Lions 21, Chiefs 20: Game # 1 ( 2023 )

[D6]

Thoughts in ****

Instant observations: Lions deliver on hype in 21-20 comeback win against Chiefs


By Kyle Meinke | [e-mail]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Do you believe now?

There was so much hype for the Detroit Lions that even their head coach openly wondered whether it was all a bit much. Then they flew to Kansas City for their most anticipated opener in years -- Decades? Ever? -- and came back to beat the defending champions 21-20 on Thursday night at Arrowhead Stadium.

David Montgomery scored the go-ahead touchdown on a tough 8-yard run up the middle in the fourth quarter, then the defense stood strong -- thanks in part to a flurry of drops and miscues by Kansas City -- before Montgomery ended things for good by moving the chains one final time in the final seconds.



Lions 21,

Chiefs, 20.

Do you believe now?

**** Tremendous win by the Lions. Any time you defeat the defending Super Bowl Champion, that much more on the road, in the NFL Thursday Opening Day, it's an enormous accomplishment. Andy Reid is an all-time great NFL HC and Offensive mind. Patrick Mahomes is on a path of being in the conversation as the best all time NFL QB. Even with Travis Kelce and Chris Jones, the Chiefs are a team that's very difficult to beat in Kansas City. The Lions have plenty to correct from this game. But the resolve and grit of the Lions was what put the Lions over the top in this game. It's a game the Lions can build from, as the Lions players work on correcting the mistakes made in this game. ****

It’s only one game in a very long season, of course, and Kansas City was without two of its three best players. It seemed to really miss Travis Kelce, who caught 110 balls last season before hyperextending his knee on the final day of practice before the opener. Sure. No doubt. So let’s not get carried away.

But the Chiefs are still the Chiefs, they still have Patrick Mahomes, they still have Arrowhead Stadium, and they almost never lose here no matter what. Then the Lions marched into these hallowed grounds, fell behind in the second quarter, and didn’t blink on the national stage. Brian Branch sure didn’t. The rookie defensive back one-handed a carom in the third quarter and returned it 50 yards for a touchdown, knotting up the score at 14-all.

**** Brian Branch is already a differential player! Thankfully, it was cramps, not a serious injury, that temporarily sidelined him during the 2nd half of the game.****

Then after a couple Kansas City field goals stretched the deficit back out to six, an offense that struggled to get going really got going. After moving the chains just twice on their first 10 third downs, the Lions moved them on back-to-back third downs, one of which came on an 18-yard pass to Josh Reynolds on third-and-12.

**** The 18 yard completion to Josh Reynolds was probably the most impactful non-TD by the Lions Offense in the game. That was Jared Goff's best throw of the game. I was pleasantly surprised that Goff was able to make that throw, given the pressure, and the tight window. ****

Then after not completing a pass of longer than 21 yards all day, Jared Goff found Reynolds again for 33 yards. That moved the ball to the 8-yard line, and Montgomery powered it in from there for the go-ahead score.

**** Josh Reynolds had an inconsistent game as a blocker and wasn't effective as a receiver in the game before the two huge plays by Reynolds on the eventual game winning drive. David Montgomery stepped up in crunch time! ****

Mahomes had a couple more looks late in the fourth quarter, which is always a dangerous thing in a one-point game, but the defense continued to flex its newfound muscle on that side of the ball, including Josh Paschal coming up with a tackle for loss on third-and-1, forcing a punt. Then on Kansas City’s following possession, the Chiefs were flagged for holding and a false start, pushing them into a desperation fourth-and-25. Mahomes’ desperation heave fell innocently to the ground, and Detroit was one first down away from victory.

**** Patrick Mahomes gave the Chiefs a legit chance to win the game. Thankfully, the combination of the Lions play on Defense and self-inflicted miscues by some of the Chiefs players on Offense, prevented Mahomes from pulling out yet another game when the Chiefs were on the brink. Great job by the Lions Offense getting a 1st Down to seal the victory, with 3 straight David Montgomery runs.****

They fed the ball three straight times to Montgomery, who delivered on third and short.

**** The combination of David Montgomery's running, the blocking, and play designs, prevented Patrick Mahomes from getting the ball back one final time. ****


Ballgame -- and chants of “LET’S GO LIONS” reigned down on the field as Detroit headed back to the locker room with a win that should convince America that the hype just might be for real.

That they just might be back.

