Lions at Chiefs
▶ Kickoff: 8:20 p.m. Thursday, Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Mo.
▶ TV/radio: NBC/97.1 FM
▶ Records: Season opener for both teams
▶ Line: Chiefs by 6½
▶ Last meeting: Sept. 29, 2019 — Chiefs 34, (at) Lions 30
Nolan Bianchi of The Detroit News breaks down the Lions’ season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Key matchup
▶ Lions rushing offense vs. Chiefs rushing defense
The Lions would love nothing more than to quiet the crowd at Arrowhead Stadium on Thursday night, and the best way to do that will be with long, methodical drives that keep the ball out of Patrick Mahomes’ hands. Running the ball is always the way to control a game, but it feels particularly important in this one because the Lions have zero desire to enter a shootout. If Chris Jones isn’t beefing up the middle of the defensive line, the task will get a whole lot easier for an offense that averaged 4.5 yards per attempt last season and upgraded its running-backs room.
Chiefs to watch
▶ QB Patrick Mahomes: At 27 years old, Mahomes is coming off his second Super Bowl, his second league and Super Bowl MVP awards, and a fifth straight Pro Bowl nod, and a whole bunch of other relevant accolades that don’t fit here. The Chiefs lost some big names on the offensive side of the ball, such as left tackle Orlando Brown and wide receiver Mecole Hardman, and the status of tight end Travis Kelce is a bit cloudy, but the team’s offensive line is still among the NFL’s best and should keep Mahomes upright. If the Lions aren’t careful, he’ll be able to turn those previously unknown receivers into stars.
▶ LB Nick Bolton: While answering questions about the absence of Jones, many Lions have been quick to point out the players Kansas City will have on its defense. The first name that routinely comes up is Bolton’s, who’s entering his third season. Bolton, the team’s starting middle linebacker and primary signal caller, ranked second in the league in tackles last season (180) and figures to be a threat to Detroit’s offense at every level.
▶ WR Skyy Moore: If Kelce is unable to go — and even if he can — it wouldn’t be surprising to see one of the Chiefs’ young, speedy receivers emerge as a breakout star by night’s end. Moore, the second-year Western Michigan product, feels like a solid candidate. He was pegged to have a ton of upside as a rookie but caught only 22 passes for 250 yards, making it now or never to find his groove with a generational quarterback.
Facts and figures
▶ For all the things that seem to be going the Lions’ way this week, the Chiefs’ historical dominance in Week 1 is certainly reason to doubt Detroit can actually pull this thing off. In 10 seasons under head coach Andy Reid, the Chiefs are 9-1 in season openers and undefeated (5-0) since Mahomes started his first opener in 2018. With Mahomes, the Chiefs are 13-3 in September games.
▶ Since the Chiefs offensive line got embarrassed by Tampa Bay in Super Bowl LV, Kansas City has done a tremendous job of overhauling the unit. Last season, Kansas City had the top mark in the AFC with just 26 sacks allowed — it still wasn’t good enough to top the Lions’ mark, ranking second in the league with 24. Tampa Bay (22) was first.
nbianchi@detroitnews.com
Twitter/X: @nolanbianchi