Q1 14:59Mike Tirico:David Montgomery, Iowa State. Marvin Jones Jr., Cal. Amon-Ra St. Brown, USC. Josh Reynolds, John Jay High School. Brock Wright, Cy-Fair High School. Taylor Decker, V. Jonah Jackson, Media Elementary. Frank Ragnall, Arkansas. Halifullah Rashee Rice, TCU. Penei Sewell, Villas and Malai. Penei Sewell, one of the top tacklers in the business on a line that's one of the best in the league. And here comes the noise in Arrowhead. 25. It's David Montgomery's Detroit debut, and that's that offensive line powers forward for 7 yards on the first snap of the game. Jared Goff, number 1 overall pick of the Rams in 2016. 5 years in LA, started for them in Super Bowl 53, if you remember. So the trade with Matthew Stafford going to LA, Goff coming to Detroit along with significant draft capital. He flourished last year, very good and mistake-free football the last half of 2022. For a gain of 7, play action, nothing open, he just threw it in the ground. George Karlaftis was closing in on him. It'll be third down.
Q1 14:39Cris Collinsworth:Good pressure by Karlaftis on the outside, but it was really Derrick Nnadi who saw that thing from inside. So Chris Jones would be proud of this one right in front of the screen, the attempt. So they come out and run the ball for 7 yards on the first one, come right back with a screen. Now big third down.
Q1 14:31Mike Tirico:Chiefs bring some pressure, picked up for the moment. The Goff pass is incomplete, trying to get it out to Josh Reynolds with a good pressure Willie Gay Jr.. from the linebacking level. It's 3 and out to start for the Lions.
Q1 14:28Cris Collinsworth:Steve Spagnuolo and this defense, when they get you to 3rd down, you just don't know where that pressure is going to come from. You'll see defensive linemen dropping out. That time, big 317-pound Derrick Nnadi dropping right back into coverage. So after a great first play and establishing that run, unable to pick up the first first down.
Q1 14:22Mike Tirico:Really good punter Jack Fox of the Lions. Richie James, the new return man for the Chiefs. Big kick, 69 yards. James and Nnadi will be brought down after a gain of 3 to the 12. Khalil Dorsey, the special teams coverage for the Lions. Here comes the Kansas City offense. Patrick Mahomes II, Texas Tech.
Q1 14:15Cris Collinsworth:Kadarius Toney, University of Florida.
Q1 14:15Mike Tirico:Noah Gray, Duke. Donovan Smith, Penn State. Joe Tooney, North Carolina State. Creed Humphrey, Oklahoma. Trey Smith, Tennessee. Jawaan Taylor, Florida. Both of those tackles brand new this year. Taylor was with Jacksonville. Donovan Smith protected Tom Brady. In Tampa Bay. The MVP Mahomes starts in the 13. The pitch is to Clyde Edwards-Helaire on the edge, and it's Hutchinson right there. Aidan stops him, a gain of about 4, maybe 5 yards. Well, Patrick Mahomes turns 28 next Sunday, begins his 6th season as the full-time starter. Last year he led the league in touchdowns and passing yards, first time somebody's done that since Kurt Warner in '99, to win both the regular season and the Super Bowl MVP. In the same campaign. He and D.J. Reed, what a mix they are together, and they do it all without— option 1, Kelce outside. Clyde Edwards-Helaire inside run, about 2. C.J. C.J. C.J. C.J. C.J. Gardner-Johnson, one of the new acquisitions on the back end for Detroit, and Alex Anzalone set up third down.
Q1 13:58Cris Collinsworth:So many interesting things to talk about on both sides of the ball, but no question, for the Detroit Lions defensively, you have to start looking at that secondary. The front 7 should be very good on the back end. So many changes. And the emotional leader of this football team right now is C.J. C.J. C.J. C.J. C.J. Gardner-Johnson.
Q1 13:52Mike Tirico:Surprisingly, 2 plays he hasn't been woofing at somebody yet. Third and a couple. Scott Morrisett was in the slot. Lions bring 5. And Mahomes over the top to Jerick McKinnon for the first down at the 31-yard line. Malcolm Rodriguez with the tackle, but the third down conversion to the 10-year veteran McKinnon.
Q1 13:46Cris Collinsworth:McKinnon's just so good. Former quarterback, understands exactly what the quarterback needs. He'll try to help in protection, sneak out after that. 9 touchdowns receiving a season ago, and as usual, in the clutch, he's the one making the play.
Q1 13:42Mike Tirico:No Isiah Pacheco on this first drive. It's been McKinnon and Edward Jaillaire. Throw by Mahomes, caught by Noah Gray, the tight end who slides up a spot. He's tackled by Jerry Jacobs in the secondary.
Q1 13:39Cris Collinsworth:I spent a whole lot of time watching Noah Gray today because Travis Kelce, that guy right there, unavailable. But Noah Gray is as fast as Kelce. He runs 4.6. He runs nice routes. He may even be a better blocker. What he doesn't do is escape in the open field like a Travis Kelce. Nobody's better at the tight end position than he is with that.
Q1 13:33Mike Tirico:Is Pacheco in the game? Second and 5. Mahomes, clean pocket, nobody open downfield. He escapes chased and just puts it up and gets rid of it. Alex Anzalone closing in on Mahomes with the late pass rush.
Q1 13:28Cris Collinsworth:Really can't blame that offensive line. That was a nice look. Two new tackles out here, and you're going to see on the right-hand side, Jawaan Taylor working against Aidan Hutchinson, who just had a marvelous rookie season, 9.5 sacks, and he is getting a lot of attention Anzalone hit the Jets and also hit Mahomes.
Q1 13:24Mike Tirico:Yeah, I guess that's how you know you're a good rookie, you get hit by 3 guys on, uh-huh, snap number 5 of the season. 3rd and 5. Lions bring it 4. Mahomes looking for space and he'll be brought down. A guy who just makes play after play on this Detroit defense, John Kaminsky, in his 5th year out of Charleston, comes up with a stop after one first down. KC will kick it away.
Q1 13:17Cris Collinsworth:There's a guy that understands a little bit about, uh, the quarterback position and what they're going to do. You'll see him fall back under here. He played quarterback in high school. Mahomes, as he does so often, leans forward on that one, and I wonder how many people gaffed just a little bit watching that angle get tackled.
Q1 13:12Mike Tirico:Flashback to the Jacksonville game. Tommy Townsend, good kicker, great hang time on this one. Kalif Raymond, fair catch signaled and made at the 9. 5.4 on the hang time, really strong for the All-Pro punter. Bonfield coming for the— town painted red as it always is, the Chiefs games, and this one even more special, the opener. Drive 2 for the Lions starts in their own 9. Out of the eye to the former Bear, David Montgomery, to the left for 3 yards. He'll squeeze out to the 12-yard line. Willie Gay Jr.., the initial hit.