**** The Lions have a lot of positives. But the team's vertical passing game at this point in time is a huge concern. It easily could have cost the Lions this game.****

Let’s get to some more observations from the opening night of football:

-- You’ve heard about Brian Branch all summer. Now you see why. OK, sure, his pick-six was gift-wrapped by Chiefs receiver Kadarius Toney, who popped the ball into the air instead of catching it. But Branch also showed great ball skills to pick off the pass with one arm, then bring the ball into his body before taking off 50 yards the other way for a touchdown that knotted up the score at 14-all. It was one of the biggest plays of the game, and it’s no surprise Branch made it. He’s made plays in all the ways a slot cornerback can, from sacking quarterbacks on the blitz to chasing down ball-carriers and blanketing receivers in space. But he’s also shown terrific ball skills too, and that’s been especially pleasing to the Lions, who have struggled to generate takeaways for years. Now with Branch in the slot, plus C.J. Gardner-Johnson (the reigning NFL interception leader) and Kerby Joseph (the reigning Lions interception leader) at safety, Detroit should be much more opportunistic this season. And if training camp is any indication, Branch should help lead the way. On the opening night of the NFL season, he did.

**** The Lions Secondary, which was probably the Lions # 1 problem area last season, looks like it could be a major team strength this season. Brad Holmes and co. The upgrades are already very apparent. The unit and overall Defense still have plenty of work to do for the Secondary and overall Defense to gel much more consistently. Yet, even with the mental/ communication mistakes, improvement is very apparent. ****

-- Branch scared a lot of folks when he left the game with what appeared to be a non-contact injury in the third quarter, but the injury turned out to be cramps. Defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike also left the game with cramping too, on a hot night in Kansas City. Branch later returned to the field, and there is no concern for his health.

**** Thankfully, both players are ok.****

-- Sticking with the defense for just a moment, Aidan Hutchinson never got home for a sack -- not many do against Patrick Mahomes -- but the second-year edge rusher was really disruptive anyway, including hitting Mahomes three times. That’s good stuff against the greatest quarterback on the planet.

**** Other than losing outside contain on Patrick Mahomes on a play in the 1st QTR, I though Aidan Hutchinson had a very good performance. Maybe, the best performance of any Lions player on either side of the ball. ****

-- David Montgomery was as-advertised in his Lions debut, running 21 times for 74 yards and a go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter, then the game-sealing first down in the final seconds. He also moved the chains on a third-and-short on the go-ahead drive. Montgomery was signed to replace Jamaal Williams in free agency, and continues to look like a better version of Jamaal Williams with better hands, an asset in this offense.

**** Jamaal Williams probably has more power than David Montgomery. While Montgomery is more slippery and elusive. ****

-- There was some debate over whether Dan Campbell -- who leads the league in fourth-down attempts since taking over in Detroit, and fake punts too -- would continue to take so many chances now that Detroit has a better roster. There never should have been. “I want us to be aggressive,” he told me during a video call just a few weeks after his hire in 2021. “I want us to think aggressively. I don’t want to be known as a conservative team. There will be a time and place to be conservative, but if there’s anything I learned from Sean Payton, it’s, man, you have to keep them on their toes. They have to know you’re not taking your foot off of their throat. That’s what they need to know, really.” And Campbell wasted no time diving into his bag of tricks, dialing up a fake punt from his own 17-yard line on just the second series of the season. And it worked. Jalen Reeves-Maybin took the direct snap up the gut to move the chains, then the Lions found some offensive rhythm for the first time, as Jared Goff completed four straight passes and found Amon-Ra St. Brown on a short crosser for a 9-yard touchdown that staked Detroit to an early 7-0 lead -- and on third down, no less. The sequence also kept Patrick Mahomes off the field for another six-plus minutes, which is always a good thing.

**** Dan Campbell has guts. Not many NFL Coaches (that's an understatement) would have had the guts to attempt a Fake Punt inside their own 20 yard line. Great job by Jalen Reeves-Maybin getting the 1st Down. As well as for his Coverage on a Punt, that pinned the Chiefs pretty deep in their own territory. ****


-- Marvin Jones’ return to Detroit got off to a rough start. He was so sure-handed -- and so good -- during his five seasons in Detroit from 2016-20, but coughed up the football after making a catch deep in Kansas City territory in the second quarter. Yes, it was the first fumble in Jones’ long career. He’s actually the oldest every-down receiver in the league, and ball-security has never been an issue. But his miscue took near-certain points off the board in a 7-all game, and that’s a back-breaker against a team like Kansas City. Jones also dropped a pass deep in his own territory to open the second half, and finished with two catches for 8 yards.

