Still reeling from Week 5’s shocking last-minute 31-28 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Kansas City Chiefs’ schedule isn’t getting any easier. On Sunday night, they hope to get their record back to 0.500 with a win over the (4-1) Detroit Lions on GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
Per Next Gen Stats
, the Lions rank third in expected points added (EPA) per play on both offense (+0.12) and defense (-0.14).“They’re playing good football,” declared head coach Andy Reid this week, as his team prepared
for the “Sunday Night Football” matchup. “They’re a good, solid defense flying around. Offensively, they’ve been very effective — point-wise and execution-wise. They haven’t had the self-inflicted wounds as much as some other teams. You know that they’re not going backwards, so we’ve got to make sure we take care of business and stay aggressive on both sides of the ball — and on special teams, for that matter.”
Much of the Lions’ success stems from strength in the trenches. Both their offensive and defensive lines bring star power to the matchup.
“They’re strong in both those spots,” Reid observed. “I think that’s been well documented. They’re a good offensive line — and have been together for a while. They do a good job in the run and pass game. Then, defensively, likewise, they’re solid in the pass game. They’ve got a good scheme, they’re good against the run, and they cover their gaps.”
Detroit’s offensive line supports a lethal group of skill players that includes wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, tight end Sam LaPorta and running backs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs. Quarterback Jared Goff currently leads the NFL with a 75.2% completion rate.
For Kansas City linebacker Nick Bolton, this adds up to a challenging offense — especially now that Isaac TeSlaa has been added to the Lions’ wide receiver corps. The rookie has an impressive combination of size and speed that has helped him collect two touchdowns on just three receptions for 54 yards.
“They’re special,” said Bolton. “They have a great tight end and two good backs. Their wideouts have some depth, and they have a young guy, as well, that is adding to the mix. Their quarterback is playing great… It’s going to take everybody. All hands on deck up front — and then in the back end, mixing up some looks pre-snap and trying to force a couple turnovers when we can. It’s a great challenge for us.”
Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is well aware of the damage that Montgomery and Gibbs can inflict — especially when the Lions use them together in creative formations.
“Their skill just excels,” Spagnuolo said of the duo. “They’re similar in some ways but different in others. I think No. 5 [Montgomery] is a pretty powerful runner, and I think they gear plays toward that. No. 0 [Gibbs] gets out on the edge quite a bit — and he’s a threat as a pass receiver as well. They put them both out there at the same time, and that becomes a challenge. We’ve got to tighten all kinds of things up.”
The Lions’ offense gets most of the headlines, but their defense has also been among the league’s best. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes credited the creativity of defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard — a former third-round pick of the Buffalo Bills who spent eight seasons as an NFL linebacker.
“I think he does a great job of game planning with unscouted looks and doing stuff that’s specific to each and every team,” Mahomes said. “He puts his guys in positions where they can play fast and play hard. You can tell they respect him by how hard they play. I don’t know if that’s because he’s a former player — or whatever it is — but he gets the best out of his guys.
“It’ll be a great challenge for us. We’ve got to match the intensity of going up against a Detroit Lions football team and a Detroit Lions defense. It’ll be a great challenge.”
Now that their loss in Jacksonville has dropped the Chiefs to 2-3 on the season, Mahomes understands one thing very clearly: rising to this challenge isn’t optional.
“It’s extremely important,” he asserted. “There’s no way around it. This is a really good football team that we’re going to play. They play extremely hard — and they have a mentality that they’re going to come in and win a football game. So we have to match that intensity. We have to match that mentality and know that it’s going to take our best football: offense, defense, and special teams. We have to go out there and prove it on Sunday. We’ve got to start off with a great week of practice, and then come in with the mentality that no matter how it looks, we’re going to find a way to get a win.”
