Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell says he “predicted” his team’s upset win over the Kansas City Chiefs in the season opener Thursday night. Chiefs coach Andy Reid insists he won’t make “excuses” because his offense missed star tight end Travis Kelsey.
Last updated: 09/08/23 at 10:30 AM
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Highlights from the Detroit Lions vs Kansas City Chiefs game in Week 1 of the NFL
Highlights from the Detroit Lions vs Kansas City Chiefs game in Week 1 of the NFL
Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell insisted he had learned nothing he didn’t already know about his team as they sparked their season as surprise favorites by knocking out the super-champion Kansas City Chiefs in Thursday’s home opener.
‘Sudden pack’ may be the wrong term for a team wary of rallying with eight wins from their last 10 games last season, but optimism remains as high as it has been for some time for Detroit, with wins over the league’s best teams. Determine the ideal mark.
David Montgomery broke through on an eight-yard run with five minutes on the clock to put the Lions ahead for good after trailing 14-7 at halftime.
Then he would rally to make it 21-20 after the Chiefs failed to convert on fourth and 25 with two minutes left in the game.
“I like the fact that our guys never wavered,” Campbell told reporters. “It was something we talked about.” “We knew we hit some rough spots in this game and it just so happened that no one came down and we stuck there. I told the team they were built for this.”
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David Montgomery powers through the hole to seal the game win for the Detroit Lions over the Kansas City Chiefs.
For all that the Lions were doing to frustrate the Chiefs early, they were given an ominous reminder of the task at hand as Patrick Mahomes connected with Marquez Valdez-Scantling for a 34-yard touchdown on third-and-17 to preserve a drive that would end with a Blake Bell catch From four yards out late in the first half.
The Chiefs had a chance to try to extend their cushion after the break, only for rookie safety Brian Branch to pounce on an inexcusable drop from Kadarius Toney to run in a 50-yard interception return for a touchdown, putting Detroit up.
By the end of the third quarter, they once again found themselves trailing 14-17, before beating Mahomes in the fourth quarter to seal the win.
“I didn’t learn anything, I just validated what I already knew, and this is a resilient team,” Campbell said. “It was a really resilient team and we added elements to that resilient team, so we’re built to deal with some things and we did that against a very good opponent.
“We expected to win this game. We came here and we knew what we had to do, we knew it wasn’t going to be easy and we did it. What it really means is that this is one game.” [win]. This is one. So, we have to clean up our problems. Some things hurt us and be ready for Seattle in 10 days. It is what it is.”
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Amon-Ra St. Brown scores his first NFL touchdown of the season, skillfully set up by a fake punt by the Detroit Lions against the Kansas City Chiefs
While Ben Johnson’s Lions offense received plaudits, Campbell was also full of praise for Aaron Glenn’s defense as he shut down the Chiefs outside the end zone in the second half.
He continued: “It’s something we talk about, finishing matches.” “Everyone knows how strong our offense is, but defensively I think they showed up in a big way. We needed the takeaway and we needed to be a lot better on third down and we did that.”
Reed: No excuses
Mahomes was without right-hander Travis Kelce as the tight end was ruled out of the sideline due to a knee injury suffered during practice earlier in the week.
His absence was amplified by a series of dropped catches from Mahomes’ receiving corps, most notably Toney’s absence before Jerick McKinnon also fumbled a simple catch to undo the great job the quarterback did to keep his feet in the collapsing pocket.
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Brian Branch intercepts Patrick Mahomes on a Ka’Darius Toney tip and returns it 50 yards for a touchdown to set Detroit level against Kansas City
“They know I’m going to keep shooting, we’ll fix it next week and fix it for the next game,” said Mahomes, who emphasized his confidence in Kelsey’s support team.
“You lose the best tight end ever, but other players have to step up in moments because there are times when it gets doubled.
“We will have to rely on these young and talented players to step up and put in performances, and I think they will.”
He noted that the defeat came as an early wake-up call for some teammates with depth in the competition, along with the glowing target on their backs as Super Bowl winners.
“It would be good for the youngsters to know that we will not only go in and win the game, but we will have to play good football,” he added. “I preached to all of them before the season started and they know now. Hopefully the guys can learn from it and get better.”
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Marquis Valdes-Scantling caught a 34-yard touchdown pass from Patrick Mahomes in the Kansas City Chiefs’ loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 1 of the NFL.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid played down Kelsey’s absence and insisted he was confident in righting the mistakes that cost his team on Thursday.
“There are no excuses at all,” Reed explained. “We have guys that can play and they’re there to take care of business, and [the Lions] They put us on special teams to continue the drive, they put us on tipped ball.
“Listen, it’s very unusual for drop-ball people to drop-the-ball, and that’s not what I’ve seen of them, and I didn’t expect them to do that. So, do it, and mind business over there. And we’ll be all right.”
Week 1 of the 2023 NFL season continues on Sunday as the San Francisco 49ers visit the Steelers, with coverage from 4.30pm before kickoff at 6pm, followed by the Dolphins at Chargers at 9.25pm. Stream with now.
