Gametime: Sunday, September 29, 2019
Location: Ford Field in Detroit, MI
Network Provider: FOX
Radio (Kansas City residence): Chiefs Fox Football Radio Network KCFX (101.1 FM)
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes will play his first NFL game inside an indoor facility this week when the Kansas City Chiefs (3-0) travel to the Motor City to play the Detroit Lions (2-0-1) on Sunday.
The Chiefs are off to a good start to the season, remaining undefeated with wins over the Jaguars, Raiders, and Ravens. The NFL’s 1st-ranked offense has put up video game-like numbers in their last three games and even more so in the second quarter.
In the last two second quarters, Quarterback Patrick Mahomes put up a combined 51 points with a completion percentage of 76, 470 yards passing, six touchdowns and no picks.
On the other side, the Lions are off to a nice start in their season as well after finishing 2018 with six wins. Head Coach Matt Patricia was under a lot of scrutiny heading into the season but has his Lions playing hard, fast and with a lot of energy. After tying with Arizona in Week 1, Detroit won games over the L.A. Chargers and Philadelphia Eagles by three-point margins.
When speaking with the media, Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid named off the things about Detroit that he wants his team to be prepared for on Sunday.
“They’ve got a good scheme and they play hard,” said Reid.
“They tackle well and have made a living off of turnovers on defense and then offensively, they’re scoring some points,” Reid explained.
Overall, the Lions haven’t been great on defense, allowing almost 400 yards per game. However, the Lions have been getting after the passer with a combined 21 hurries, 9 sacks and 5 QB knockdowns in three games.
Likewise, Detroit’s pass rush will likely try to replicate Baltimore’s defensive scheme from last week by putting pressure on Mahomes from the left side. Left tackle Cam Irving struggled early against the Ravens pass rush and will be starting for the second consecutive game.
While the Lions secondary has also had its struggles and they’ll have their hands full defending the ‘Legion of Zoom’ when the Chiefs take the field on offense. Detroit has allowed opposing teams to throw for an average of 278.3 yards per game but despite that, Detroit’s pass defense is second in the league in completions allowed, with only 54.8 percent of pass plays thrown against them result in completed passes. This means the Lions will try to jam the Chiefs receivers at the line of scrimmage and play tight man coverage schemes for most of the game to make it tougher for Mahomes to find an open receiver downfield.
When quarterback Patrick Mahomes spoke with the media, he said the Lions pass coverage was one of the things that immediately stuck out to him while he was studying them.
“They play physical football, they play a lot of man coverage, they get up in everybody’s face and then they stop the run game, for the most part, I think the biggest thing they did against the Eagles, they capitalize on turnovers,” said Mahomes.
On the offensive side of the ball, the Lions come into this week’s matchup with the ability to move the ball down the field and Andy Reid was sure to make a note of it.
“They got a quarterback that’s been around a while and knows the game and they’ve got some skill guys that can also play,” said Reid.
So far, the Lions offense ranks 12th in the league with 1,103 total yards and it has a lot to do with the supporting cast that Quarterback Matthew Stafford has at his disposal.
Veteran Marvin Jones is the Lions leading receiver through three games with 15 receptions for 200 yards and a touchdown. Receiver Kenny Golladay isn’t too far behind with 14 catches for 176 yards and a pair of scores. Free-agent signee Danny Amendola has 11 receptions for 141 yards and a touchdown and rookie tight T.J. Hockenson has been a pleasant addition with 8 catches for 139 yards and a touchdown.
Kansas City’s pass defense has yet to take on a deep receiving core like what the Lions have and could be their greatest test of the season so far.
Injury Report
Following Friday’s practice, the Chiefs have already ruled running back Damien Williams out for Sunday’s game with a knee injury and will not play for the second consecutive week. Running backs LeSean McCoy and Darrel Williams will see the majority of the reps from the backfield.
Left tackle Eric Fisher is still recovering from core muscle surgery and will be out as well for a second straight week as well and Tyreek Hill still remains on the sidelines since hurting his shoulder at the beginning of the season.
According to Detroit’s injury report following Friday’s practice, defensive tackle Mike Daniels has been battling a foot injury and will not play on Sunday.
Defensive line mate Da’shawn Hand was listed as a limited participant all week with an elbow injury and is listed as questionable.
Defensive back Darius Slay is also listed as questionable and may a ‘game-time decision’ for the Lions, after being held out with a hamstring injury.
If the Lions can get both players back on defense, it’ll be a huge lift going against Patrick Mahomes and company.
On offense, the Lions may suffer a huge blow with both quarterback Matthew Stafford and receiver Danny Amandola deemed questionable for Sunday’s game.
Amandola saw progress in Friday’s practice as a limited participant after not practicing for most of the week dealing with a chest injury.
The biggest shock is Matthew Stafford, who showed up on Detroit’s injury report with a hip injury in Friday’s practice. According to a local Detroit news station, WXYZ-TV Detroit, his injury is reportedly considered minor and he’s expected to be ready to go against the Chiefs.