Q1 13:03Cris Collinsworth:So many things change with this Lions team, and we'll get to all of it, but especially at the running back position. David Montgomery coming over from Chicago, 1,000 yards from scrimmage all 4 years that he was there. But they also drafted in the first round Jahmyr Gibbs, the speedster, and now you're going to get a dose of him as well. So we shall see how this Lions running game unfolds behind one of the best offensive lines in all of football.
Q1 12:56Mike Tirico:Gibbs, the 12th overall pick out of Alabama. Goff, the pass is deflected and incomplete. Mike Danna, 4th-year man who played in Ann Arbor at Michigan, got a hand up there as this defensive line tries to see who's going to step up without Chris Jones.
Q1 12:51Cris Collinsworth:And it really is the key, right? And they don't really care how it happens, but that quick throw and Danna, who's not the biggest guy in the world but did have 5 sacks a season ago, so the pressure is It's really going to be on him and George Karlaftis, and to be honest, some of these linebackers to get pressure on Goff.
Q1 12:47Mike Tirico:Their rookie first-round pick Felix Anudike-Uzomah is in the game. It's 3rd and 7. Goff protected at first, nothing opens. From out of his end zone, he fires. It's caught but short of the first down. Long throw to Marvin Jones Jr., who is back with Detroit after a couple of years in Jacksonville. Short of the first down, and the Lions will go 3 and out on their second drive.
Q1 12:41Cris Collinsworth:So here's what happens when you end up in third down though. You get these pressure packages. You're going to see all these guys on that side and they're going to overload on that side of the offensive line. But really a pretty good job of picking that up. They're just not getting open down the field. Give credit to L'Jarius Sneed, Trent McDuffie, and the guys on the back end.
Q1 12:36Mike Tirico:But number 2 for Fox— oh, they fake it! Go inside, they fake from their own 17-yard line and pick up the first down. Jalen Reeves-Maybin is back on the Lions special teams. Captain was with Houston last year. Dan Campbell dice rolling from inside the 20. On drive 2 of the season. Whoa!
Q1 12:31Cris Collinsworth:He does it all the time, right? I mean, we should come to expect it. A lot of times they'll throw the pass. You just don't expect it from inside the 20-yard line. And here the big guys just keep pushing and get it done. I mean, Dan Campbell setting the tone already for this season.
Q1 12:27Mike Tirico:Anything goes. I told everybody Reeves Maben is going to have the first first down for the Lions for the year. Dave Tobe, whose special teams are so well coached, he knew there were some tricks up the sleeve coming tonight. Team couldn't stop that. The 19, to the ground. Gibbs, first NFL carry. They'll take Trent McCaffrey for a couple of yards to the 21-yard line.
Q1 12:22Cris Collinsworth:It's just exciting to be here, isn't it? To kick off a season. And it's more than the Kansas City Chiefs in this crowd and the banners and all that stuff. It's the Detroit Lions. I mean, out of nowhere, this team that looked like they were finished, 1-6, they're done, and here they come and almost made those playoffs. And the excitement is as much about them as it is these Chiefs.
Q1 12:16Mike Tirico:And you saw that shot, there's more blue in the stands than I ever thought we'd see on Banner Night in KC. Second down, Goff inside throw. First down to the 35. There's the man he looks to when he wants to pick it up. Amon-Ra St. Brown, outstanding first 2 years for the 4th-round pick out of Southern California.
Q1 12:12Cris Collinsworth:Here's the problem: if you want to try to play some coverage, if you want to try to come out here and make a play on the outside, you've got to line up and play some man coverage, but not against that guy. He is the driving force of this offense. If they're not running the football, they're throwing it to Amon-Ra St. Brown.
Q1 12:07Mike Tirico:Number 34, Goff, play action, it's complete. Inside move, Josh Reynolds on the run to the 44-yard line. So after the fake, the Lions offense hits a little gear. A couple of back-to-back first down passes.
Q1 12:03Cris Collinsworth:This is bread and butter right here for the Lions. They're going to go play action and you throw it in here. These linebackers have to step up to try and play the run game against the Detroit Lions, and they make so many first downs. That number 4 ranked offense, a lot of those plays right there.
Q1 11:59Mike Tirico:Ended up with tight ends on this first down inside run for Montgomery to the 41-yard line against the Kansas Kansas City defense.
Q1 11:53Mike Tirico:Trent McDuffie, Washington. A lot of youth on that defense. About 60% of their defense first or second-year players as you look at the totality of the KC roster. Here's the rookie Gibbs to the left. That's good speed. First down, spinning and turning. Gibbs through a hard hit, stays on his feet to the 25-yard Jahmyr Gibbs for Detroit.
Q1 11:47Cris Collinsworth:5 different plays they run out of the running game in which they've run them at least 50 times. And what you see out of the Lions can be so frustrating. This little counterplay to the outside and good athletes out in front of that play. But we are just now beginning to unwrap what Jahmyr Gibbs might mean to this offense. Explosiveness, big plays, and in theory he's going to be able to do that in the passing game as well.
Q1 11:40Mike Tirico:Play 10 of the drive. Goff complete to St. Brown. To the 19-yard line, orchestrating this on the offensive side, talking to Jared Goff in the headset is the offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, 37 years old. Chris, he got a couple of head coaching interviews this year. He really wanted to come back, be a part of what they built in Detroit last year.
Q1 11:36Cris Collinsworth:There was a massive sigh of relief when Ben Johnson did not take that next interview in Carolina. He decided that he wanted to stay in Detroit and everybody was thrilled. Jared Goff in particular.
Q1 11:33Mike Tirico:Gibbs, the rookie running back, is in motion here. They like him as a pass catcher. They run Montgomery to the left, first down and more to the 13-yard line. You said said before, they run so many different types of running plays, they're hard to stop.
Q1 11:29Cris Collinsworth:Yeah, they are. So you start with the counter, the two guys pulling. This is the outside zone here, but remember where this all started. This is Dan Campbell going for it inside his own 20-yard line. That's pretty special right there. As a head coach, when you do that, it sends two signals. One, we're going out to win this game, and two, defense, we believe in you too.
Q1 11:24Mike Tirico:Sam LaPorta, the rookie out of Iowa, in the game for Detroit off the wing at the top of the screen. Montgomery runs left to the the 49-yard line, pickup of about 4. And you alluded to it, Chris, the different types of runs, their ability to run, it all comes back to a terrific offensive line.
