I said last week that I thought the Kansas City Chiefs actually matched up better with the Detroit Lions than they did with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The longer this game went on, the more evident that became. As accurate and proficient a passer as Lions quarterback Jared Goff is, he isn’t very mobile — and when the Chiefs put pressure on him, he was mostly unable to evade the rush. That played a major role in Kansas City shutting down Detroit in the second half.
In addition, the Chiefs largely played
mistake-free football. The offense moved methodically up and down the field at will, delivering a must-have 30-17 win over the Lions.
Here are five things we learned.
1. The Chiefs have some fight in them
And I’m not talking about the scuffle that broke out on the field after the game, when Lions’ safety Brian Branch took a cheap shot at Chiefs receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster.
So yeah… it’s probably not a good idea to poke the bear right after you got your backside handed to you in a whooping that lasted the final three quarters — especially when the next time these two teams might meet could be in the Super Bowl. That’s the one time you don’t want to give an opponent bulletin-board material.
On a larger scale, this was a Chiefs team with its back against the wall, staring down the possibility of a 2-4 start and falling two games out of first place in the AFC West. Detroit entered the game with the league’s No. 1 offense — and in the second half, Kansas City’s defense shut it down.
What’s more, the Chiefs were coming off a penalty-filled game — and cleaned things up very well. They weren’t called for a single penalty.
This was a must-win game — and Kansas City answered the bell.
2. Jaylon Moore was a good signing
In the offseason, the Chiefs signed backup offensive tackle Jaylon Moore to a two-year, $30 million contract — an insurance policy in case rookie left tackle Josh Simmons wasn’t ready to start. Up to this point, Simmons had played every snap at left tackle. Moore’s signing was starting to look like a luxury Kansas City might not need.
That changed Sunday afternoon when the team learned Simmons had to travel back to California for a personal family matter and wouldn’t be available for the game.
Moore stepped in on short notice and lined up across from one of the NFL’s best pass rushers: Aidan Hutchinson. That’s a tough assignment for anyone, but Moore took it in stride. He filled in for Simmons admirably.
3. When needed, the Chiefs can run the ball
This game was full of impressive moments for Kansas City, but one of the most encouraging was the team’s willingness — and ability — to run the ball effectively. The Chiefs picked up crucial first downs on the ground and closed out the game by grinding out tough yards when it mattered most.
There was nothing flashy about it. The Chiefs ran well between the tackles and controlled the clock. While there were some inconsistent stretches, there were also flashes of explosiveness from players like Brashard Smith and Isiah Pacheco, both of whom showed they can break off big plays when given space.
4. The linebackers are the strength of the Chiefs’ defense
Kansas City signed middle linebacker Nick Bolton to a three-year, $45 million contract over the offseason — and right now, it looks like a bargain. Bolton has always been the leader of this defense (and a reliable run stopper), but he’s somehow gotten even better this year, showing an improved ability to rush the passer and time his blitzes perfectly.
Drue Tranquill — now playing in a contract year — continues to bring intensity and leadership every week. If he keeps this up, he’ll be due for a significant payday this offseason.
And then there’s the third linebacker, who might be the biggest unknown: Leo Chenal.
While he might not be elite at everything, he’s elite at everything the Chiefs ask him to do.
5. Harrison Butker is broken
The Chiefs’ placekicker continues to struggle, missing another extra-point attempt on Kansas City’s first scoring drive. When Butker missed, the Chiefs held only a three-point lead — and while Detroit didn’t capitalize, it was the kind of mistake that has become far too familiar this year.
It wasn’t even the first extra point he’s missed. It was the third. Even worse, he’s made just four of seven field-goal attempts from beyond 40 yards this season. None of those numbers are good enough.
Add in the mental lapses — like kicking the ball out of bounds in the fourth quarter against the Jaguars — and you start to see the profile of a player who should be worried about his job.
Luckily for Butker, the Chiefs are still carrying $15 million in dead money on his contract, which essentially makes it impossible to move on from him this season. That means Kansas City needs to do the next best thing: figure out how to fix him.