**** This definitely wasn't one of Marvin Jones' better games. Thankfully, the Lions overcame the miscues. ****

-- Khalil Dorsey was a bit of a surprise to make the team over Starling Thomas V, but wasted no time showing why he did. He started the game at kick returner for Detroit, then made the tackle on Jack Fox’s first punt of the season.

**** While I still believe it was a mistake exposing Starling Thomas V to waiver, Khalil Dorsey was a major asset on the Punt Coverage unit in this game.****

-- Halapoulivaati Vaitai won the right guard job over Graham Glasgow and played the whole game. That’s something of an upset. Glasgow signed with the team in free agency while Vaitai was coming off a lost season because of a back injury, but Vaitai was able to overcome that injury and some bruises in camp to win the final starting job on the offensive line.

**** Big V appeared to have a good to very good pass blocking performance, with an above average run block performance. With Big V as a starter, it enables the Lions to have depth off the bench at all 3 interior Offensive Line positions, with Graham Glasgow. ****

..........

This new thread is a continuation of the following thread:

Lions at Chiefs preview: Game # 1 (2023)..NFL Opener (Thurs)

detroit-lions-forum.proboards.com/thread/1791/lions-chiefs-preview-opener-thurs

[D6]

Quick takeaways from the Lions Week 1 win over the Chiefs

.........

At the point of the game when Dan Campbell had to decide whether to accept the Holding Penalty to put the Chiefs in a 3rd and 17 situation, compared to whether to decline the penalty, putting the Chiefs in a 4th and 2 situation, I thought Coach Campbell made the right decision by accepting the penalty. At that point of the game, the Chiefs Offense was executing much better than they did for the most part in the 2nd half. It took a great throw for the Chiefs to convert on the 3rd and 17 play. In the 2nd half, it would have been tempting to decline a holding penalty in a similar situation, because the Chiefs were struggling in situations when they needed 2 or 3 yards to convert on 3rd Down.

I definitely agree that Jahmyr Gibbs was underutilized. The Lions need Gibbs' big play abilities on the field more often than was the case in this game.

Kalif Raymond also needs to be used more on Offense than was the case in this game. There's no question about this, at least in the early part of the season.

It looked like on most plays, Sam LaPorta did a good job as a run blocker. There were a couple of plays in which LaPorta was beaten as a run blocker. It's evident that LaPorta has put a great amount of time and effort on his run blocking. Good job by LaPorta as a receiver in this game.

[D6]

Quick takeaways from the Lions Week 1 win over the Chiefs

............

The Lions top 4 Draft selections in 2023 were definitely a key part to the Lions upset win at Kansas City last night.

There's no question that the Lions would have lost a similar game much more often than not over the last 50 + years.

In addition to Aidan Hutchinson showing much more discipline after the 1st QTR play mentioned in the article in which he lost contain, Josh Paschal kept contain on a combined Stunt/ Twist with Aidan Hutchinson on a 2nd half play that contributed greatly to an incompletion. I believe it was on a 3rd Down. While Paschal made a huge 3rd down stop in the backfield on an End Around/ Jet Sweep, which lead to Andy Reid deciding to Punt with less than 6 minutes remaining in the 4th QTR, the contain play I mentioned was also positively impactful for the Lions.

[D6]

Grading Detroit Lions' win over Chiefs: Gutsy Dan Campbell gets A for another fake punt

...............

While I would give Jared Goff a B +, not an A- (his accuracy was a little off at times), Goff kept his poise, directing the Lions to the eventual Game Winning TD ( following the successful PAT).

David Montgomery did a good job overall with blitz pickups, but he got run over by Chiefs LB Nick Bolton (who is emerging as one of their best players). That resulted in a tripping penalty. I think a B+ is more reflective of the RBs in this game.

C+ for the WRs/TEs combined is on the high side. IMHO, the overall struggles for Marvin Jones as a receiver and the Lions not causing the Chiefs to respect the Lions passing game vertically far too often, lowers the grade to no better than a C.

Alex Anzalone might not have been at fault on Blake Bell's TE reception. It looked like Anzalone was in a catch-22 situation. It's very realistically possible that Brian Branch made the key coverage mental error on that play, based on where Branch was.

I think the Pass Interference penalty on Cam Sutton was the correct call, after looking at the replays shown on the TV copy of the game. Having said that, my guess is around 1/3 of the NFL Officiating crews wouldn't have called a penalty on the play.