Q1 11:20Cris Collinsworth:It really does. And so much of it after that is Jared Goff being able to throw the ball basically alone in the pocket because you have to react to all those different styles of runs that they do up front. And their offensive line is powerful. And Penei Sewell, right tackle, number 58, is as good as it gets in this league.
Q1 11:14Mike Tirico:6 for the first down, 9 for the touchdown. Gibbs, big space, trying to get to the outside. He's not done yet because he was never touched on the ground, but they're going to mark him right around the 9-yard line, back a couple of yards there. Once Gibbs went down, say it's not college, you can get back up and run, and he did, but the Chiefs are waiting for him.
Q1 11:09Cris Collinsworth:But here you go, right? If you're Ben Johnson, you know who you're playing on the other side. You're playing the MVP. So third down inside your own 10-yard line, this is when you need to be great. Whatever is the best thing on that card of his, we need to see it right here.
Q1 11:04Mike Tirico:Third and 6. Goff across. St. Brown to the end zone! Detroit touchdown! Amon-Ra St. Brown, score 1 of the season.
Q1 10:59Cris Collinsworth:Let's start first with the big guys up front. This is not play action. This is— everybody knows that we've got to throw the football. And look at the protection. I can't tell you how much tape I watched this offseason season watching Goff never get touched. And then that guy right there, I don't know who their answer is. They've already put McDuffie on him, they put various people on him. They have to figure out something.
Q1 10:53Mike Tirico:Riley Patterson adds the extra point. The fourth down pickup, fans back. So good to be back with football. And as you said, Chris, no better place to start. Dan Campbell, who got Jared Goff back on the field with that fake punt on fourth down inside his own 20, something we haven't seen in the league since Baltimore in 2019 did it inside their own 20. Dan Campbell said, this is— I told my guys, this is one of the special places to come to. The football gods look down Lambeau and Arrowhead. That's the last two places the Lions have played. Deep kick by Jack Fox. It'll be fair caught. Isiah Pacheco, part of that last year, the rookie, runs to the left. Alex Anzalone pushed him out of bounds. Gain of 3 on first down.
Q1 10:44Cris Collinsworth:Mike, there are just so many things to talk about here with this Chiefs offense. One, they have two new tackles on the outside. Andrew Wiley gone, Orlando Brown gone. Donovan Smith comes over from Tampa. Jawaan Taylor comes over from Jacksonville. And so that's different. Also on the outside, none of of these receivers have more than 2 years experience with this offense, and so there's a lot to try to figure out tonight for Patrick Mahomes. Oh, by the way, no Travis Kelce either.
Q1 10:37Mike Tirico:On 2nd and 8, Mahomes will go left, and Gray was covered, the Kelce replacement. Alex Anzalone all over him. Gonna be 3rd and 8 coming up for KC. There's Matt Nagy with Eric Bieniemy making the lateral move, his offensive coordinator from here to Washington with the Commanders. Nagy, the former Bears coach, is back in a familiar role. Offensive coordinator with the Chiefs. That's where he was before he went to the Bears.
Q1 10:31Cris Collinsworth:Says he's now the traffic cop, right, for Andy Reid. Tries to keep as many people out of the big guy's office as he possibly can.
Q1 10:30Mike Tirico:He knows as a head coach, a lot of knocks on the door keep you from what you're trying to get done. Chiefs trying to get third and 8 done here. Mahomes hit as he throws, and it's caught by Justin Watson. That's one of those receivers that Chris just talked about. He's been here a couple of years, and a nice grab to the 46-yard line for the first down.
Q1 10:25Cris Collinsworth:Well, Justin Watson And when you watch the Kansas City Chiefs, when they want to go down the field, more often than not it is that guy. And as they're continuing to figure out this group and figure out who does what best, they have 7 receivers up for this game. So they're not anywhere close yet to understanding what this offense is going to look like this year.
Q1 10:20Mike Tirico:The 46, Skymore on the jet sweep, hit hard but bounces off the Gardner Minshew tackle and they'll mark him right around midfield and a gain of 4. Skymore in his second year out of Western Michigan, was the second-round pick a couple of years ago.
Q1 10:16Cris Collinsworth:You know, I like me some Skyy Moore now. He plays a little like Julian Edelman. He really does. He's, he's tough, he's fast. He's like a 4'4" kind of guy, but he will block down the field as well.
Q1 10:13Mike Tirico:Hey, hey, I got you, boy! I got you, boy! Second and 6, Jared Goff inside, the dancing feet of Pacheco. Gardner Johnson hits him. Not the same impact as the last time Gardner Johnson hit Pacheco. If you remember, he leveled Isaiah in the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl when Gardner Johnson was with the Eagles.
Q1 10:08Cris Collinsworth:So C.J. Gardner Johnson is one of those guys, even amongst his own teammates, can rub them the wrong way. But then when he gets on the field and he makes hits, this was one of them. But we have seen some really explosive hits. And then that— he's the chatterbox on the Detroit Lions or wherever he's playing.
Q1 10:03Mike Tirico:Exactly. Third and six, quarter winding down. Mahomes, Hutchinson in pursuit, Haskell in pursuit. Mahomes to the edge. Did he get there? The spot says yes. Right at the 44-yard line. Mahomes turning on the jets to get to the line. Marked him right on the 44. It's a Chiefs first down to end this opening quarter. So the legs getting it done for Patrick as we wind up the first 15 of the season. Lions 7, Chiefs nothing. You're watching the NFL Kickoff presented by UPS. Coming to the mark and about to be hit by the rookie Brian Branch. Well, it's very close, but not looking right down the line. Hard to challenge. Chiefs get it out to Pacheco, who's tackled by Aidan Hutchinson. That's a gain of 4 on first down for Kansas City.
Q1 9:51Cris Collinsworth:Aidan Hutchinson can fly out of there, can he? And not only did he get the job done with 9.5 sacks and 53 pressures, which led all rookies, he also had 3 interceptions. We talked to him last night, I said, how many interceptions in your lifetime have you had before that? He said, altogether, he goes, yeah. I said, none. He hasn't had any. 3, and then 2 fumble recoveries as well, or forced he had some rookie year.
Q1 9:45Mike Tirico:Just found him. Officially 5 on first down. Mahomes, clean pocket, Mark West down there. Scatling, comes back to get it to the 25-yard line. Gain of 14 and a first down in front of C.J. C.J. C.J. C.J. C.J. Gardner-Johnson.
