Kick-off Thursday night to Friday at 2:20 a.m.
Kansas City Chiefs (0-0) – Detroit Lions (0-0)
Finished the Kentucky Derby or the F1 in Miami for Patrick Mahomes. The next time we see the quarterback in a sporting event, it will be to participate and launch the 2023 NFL season.
An exercise that the pitcher and his teammates start with the status of the team to be knocked down. The defending champion, however, is no stranger to this situation. Already in 2020, the Chiefs opened the ball against the Texans, a few months after winning the first ring of the Mahomes-Reid era.
Two years ago, they had imposed themselves. Will they succeed in replicating the performance? As long as the quarterback and the Head Coach are there, Kansas City will in any case approach most of its games as favorites. This will be the case on Thursday. All is not all rosy, however. Already because we may have won the AFC three times in the last four seasons, we are not immune to injuries.
Travis Kelce X Factor
This fell at the worst of times on a crucial player: Travis Kelce. The tight end felt discomfort this week in training and would be uncertain for this Thursday Night Football. A tile that Andy Reid would have done without. Kelce is the keystone of the Chiefs’ aerial attack. Without him, it will be interesting to observe who will be the number 1 option for Mahomes in the air among his various targets (KaDarius Toney, Skyy Moore, Marquez Valdez-Scantling…).
On the other side of the field, we know the defense of the Chiefs may not be in the Top 3 of the league, but they know how to raise their level when it becomes necessary. The problem is that last year Steve Spagnuolo relied heavily on Chris Jones. The lineman, dissatisfied with his contractual situation, will not be there this Thursday. Like Travis Kelce on offense, his absence will leave a big void in this defensive squad. From there to make this defense vulnerable? This is what the Lions will try to prove.
Send a message to the North
Like last year, Detroit will rely on an explosive attack. Amon-Ra St Brown will test the defending champion’s back lines and the ground game will be there to press where it hurts. The race should take an important place in the game system of Dan Campbell. The offensive line is still solid and even if Jamaal Williams is gone, the Lions are confident about the respective contribution of David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs.
Either way, if Detroit wants to have a chance in this game, the Lions need to keep pace with the Chiefs. Dan Campbell is aware of this. He also knows that the start of the season is crucial. This is what cost the playoffs to his team last year (1-6 in the first 7 games). In 2023, the Lions have a lot of ambitions in a completely open division. It’s time to send a message for the Campbell clan. And what could be better than a trip to the champion?