I didn't agree with Dan Campbell's decision for the Lions to Punt on 4th and 3 past the mid-point of the 3rd QTR. I was very surprised by Coach Campbell's decision, with Patrick Mahomes as the Chiefs QB, the reason why. The Chiefs ended up getting a FG. Because it turned out the Chiefs didn't score a TD, Campbell's decision turned out well, relatively speaking. Because the Chiefs struggled on Offense in the 3rd QTR, it likely was a key factor in Campbells decision to Punt. Other than that decision, I agreed or was comfortable with all of Campbell's other coaching game situation decisions (not including usage decisions by Ben Johnson regarding Offensive Skill player personnel). The decisions not to use Jahmyr Gibbs and Kalif Raymond more on Offense lowers my overall Coaching Grade to a B+.

[D6]

Lions at Chiefs preview: Game # 1 (2023)..NFL Opener (Thurs)

.............


While Charles Harris and James Houston didn't play at or close to Aidan Hutchinson's level as pass rushers, Harris caused a holding penalty by LT Donovan Smith, on what became the Chiefs final possession of the game. Houston had some pressure off the edge. The Chiefs often used chip blockers to help their Tackles, especially against Hutch and Houston.

The Chiefs clearly spent a lot of time studying the Lions Offense in the off-season and this season. I'm confident that Ben Johnson will continue to make adjustments moving forward.

[D6]

Lions' Linebackers Earn Poor PFF Grades against Chiefs

...........

The PFF grade for Jack Campbell is surprising. Campbell's positive impact on the game, especially the deflected pass in the 4th QTR, clearly exceeds his overall PFF grade for the game.

Aidan Hutchinson's Pass Rush PFF Grade is above average but he certainly performed far better than above average. I thought his PFF grade would be in the 80s. IMHO, his play reflected that high level.

[D6]

By the Numbers: Breaking down the key stats and figures in the Lions Week 1 win

..........


Jared Goff protecting the ball was certainly a huge factor in the Lions winning the game.

The Lions Defensive performance in the 2nd half, even factoring in the dropped passes by the Chiefs (especially by, Kadarius Toney), contributed greatly to the Lions winning the game, as well.

Chiefs Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and the staff under him did a good job with their preparation against the Lions Offense. That certainly contributed to the 4 passes the Chiefs deflected at the line of scrimmage.

[D6]

Lions snap count notes vs. the Chiefs in Week 1

Snap counts, PFF grades: Lions’ Aidan Hutchinson gets 7 pressures in win over Chiefs

...........

The Chiefs decided to go for a 1st Down on 4th and 25, around the 2 minute warning. Even with pressure, Patrick Mahomes came pretty close to completing a pass on the play. If the pass was completed, between the pressure, and the coverage being pretty good, it would have been one of Mahomes best throws of his already tremendous NFL playing career.

I believe Matt Nelson's snap on Offense was on the 3rd and 2 play, in which David Montgomery in essence sealed the game for the Lions with a 2 yard run for a 1st Down.

Like I previously mentioned, I hope Ben Johnson provides noticeably more snaps on Offense for Jahmyr Gibbs and Kalif Raymond.

Will Harris probably wouldn't have any snaps in this game, if not for Brian Branch being temporarily sidelined because of cramping.

According to the MLive.Com Snap Count information, Graham Glasgow was in the game for 3 Special Teams snaps. They probably were on the PAT team.

[batchrules10]

How’s everyone doing? Can’t believe football season is here!!! What a win by the Lions! In my lifetime I don’t think I’ve been so positive about the Lions season!

At the bar, there was a Kansas City fan and she said to all of us “don’t you think this was more of KC beating themselves than the Lions beating KC?” I say no. The Lions had plenty of times where we could have given the game away. Marvin Jones was our Kadarius Toney. Marvin Jones caused a turnover and he dropped key receptions. The Lions just was able to take advantage of them better. Plus, I didn’t like Dan Campbell accepting a holding call on 3rd down which gave KC a chance to convert and keep the drive alive late in the game. Fortunately we were able to stop them.

What can I say about Aidan Hutchinson. That guy is a legitimate monster and the next JJ Watt. Brad Holmes is showing that he sure knows how to draft!!! I said that if we win this game then tickets are going to skyrocket for the home opener. I’m glad I got my tickets when I did! Standing room tickets cost $250 and my tickets are going for $400!!!! Happy that I’ll keep my home opener tradition alive. Ford Field will be rocking!