Q1 9:41Cris Collinsworth:And we're starting to see, despite the fact that they've had changeover with the Detroit Lions in the secondary, a little more zone back there than what they did. I mean, they really— Eric Glenn was very much a man coverage kind of guy, but But more eyes on the quarterback now.
Q1 9:38Mike Tirico:25, Mahomes hit as he throws incomplete, trying to get it to Rashee Rice, the rookie out of SMU, their second-round pick. First target coming his way.
Q1 9:35Cris Collinsworth:It's just different, isn't it, without Kelsey?
Q1 9:35Mike Tirico:Feels different.
Q1 9:34Cris Collinsworth:It's just different. It really is. And there's not that veteran, not JuJu or somebody, Mecole Hardman, that he's used to. There's not that, that comfort level with where he's going to go if 1 or 2 isn't open. I know Kelsey is right there.
Q1 9:31Mike Tirico:That's JuJu Smith-Schuster with New England. Mecole Hardman with Aaron Rodgers and the Jets. Second and 10. Mahomes thinking about getting out of there. Superman cape is on and Mahomes has taken off. First down for the— 2 Mahomes first down scrambles on this drive for Kansas City.
Q1 9:25Cris Collinsworth:I wonder which spaceship he brought to the stadium. This alien is doing it again. I mean, you don't need me, just watch the show. They've got him bottled in. This is— they're gonna win. Detroit Lions victory right there. And now he just does it so many times, you kind of get used to it.
Q1 9:20Mike Tirico:First and goal from the 9. Pacheco the back, he'll run to the right. Noah Gray out to block for him. Pacheco down to the 2, 7 yards. The 7th round pick out of Rutgers last year, and a good year he had. 8 130 yards for this KC offense.
Q1 9:15Cris Collinsworth:Saw big Noah Gray, the replacement for Kelce, out in front of that run. Here he comes across the formation now. He did a lot of this anyway as a lead blocker, and he's pretty powerful when he gets to the point. Just barely missed that one, but good enough.
Q1 9:11Mike Tirico:Jerick McKinnon in the game down here. McKinnon back behind center. Will he take the direct snap? Yep, he'll give it to Mahomes, who'll flip it to Kadarius Toney, who works inside, and the Lions were waiting for it still. A gain of 1 with Benito Jones on the tackle at the 1. You see McKinney almost sniff something up Andy Reid's sleeves.
Q1 9:06Cris Collinsworth:Yeah, and you know, I— as they were doing that razzle— the razzle dazzle doesn't stun me, right? I just was thinking, how many plays do they have that doesn't have Travis Kelce in it, right? He's the one that they draw them up together out there.
Q1 9:02Mike Tirico:From the 1, left-hand catch by Mahomes on the snap, scanning, opens for the touchdown, it's Rice! Welcome to Kansas Kansas City, Rashee Rice.
Q1 8:57Cris Collinsworth:Welcome in here, Donovan Smith. Welcome in, Jawaan Taylor. These guys, the protection is why this play won. Anytime you can rush 4 and hold the ball that long, there's no way you're beating Patrick Mahomes.
Q1 8:54Mike Tirico:So the Lions run into each other in coverage in the back there. Harrison Butker adds the extra points, and Detroit goes on the long drive and scores, and Kansas City returns the favor. We settle in here. 13 plays from Mahomes, 7 in the air. Rashee Rice, the first touchdown of his career. I'll leave it at 7 in KC. Each team stopped on drive 1, TD's on drive 2. This Lions drive will start at the 25.
Q1 8:47Cris Collinsworth:All right, let's take a look at this Lions offense and what do they want to do. They want to establish the run. Why? So those 2 linebackers step up like that and still can't stop the run, but because they see them stepping up, now you can work in behind them. That is the base of what the Detroit Lions, Dan Campbell, Jared Goff are trying to get done. And it's all because this offensive line plays at such a high level.
Q1 8:40Mike Tirico:Trey Bragg now the center leads the group. Experience and very solid. From the 25, this third drive starts. Just off in time for—
Q1 8:37Cris Collinsworth:no, timeout.
Q1 8:36Mike Tirico:Timeout first. Yep. Blake Butler's running down. Detroit, little communication there. So we'll be back in 30 seconds after this from AWS. Taken in this game, penalty-free from the first quarter plus. Straight drop for Goff, comes back to the middle and complete to Brock Wright inside. It'll gain 9. Nick Bolton throws him down to the ground along with his linebacker pal Willie Gay Jr...
Q1 8:27Cris Collinsworth:I just feel like I could draw up for you every time the protection of this team. Now they're going to go accelerate the offense a bit.
Q1 8:25Mike Tirico:Second one, just get the first down with Goff going straight ahead for a couple yards. They give you more time.
Q1 8:24Cris Collinsworth:Go ahead. No, they did. I appreciate it. Works out well. I've been interested to watch some of the secondary play here of the Kansas City Chiefs and the people that they have in and out. One bit of a surprise is the rookie Chamarri Conner Conner, who has been really good, at least in preseason and in college, and being a part of the pressure package, has been in several times. So I would think that we're going to see some slot blitzes here pretty soon before he's in the game.
Q1 8:16Mike Tirico:They go 3 linebackers for the moment, uh, first and 10 here. Montgomery to the left of the 39-yard line. If I go back to this Lions running team, people ask, well, wait, it was so good last year with Jamal Williams and DeAndre Swift, why make the changes that they did?
Q1 8:13Cris Collinsworth:Well, DeAndre Swift had some injuries. I mean, he did, and that was all part of it. But you could tell it shook up Dan Campbell to have to get rid of Jamaal Williams. I don't think he wanted to. I think they were legitimately trying to sign him, but that— he was also afraid Jamaal Williams was going to go somewhere and he wasn't going to get Williams or David Montgomery. So they just pulled the trigger on Montgomery, and they're happy they did.
Q1 8:07Mike Tirico:And a guy they know from Chicago, they saw twice a year. Fake to him over the top, throw to St. Brown, crossing complete at the 40-yard line. And that's like the bread and butter Lions play. St. Brown crossing off play action.
Q1 8:03Cris Collinsworth:So here it is. This is off the outside zone, going to come back here. You see a million teams do this, but now you're going to get this back across the front. And why is that? You saw there Nick Bolton, number 32, was just in 3 or 4 yards of the line of scrimmage. There just isn't that kind of depth there. And their favorite target, as usual, St.
Q1 7:58Mike Tirico:Brown, 4th of the night, 200 for his career. Montgomery eludes the first hit by Trent McDuffie, but McDuffie now wearing 22. He was 21 last year, comes in there and shuts it down.
