Reigning Super Bowl Champs Defend Arrowhead From Rising Lions
Updated: Jun 10, 2023
The year kicks off with the reigning Super Bowl champs, the Kansas City Chiefs, taking on seemingly everyone’s favorite underdog. Dan Campbell will bring his Lions to Arrowhead to bite off some kneecaps.
Detroit Lions @ Kansas City Chiefs
Detroit’s Offense vs Kansas City’s Defense
Detroit’s offense performed very well last season scoring 26.6 Points Per Game (PPG), and have added some major weapons this off-season. New Running Backs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery will be running behind the third-best offensive line in the NFL heading into 2023 per Pro Football Network.
The Chiefs held up well against the run last year only allowing 107.7 rushing yards per game, but that number is aided by the Chief’s constantly being in positive game scripts. They faced the fourth-fewest rushing attempts per game since their opponents are constantly trying to catch up to Kansas City’s potent offense.
The Lions’ recipe for getting a win in week one is holding the Chiefs’ offense off early and controlling the game in the trenches. The Lions have a good passing offense, but with Jameson Williams suspended for the first six games of the season and sub-standard receivers after Amon-Ra St. Brown, they will not be able to keep up with the Chiefs’ passing attack.
The Lions made solid improvements to their secondary this off-season as well, adding four new starters. Cornerbacks Emmanuel Moseley and Cameron Sutton will start as the Lions’ outside cornerbacks. Both received top 45 coverage grades by PFF, ranking 30th and 45th respectively.
They also added Safetys C.J. Garnder-Johnson in Free Agency and Brian Branch in the NFL Draft. The Lions are currently ranked as the 19th secondary in the NFL according to Lineups.com. They gave up the third most passing yards last season so these pieces should help the Lions creep back towards the middle of the pack.
Defenses take time to gel though and I don’t see these new pieces being enough to overcome Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes.
Kansas City’s Offense vs Detroit’s Defense
The Chiefs dismantled the league through the air despite having a lackluster Wide Receiver core last year and look to do it again. They had the most passing yards per game in the league last season with 288.9 yards per game and did it without an alpha WR on the roster.
They made some additions to their Wide Receiver core adding Richie James from the Giants and Rashee Rice in the Draft with their second-round pick, however, they lost WR JuJu Smith-Schuester and Mecole Hardman in Free Agency. Entering the season, Kansas City will again lean on Travis Kelce as their primary target in this offense and look for the ancillary pieces to perform well in the roles they are assigned.
Kadarius Toney could be poised for a larger role on this team and if he stays healthy could have a true breakout season. Far too often players are compared to Tyreek Hill when they show elite speed and agility. There is no Tyreek Hill replica on this planet, but if you were looking for the next best thing, it is Kadarius Toney.
We all know how incredible of a talent Patrick Mahomes is but the Chiefs have a formidable running game as well. With breakout rookie Isiah Pacheco leading the pack, they can beat you in multiple ways. Detroit performed poorly against the run last season allowing 146.5 yards per game, the fourth worst in the NFL.
Summary
I believe this game will come down to a very experienced Quarterback knowing how to pick apart a newly assembled secondary. The Lions gave up the most total yards per game in the league last year and the Chiefs have multiple ways to move the ball down the field. Detroit is a scrappy team and will put up a fight, but look for Kansas City to take care of business in the first game of the season.
I’m taking the Chiefs to win this game in a high-scoring shootout and the Lions to cover the seven-point spread in a hard-fought, high-scoring game.
Final Score: 34 – 30
All based on a per game basis
Lions’ Key Free Agency Additions:
Running Back: David Montgomery
Safety: C.J. Garnder-Johnson
Cornerback: Cameron Sutton
Cornerback: Emmanuel Moseley
Lions’ Key Draft Picks:
Running Back: Jahmyr Gibbs (Alabama) – Pick 12
Linebacker: Jack Campbell (Iowa) – Pick 18
Tight End: Sam LaPorta (Iowa) – Pick 34
Safety: Brian Branch (Alabama) – Pick 45
Quarterback: Hendon Hooker (Tennessee) – Pick 68
Defensive Tackle: Brodrick Martin (Western Kentucky) – Pick 96
Lions’ Losses:
Wide Receiver: D.J. Chark
Running Back: Jamaal Williams
Chiefs’ Key Free Agency Additions:
Offensive Tacke: Jawaan Taylor
Edge Rusher: Charles Omenihu
Chiefs’ Key Draft Picks:
Edge Rusher: Felix Anudike-Uzomah (Kansas State) – Pick 31
Wide Receiver: Rashee Rice (SMU) – Pick 55
Offensive Tackle: Wanya Morris (Oklahoma) – Pick 92
Chiefs’ Losses:
Offensive Tackle: Orlando Brown Jr.
Offensive Tackle: Andrew Wylie
Safety: Juan Thornhill
Wide Receiver: JuJu Smith-Schuester
Wide Receiver: Mecole Hardman
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