Currently I’m going through a potential career transition where I had a great interview with a great company that could change my life. I’m hoping these are all good omens while I wait to hear back. With the Auto Show going on in Detroit next week it definitely should be a rocking time in the city! Glad I got my hotel already booked!!!

[D6]

Sept 10, 2023 18:16:43 GMT -5 batchrules10 said:

How’s everyone doing? Can’t believe football season is here!!! What a win by the Lions! In my lifetime I don’t think I’ve been so positive about the Lions season!

At the bar, there was a Kansas City fan and she said to all of us “don’t you think this was more of KC beating themselves than the Lions beating KC?” I say no. The Lions had plenty of times where we could have given the game away. Marvin Jones was our Kadarius Toney. Marvin Jones caused a turnover and he dropped key receptions. The Lions just was able to take advantage of them better. Plus, I didn’t like Dan Campbell accepting a holding call on 3rd down which gave KC a chance to convert and keep the drive alive late in the game. Fortunately we were able to stop them.

What can I say about Aidan Hutchinson. That guy is a legitimate monster and the next JJ Watt. Brad Holmes is showing that he sure knows how to draft!!! I said that if we win this game then tickets are going to skyrocket for the home opener. I’m glad I got my tickets when I did! Standing room tickets cost $250 and my tickets are going for $400!!!! Happy that I’ll keep my home opener tradition alive. Ford Field will be rocking!

Currently I’m going through a potential career transition where I had a great interview with a great company that could change my life. I’m hoping these are all good omens while I wait to hear back. With the Auto Show going on in Detroit next week it definitely should be a rocking time in the city! Glad I got my hotel already booked!!!

Batchrules, as always, thanks for your input!

I hope you get great news in the coming days about the interview and that you have a great time at the Lions home opener. The Ford Field crowd will be the Lions 12th man, much like the Seahawks home crowd is for the Seahawks, if the Lions are ahead or in the game.

My optimism for the Lions season certainly is higher than its been for a Lions season in a long time. The combination of Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell has made an enormous positive difference for the Lions. Hopefully, Aidan Hutchinson will stay relatively healthy much more than J.J. Watt did. The Lions saw first hand in 2 Thanksgiving Day games 8 years apart, that Watt was an all-time great difference making Defensive Lineman. While I don't think Hutch has Watt's upside, I believe he's on a path to being a Pro Bowl Caliber player as early as this season. His all-around performance in KC was Pro Bowl caliber.

Great point regarding Marvin Jones being the Lions version of Kadarius Toney in this game. Unlike Toney, who one never knows what they are getting from him in a game, Jones is usually very reliable, which made his performance shocking.

One correction, the Holding Penalty Dan Campbell accepted was in the 2nd QTR of the game. The game management decision that I disagreed with Dan Campbell on was Punting on 4th and 3 at the Chiefs 40 yard line, with around 6 minutes remaining in the 3rd QTR, when the game was tied at 14-14. I expressed the following earlier in the game thread:

I didn't agree with Dan Campbell's decision for the Lions to Punt on 4th and 3 past the mid-point of the 3rd QTR. I was very surprised by Coach Campbell's decision, with Patrick Mahomes as the Chiefs QB, the reason why. The Chiefs ended up getting a FG. Because it turned out the Chiefs didn't score a TD, Campbell's decision turned out well, relatively speaking. Because the Chiefs struggled on Offense in the 3rd QTR, it likely was a key factor in Campbells decision to Punt. Other than that decision, I agreed or was comfortable with all of Campbell's other coaching game situation decisions (not including usage decisions by Ben Johnson regarding Offensive Skill player personnel). The decisions not to use Jahmyr Gibbs and Kalif Raymond more on Offense lowers my overall Coaching Grade to a B+.

[D6]

The NFL is using the Chiefs OL vs. the Lions in training tape for officials

...........

One positive in particular from this is unlike most times in the past when obviously bad officiating contributed greatly to the Lions losing, this time around, the Lions overcame the bad officiating (regarding the Chiefs ( RT Jawaan Taylor) repeatedly not being called for Illegal Formation or False Starts).

[D6]

3 things we learned: Jared Goff joins Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady on all-time list

............

Though David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs weren't lined up in the backfield on the same play in this game, on occasion both were in the game on Offense at the same time.

I strongly believe that Ben Johnson will be increasing the number of plays they are both in the game and the variety of formations with both RBs being in the game at the same time.