Q1 7:55Cris Collinsworth:Yeah, Trent McDuffie really in my mind has proven what a special player he is. There's no question their two best corners are L'Jarius Sneed and Trent McDuffie. You get the feeling they'd really rather play both of those guys outside and find somebody to come in and play the slot. Maybe it'll be Conner, but right now McDuffie is the best of what they have in that slot position.
Q1 7:49Mike Tirico:It is Conner in the slot, top of the screen. Second and 11.
Q1 7:48Cris Collinsworth:Here he comes.
Q1 7:48Mike Tirico:He nailed it. Montgomery saw it too. And that's the rookie Sam LaPorta for the Lions to the 27-yard line for the first down. Lions took it with the 34th overall pick early in the second round out of Iowa.
Q1 7:44Cris Collinsworth:So just testing the waters a little bit. You're going to see number 27 throughout the course of the night try and bring some pressure. Nobody really does that better than Steve Spagnuolo, their defensive coordinator, where they are able to get unblocked players. So as good as this offensive line is, if you're not blocking one of them, then it's a great opportunity. But The Lions counter with 2 tight ends in there and 5 offensive linemen to help.
Q1 7:38Mike Tirico:Goff is in his last 8 passes. Running inside with Montgomery, bent back after a gain of a couple of yards. Goff started 0 for 3 in this game, and you think about the preseason, he was one of 8 quarterbacks who didn't play at all in the preseason, and he said it might take me a drive to get going, and he was about right. It took about a drive and a half, and now he's looking sharp.
Q1 7:33Cris Collinsworth:It's really surprising to see how confident Jared Goff is.
Q1 7:32Mike Tirico:Different dude, right?
Q1 7:31Cris Collinsworth:Ben Johnson's had an impact, Dan Campbell's had an impact, and the success they had at the end of last year had a major impact.
Q1 7:30Mike Tirico:Past halfway through the quarter, second and 8. Goff out quick to Gibbs, that edge speed on display. Jahmyr Gibbs propels himself for the first down, and the Lions back in the red zone for the second consecutive drive.
Q1 6:51Cris Collinsworth:You can almost hear the acceleration, can't you? I mean, when he's out there like one of those little trucks that you go zoom zoom, you know. And as he turns this corner here, you could just feel like somebody get this guy on the ground quick, because if he really hits top speed, we have a problem.
Q1 6:03Mike Tirico:You've been playing with the grandkids this summer, haven't you? Little truck zoom zoom.
Q1 5:48Cris Collinsworth:I like this.
Q1 5:43Mike Tirico:From the 17, that's a mistake on the snap. Goff gets on it and just takes it, a loss of 11. The confusion on that one.
Q1 5:07Cris Collinsworth:Brock Wright's going to come across in motion here and it's going to hit him. And so what has been sort of back-to-back really top-end drives gets stymied here. So this is not really where the Lions want to be. They're not that classic downhill. Here they go into a spread formation, bring Gibbs back in, but this is really— favors the Kansas City Chiefs. This is what they do well.
Q1 3:59Mike Tirico:2nd and 20, pressure on, they release Gibbs, he gets the 8 yards back as he's forearmed out of bounds by Justin Reid at the 17-yard line.
Q1 3:29Cris Collinsworth:I tell you, Jared Goff's really doing a nice job so far. They're getting those free rushers, they're bringing people off the slide, and yet he has an immediate answer. He doesn't look rattled in the slightest with the fact that they're bringing all the Steve Spagnuolo kind of magic that he can bring to bear.
Q1 2:50Mike Tirico:3-time Super Bowl champ as a coordinator, once with the Giants, twice here with the Chiefs. So many of his defenses bring keep at the right time. Third and 10, out quick, caught on the edge, ran across the football, and it's recovered by Bryan Cook. It might have been McDuffie over there to knock it free, and the Chiefs come up for the turnover in the red zone. Detroit on a good drive there. McDuffie with the hit, Cook with the recovery. The Chiefs D comes up with the ball with parade here in KC on February February 15th. And they take over now back at their own 7-yard line. Marvin Jones on that fumble for the Lions, first fumble of his career. Clyde Edwards-Helaire, the run only a couple. That is Aidan Hutchinson, one of the two players there on the side. Speaking of Hutchinson, his parents are in the house and mic'd up tonight. His parents, part of their big story as you've looked throughout. There they are, Chris. Every time you see Aidan, Melissa and Chris aren't too far behind, neither his two sisters. It's a family affair Aidan Hutchinson.
Q2 14:37Cris Collinsworth:It's a definite family affair, and Aidan had some good stories on his mom. We'll get into it.
Q2 14:16Mike Tirico:From the 9-yard line, Mahomes step up, make the throw, and he'll go down here at the 12. I mentioned they're wearing a mic. Let's listen into them from earlier.
Q2 13:35Mike Tirico:Yeah! Woo! Big pot! Yeah, Aidan beat him badly there. That ball didn't come out quick. Dad knows. Dad was two-time All-Big Ten performer. He had 24 sacks in his Michigan career.
Q2 12:50Cris Collinsworth:And what did he say about mom? He said she won't be in the stadium long. She'll be heading in and out.
Q2 12:32Mike Tirico:She gets nervous. She's walking back and forth. Chiefs weren't organized there for third down, so they're going to take their first time out. Catherine Tappan, and then we'll be with you every Sunday night. So, Mike said here in the Third down, Mahomes retreats, puts it up top for Gray, and it's incomplete. Trying to get his tight end as he was about to get hit, and it will set up fourth down. Hutchinson putting the pressure on.
Q2 11:36Cris Collinsworth:Yeah, forced Patrick to go backwards just a little bit. Not that it matters for Patrick Mahomes, but Aidan Hutchinson— and it's really been a heck of a matchup on the outside with Jawaan Taylor— a little contact there and forced Patrick Mahomes to loft it instead of throw it.
Q2 10:51Mike Tirico:Tommy Townsend will kick. Here's Raymond back deep for Detroit, hanging it high. Another one with good hang time, fair catch, simple late.
Q2 10:28Cris Collinsworth:Raymond's got it at the 41-yard line. Need to win one of these. You know, they had a great run at the end of the season, but are you ready to come in against the big guys and win one of these?
Q2 10:01Mike Tirico:They won 8 of their last 10. Go to Lambeau and the Aaron Rodgers here in Green Bay. Knock the Packers out of the playoffs. It's an Alliance team that has seen a long drought. They missed the playoffs the last 6 years. Third longest run in the Down a run with David Montgomery. The pile continues to be pushed forward as Montgomery takes it out past the 45 to the 46-yard line. Give him 5.
