawn Wharton(injured), Derrick Nnadi, and Mike Danna. Jones isn’t even listed on the depth chart. Could he be traded?
The linebackers group is thin with Willie Gay, Nick Bolton, and Leo Chenal. The defensive backfield is also in shambles, considering they will be starting Trent McDuffie, L’Jarius Sneed, Justin Reid, and Bryan Cook. None of these guys are elite and will struggle against teams with depth at receiver.
Despite how good he is, I can see Mahome struggle this year because of the horrible offensive line. I wouldn’t be surprised if Mahomes is the most-sacked quarterback in 2023. The Chiefs always seem to find a way to dominate, and if Reid can repeat last year’s success, he will go down as one of the greatest coaches of all time
Game Prediction.
This Chiefs team doesn’t scare me if I am Detroit. They will likely be without their star defensive player, Jones. KC has played well at home, but this is one of Reid and Mahomes’s thinnest rosters. Look, this Detroit team will be scary good this year, and if they pick up where they left off last year, the Chiefs are in trouble. I don’t think they have the defensive backfield to keep this Lions receiver corps in check and look for rookie Jahmyr Gibbs to make a statement.
The defending Super Bowl champs come in as the heavy favorite, but I am not buying it. This is a trap game. Detroit is out to prove they are for real, and I am rolling with the boys from Motown to win and cover the spread. This is the year Mahomes struggles, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t make the playoffs.