Reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs take on the Detroit Lions in 2023 NFL season opener.
The last time the Kansas City Chiefs and the Detroit Lions met was in 2019; the result was the Chiefs winning 34 to 30. Despite the Chiefs winning the last two matchups between the teams, the Lions are looking forward to being the ones to spoil the season opener for the reigning Super Bowl champions. If the Chiefs win, they will be the 5th team in the Super Bowl era to win nine straight season-opening games.
Travis Kelce will be questionable for the game due to an injury sustained during practice this week. If Kelce cannot play, Noah Gray and Blake Bell will have to make up for the loss at the tight end position. Patrick Mahomes might choose to lean more on other players like Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Justin Watson. Also, don’t forget about Skyy Moore, Richie James, Kadarius Toney, Rashee Rice, and Justyn Ross. Any one of them might see more balls come their way. Even if Kelce is cleared to play, he might see limited time on the field. It is unfortunate, not just for the Chiefs but for any fans who chose Kelce for their fantasy draft.
The Lions team that the Chiefs will face will not go down without a fight. Last season, they were second in their division behind the Minnesota Vikings with a record of 9-8. Winning against the Chiefs, while not life-changing, would be something worthy of praise and celebrations, at least for the Lions.
The last time the Lions made a postseason game was in 2014; moreover, they have not won a playoff game since 1992. Can Jared Goff help lead Detroit to a season worthy of making the playoffs? Maybe. With rookie Jahmyr Gibbs and seasons vet David Montgomery at the running back position, it will be a start. Amon-Ra St. Brown is looking to improve over his career highs in yards (1,161) and six receiving touchdowns. The Lions have the players; it comes down to their execution of plays on both sides of the ball.
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Game Info
Date: Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023
Start time: 7:25 p.m. ET
Location: Kansas City, MO
Stadium: GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium
TV Info: NBC
Betting Odds
Odds courtesy of DraftKings.
Point Spread: KC -5 (-110), DET +5 (-110)
Moneyline: KC (-230), DET (+190)
Over/Under: O/U 53.5 (-110)
The Chiefs are the favorite to win the game, but you would be remiss if you took the Lions’ offense for granted. There is a good reason the over/under is high. Both offenses can score, and without Chris Jones in the lineup, the Lions may have a better chance of scoring.
What To Watch For
It will be interesting to see how the defense for the Chiefs looks without Jones in the lineup. Will the offense for the Lions take advantage? It remains to be seen. The Lions are looking for an upset and hoping Kansas City is suffering from a Super Bowl hangover. If the defense for the Chiefs is lackluster, fans will need to see Mahomes and the offense make up for it.
Detroit will not be going down without a fight, and if they can pull off a victory over the Chiefs, not only will they have bragging rights for the rest of the season, it might offer motivation to push them to end up with a better record than last season. Although a victory would be nice, keep an eye on how well they play. A win would be great, but it is only great as long as they earned it, and not because the Chiefs shot themselves in the foot.
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