Q2 8:44Cris Collinsworth:Dan Campbell, whose gutsy call on the fake punt got the thing started for the Detroit Lions. And it's going to be an interesting year for me really to watch David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs. It's going to be frustrating, I think, for some fans. They're going to go, give me Gibbs, give me Gibbs, give me Gibbs, because he's so exciting to watch. And yet there are a lot of people within that Lions organization think that our MVP this year could end up being David Montgomery because he does so many things well.
Q2 7:38Mike Tirico:46, the play action. Goff protected, fires to Jones. Too high for Marvin and incomplete. Been in the league for about a dozen years. Marvin Jones comes back to the Lions, was there for 5 years and went to Jacksonville. Of course, he started it all in Cincinnati.
Q2 6:57Cris Collinsworth:Yeah, I had a great year there in Cincinnati his second year, uh, with 10 touchdowns, but they really need something explosive explosive. As far as pure speed on this offense, Kalif Raymond probably is the one that has some of that. So you never know, number 11s could wake up this crowd here at some point.
Q2 6:09Mike Tirico:That's the position group. You look at this Detroit team, are they the division-caliber winning team? Goff pressured and brought down, holding on to the ball as Danna got there again. So that's a couple of times that Mike Danna has stepped up the pass rush and gets the Lions off the field.
Q2 5:25Cris Collinsworth:Yeah, Jonah Jackson really not doing too badly with this one, but Dana is one of those guys, just not big. He's just— he can get underneath you and then look at him stop on a dime. How many defensive tackles have you ever seen basically do a hockey stop and slide back up and end up with a sack?
Q2 4:34Mike Tirico:Detroit kid, De La Salle High School, Central Michigan to start, the Wolverine to finish. Lions trying to bleed as much time as possible as Richie James awaits the punt. Jack Fox hangs it high, and James will come up and get it at the 17. Number 17 gets to the 18. Not much more, 2:02 to go. So Mahomes and the Chiefs have a chance to do something with it, score and get the ball to start the second half as they get it to begin the third quarter.
Q2 3:02Cris Collinsworth:But the Lions offensively at least have been able to move up and down the field. Obviously the fumble on the end of that one drive cost them points, cost them the lead here. But at least they're hanging in there. For the Kansas City Chiefs, I think maybe they're a little surprised at this Detroit Lions defense. If you watch them on tape at some points of the season, you go, this is the worst defense in all of football. Not so here tonight.
Q2 2:00Mike Tirico:And Mahomes must fires on the run, and the touchdown maker from earlier is on the run, Rashee Rice, with a good run and catch to the 43-yard as we hit the 2-minute warning with about 54 to go. 7-all, you're watching the NFL Kickoff presented by—
Q2 1:53Cris Collinsworth:Maria Taylor back with you.
Q2 1:53Cris Collinsworth:Dan Campbell's been rolling the dice and it's clearly paying off. And we're also going to preview the Cowboys-Giants on Sunday night. Mike, back to you.
Q2 1:51Mike Tirico:Real look forward to seeing you all on Football Night in America before the Cowboys and the Giants game. Enjoyed Jason Garrett's visit with a guy he knows very well, Dan Campbell, in our pregame here tonight from Kansas City. From the 43-yard line, first down from Mahomes. They're going to take a deep shot downfield towards Richie James. Incomplete. Lions had that well covered. Jerry Jacobs running with him. It's second down.
Q2 1:45Cris Collinsworth:It's really just a different looking Detroit Lions secondary. It really is. And for Dan Campbell, he went through some really hard things with this team, right? I mean, there was a time the secondary was so bad he had to fire the secondary coach. He had to bench 3 starters. It was really a struggle. Juggle and T.J. Hockenson all traded at the same time, and at that moment's when they took off a season ago after that 1-6 start.
Q2 1:38Mike Tirico:The 43, it's Rice again for 2 yards, and there is the Detroit player coming up with the big stop for the first time as we see Brian Branch. Third down ahead, Aaron Glenn, the defensive coordinator, was under fire as you mentioned, but Aaron Glenn really has a different look at that secondary. It's a big part of the rebuild here. That was the weak spot, they've addressed it, and this guy's got a bunch of coverages for him.
Q2 1:32Cris Collinsworth:Yeah, and he changed. That's a man coverage kind coach right there, and he knew he had to play some more zone, some more matches, keep more of their eyes on the quarterback instead of the man.
Q2 1:29Mike Tirico:Third and 7, Hutchinson rushing from the inside, got away. The pass is complete to Noah Gray. There is a flag down, Gray shy of the first down, and Hutchinson busting through on the inside. Let's see if he was held. Third down, Trey Smith, the guard. That's the first penalty of the game.
Q2 1:22Cris Collinsworth:Yeah, I don't blame Hutchinson for moving in on the guard because some of the tactics so far by Jawaan Taylor, he is gaining every advantage. We're seeing a crafty veteran out there.
Q2 1:19Mike Tirico:There we go. Mom and Dad were watching upstairs. Way to go, Hutch! Thank you. He is dialed in. He is our Hutch analyst for the night. Hutchinson makes it, but we go right to down.
Q2 1:16Cris Collinsworth:Hey, we fully understand the stats that Uh, your kid makes a play, you're only watching one person.
Q2 1:14Mike Tirico:Mahomes going to take another timeout here, second one. Third and 17 ahead for the Chiefs in this 7-7 game. Right back in 30— third and 17. Former baseball player who was drafted by the Detroit Tigers, Patrick Mahomes. Good time down the middle of the field for Barkley. Now there's Skettling who caught it as he cut inside of Jerry Jacobs to the 30-yard line. And the rush to the ball. Chiefs still have a timeout after the gain of 34. Mahomes right back to it and firing, wants it over there, got it at the 5. First and goal for Kansas City. Back-to-back big plays of 34, then 26.
Q2 1:02Cris Collinsworth:Bang, bang out of Patrick Mahomes right there. This was Jerry Jacobs from his quarterback position. They switched responsibilities. He came inside to be the deep safety. Mahomes saw it and beat him to the punch. And then right back to his deep threat that he loves going to, Justin Watson. Yet another big play.
Q2 0:57Mike Tirico:Watson gains 26 and 19. Justyn Ross, tall receiver out of Clemson, 6'4", top of the screen. First and goal. Mahomes looking, sidearm sweep for the touchdown! Mahomes goes to Blake Bell, who rings it up, and the Chiefs take the lead.
Q2 0:49Cris Collinsworth:Anzalone right here is going to be the one that's going to see that inside receiver break there. And as soon as he did, Patrick Mahomes said, let me drop down here, a little sidearm around the bend. Easy. That was some finish. That is what you get when you play Patrick Mahomes. You go, hey, we're in this game, we're hanging in there. Yes, we had a fumble, then 1, 2, 3, right in there in the end zone. That's how fast it It happens.
Q2 0:42Mike Tirico:Teams are missing a player here for the extra point. Andy Reid was yelling down to Carl Johnson, the official on the side, the line judge, for the timeout. Now they get it. It's a 30-second timeout. So Blake Bell was a quarterback until he was a senior at Oklahoma, been around the league a bunch, his 5th NFL team. And again, you're missing your big guy, doesn't mean you can't go to the tight end down here.
Q2 0:36Cris Collinsworth:Yeah, they just show you something to distract you as a linebacker, and that time Anzalone he went with the first of the tight ends across the field and left the other wide open.
Q2 0:34Mike Tirico:Travis Kelce watched it all like a proud, proud big brother for the tight end room, taking care of business. Like Mahomes, Bell was also drafted by the Detroit Tigers in 2010. But Garoppolo for the extra point, and the Chiefs, two big back-to-back plays, walk it down the field. And for the first time this season, put the Chiefs in fourth in a couple Instead took the holding penalty right around midfield, pushed it back to 3rd and long. Mahomes converted to Valdez-Scantling. The Chiefs kept driving. They now have the lead 14-7. Having seen the new kickoff rule with touchbacks impacted, you call a fair catch anywhere inside the 25, you hit the ball at the 25. The kickoffs have just been blown out to the back of the end zone so far. So 2 timeouts and 34 seconds left for Jared Goff. And Chris Mahomes got hot on that drive.
Q2 0:30Cris Collinsworth:He did. And that's what you have to understand, as Philadelphia saw in the Super Bowl. Looked like they were in a great position, and then here comes the second half, they score 3 straight touchdowns and a field goal, and they got the wreck.
Q2 0:29Mike Tirico:See how aggressive the Lions play this here. Goff's first one caught by Sam LaPorta. Tight end gains 5 to the 30. Timeout Detroit, 1 left, 29 seconds left.
Q2 0:26Cris Collinsworth:I, I like what they're doing. You don't want to go crazy in this situation. But taking a knee can also take a little steam out of an offense. I always felt as a player that when you're in this situation, to not give us a chance with timeouts to go down and score was almost insulting. Like, oh, what are you doing? And that's just not who Dan Campbell is, right? They may end up throwing an interception or maybe a turnover, but he's not going to stop putting the pedal down with this offense.
Q2 0:22Mike Tirico:Can you get 30, 35 yards to get in the field goal range of Riley Patterson? First have to get a first down. Keep straight forward. Goff throws complete into that touchdown line with Laporta again, but a yard short. And Detroit will take a final timeout with 22 seconds left.
Q2 0:19Cris Collinsworth:This Trent McDuffie is a special player. He's the one that got his helmet on the ball that caused the fumble earlier when it looked like the Lions were going in for a score. Another great open field tackle. And if you're going to play in that slot, you have to be able to get these guys on the ground. And he really is going to get better and better and better. He missed a about 6 weeks, a season ago, with a hamstring injury. But when he came back and they got into the AFC Championship Game and the Super Bowl, the two biggest games of the year, they put him in the slot.
Q2 0:15Mike Tirico:First-round pick out of Washington and playing like it here in year 2. So third and a yard for Detroit, but again, out of timeouts, so almost pointless to run it here, so it'll be in the air. And Goff will complete it to the down to the 42-yard line. No timeouts left after the Reynolds catch. We'll have to kill it here. Long time to spot it, and Detroit will have 7 seconds to work with.
Q2 0:10Cris Collinsworth:So it's been a good first half for Jared Goff, you know, it, it's been good. It just hasn't been great. And when you play this team and this quarterback, the MVP to be an MVP, you have to have moments of greatness. And now, unfortunately, going in down at the half, you have to say, all right, can we stay with the game, which is we want to pound them and go play action. But when you start getting behind and trying to play catch-up, that's not really who the Lions are.
Q2 0:06Mike Tirico:Importantly, 2 seconds put back on the clock. Does give the Lions time to run something, get out of bounds, and run another play. Goff will fire to the sideline, and Jones can't bring it in at the 40-yard line.
Q2 0:05Cris Collinsworth:Ouch, that's a big miss. Fight there.
Q2 0:05Mike Tirico:Down to 5 seconds remaining in this first half, and a couple— Goff has been high again to Jones.
Q2 0:06Cris Collinsworth:That was close because they get that one, now you definitely have a chance to at least take a shot at it.
Q2 0:10Mike Tirico:Joshua Williams, the 4th-round pick from last year, closing in. As I said, a lot of first and second-year players, but this young Chiefs defense stepped up last year, played a bunch of snaps, took the ball away in the Super Bowl. Got a big old ring to prove it. 5 seconds left, and it's knocked down by Karloftis as they try to score Swing it out to Amon-Ra St. Brown. Now 4th down with 3 seconds remaining.
Q2 0:20Cris Collinsworth:Man, that was really close. If Garloftis had been able to get his eyes on this ball, he might have had a chance. This was a J.J. Watt special kind of play right there.
Q2 0:25Mike Tirico:So they're going to keep the offense out. Chiefs got a bunch of guys running around trying to get the right defense out there. They've got no timeouts to get organized.
Q2 0:29Cris Collinsworth:What a penalty here.
Q2 0:30Mike Tirico:They got 11. Goff with the final play of the half. This is just one of those teams where— he's going to throw it out of bounds, let it hit the ground when it gets to triple zero. And that's the end of the first half. First 7 for the Lions. The Chiefs score the next 14, and they get the ball to start the second half. 14-7 KC in the kickoff game. Lions tight end, and also played tight end for the Lions as well. Second half kickoff with Jack Fox. No return, it's a touchback. And when the teams came out, Melissa spoke to the Lions head coach.
Q2 0:11Mike Tirico:We got to convert on third down.
Q2 0:11Cris Collinsworth:I mean, it's that simple, you know. We were in good opportunity, we got down there, and, uh, man, we, we're— we don't communicate well, you know.
Q2 0:07Mike Tirico:We get ill-advised snap between two guys, and then we turn the ball over, you know.
Q2 0:05Cris Collinsworth:And that's self-induced. We get that, we get the points, we're much better. And look, defensively, because I know you're about to ask it, we're good. We got to contain Mahomes. That's what this is all about. It always has been about him. We're playing pretty good up front.
Q3 14:59Mike Tirico:Okay, here's Isiah Pacheco. Jacko to the left and a gain of 2 yards on first. They didn't even let Melissa get to the defense question.
Q3 14:56Cris Collinsworth:He knew it was coming.
Q3 14:55Mike Tirico:He knew it was coming and he went right there.
Q3 14:54Cris Collinsworth:How many cups of coffee does he drink in a day?
Q3 14:53Mike Tirico:Oh, it's like one big one with a whole bunch of shots in it. Two Venti to start the day and ease your way in.
Q3 14:51Cris Collinsworth:I think he's one of the most misunderstood guys though that I've seen. Everybody wants to go back and bite in the kneecaps and all that. He has such a passion for this team, his players. He's just a really good hang around kind of guy.
Q3 14:43Mike Tirico:Second and 8 for Mahomes. They set up Pacheco on the screen. Creed Humphrey, the late block, set him free for the first down across the 35 to the 37-yard line. The patience of Pacheco, who is slow to get up after that one, where he missed a good part of the preseason for KC.
Q3 14:33Cris Collinsworth:Pacheco is the only guy that looks like he's running violently even when nobody's around. And on the back end of that thing You saw Hutchinson all the way across the field, and it was Dietrich to go make that play.
Q3 14:26Mike Tirico:And then Benito Jones takes him down, and Pacheco was slow to get up and now is stopped over at midfield. As he was over there, teams are starting to break the huddle. There was a little combo of both teams out there. I don't know if words were exchanged, but here's Pacheco walking off slowly, and Rick Burkholder pointing to his hip. The athletic trainer, long time for the Kansas City Chiefs. And Pacheco will be looked at. So this is as he was walking up with C.J. C.J. C.J. C.J. C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who had the big hit on him in the Super Bowl. Those two guys going at it with each other. Mahomes chased by Hutchinson, throws on the run. Nobody there at all. The pass incomplete.
Q3 14:04Cris Collinsworth:One of the tough things, you want to try and do some play-action kind of stuff, bring the tight end across the formation here to try and pick up Hutchinson, but that's tough, right? You're trying to make them believe it's that inside run play. Not many tight ends going to keep that guy at bay.
Q3 13:55Mike Tirico:Hutchinson up against the right tackle, Jawaan Taylor. 10, Mahomes slings it in the middle, it's going incomplete for Bell as he was blanketed by Jerry Jacobs, had him locked down. And it's third down and 10.
Q3 13:45Cris Collinsworth:One of the things that you'll notice out out of the right tackle for the Chiefs, Jawaan Taylor, is that he will play every advantage of the snap count. Hey, he's deep as he can be. I mean, that's— if that's legal, okay, I'll give that to him. But he has a lot of movement up here, and as that ball is snapped, he is unquestionably the first one moving backwards. He pushes the envelope as much as anybody.
Q3 13:33Mike Tirico:Hutchinson inside rush again. Mahomes throw is complete but short. Ray's only going to get a couple, and the pressure inside But once again, Bangin Hutchinson all around that line having an impact on the passing game on that drive.
Q3 13:26Cris Collinsworth:Yeah, and you're seeing the Lions have come up with something in here by putting Hutchinson in on the guard, Trey Smith. They're bringing— they're taking Jawaan Taylor out of it. Here's the pressure one more time, and it has been all Hutchinson. We really haven't seen a lot of pressure from anyone else. Thought maybe Alim McNeill, number 54, might provide some of that here tonight, but it's been all Hutchinson.
Q3 13:16Mike Tirico:Tommy Townsend Kick, 55 yards. Kalif Raymond back at the 6 to take it in. 2:06 into the third, he's getting a little itchy. 14-7. We remember Jimmy Buffett going to break as you're watching the NFL kickoff presented by YouTube.
Q3 13:07Cris Collinsworth:The second half, they have to get back to what they were able to do on some of those early drives. Pull both linemen out in front, get the speedy Gibbs going down the sideline, and this kind of pass protection. Now backed up, the pressure is really on. The guys up front.
Q3 12:59Mike Tirico:Lions ran it 15 times in that first half for 56 yards. He threw it 23 times. He'll start with a throw here on first down. And the Jared Goff to Marvin Jones connection has not been there. The UC Cal Golden Bears, it has not been very sturdy in this first game.
Q3 12:49Cris Collinsworth:No, it hasn't been a good night for Marvin Jones at all. And those are the kind of plays that you need right there because then it allows you to stay in possible run situation. Instead, now you're backed up and here comes the pressure.
Q3 12:42Mike Tirico:Second and 10, Montgomery inside. The Chiefs defensive line is waiting there. They stack that up. You can see there's a lot of conversation going on, some pushing, and a flag comes in at the very back end of it. There were two different skirmishes going on and one drawing a flag. It's been a pretty clean game, just one penalty accepted. It was on Kansas City, and it may have been a mistake by the Lions because it gave the Chiefs a chance to extend the drive to take the lead.
Q3 12:26Cris Collinsworth:It's kind of no big deal if it's on the Lions, a huge deal if it's on Kansas City. There are two fouls on the play, one by each team.
Q3 12:16Mike Tirico:Those fouls will offset. Third down. Penei Sewell and Nick Bolton. And so it'll be third down right here.
Q3 12:08Cris Collinsworth:So these are the two guys going at it right there.
Q3 12:05Mike Tirico:Down, get in your face, job done. Nazeeh Johnson is the one who came in there to try to stop it. And there was another skirmish back behind the play as well. So 3rd and 10 for Detroit.
Q3 11:57Cris Collinsworth:Gotta be careful for the Jerry Snead coming off the slot right here.
Q3 11:54Mike Tirico:A lot of folks to Goff's right. He retreats, throws, it is held onto but short, way short. Sam LaPorta caught it, but a great play by the safety Justin Reid to make the tackle and force a 3-and-out.
Q3 11:45Cris Collinsworth:So we've seen big drives out of Goff, and yet I think the surprise of the night for me so far is the play of the Kansas City Chiefs on defense. No Chris Jones, and yet here they are now, except for that one drive in which they have held up really well.
Q3 11:36Mike Tirico:That was the first round pick, Aidan Hutchinson, who got in there to make the play. Steal from Jack Fox with Kick, good hang time on it. They're caught back at the 41-yard line. It's a good field position for Kansas City. He batted but incomplete, tried to get to Kadarius Toney, but he's broken up by Jack Campbell. That's the rookie that the Lions selected later in the first round.
Q3 11:26Cris Collinsworth:How about that play right there? There's your Butkus Award winner, Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, first-team All-American, and diving to make this play. Sometimes it's nice having that big 6-foot-5 body out there to make a play. And you know, he's just going to be introduced into the game slowly, but plays like that, you're going to get a few more plays.
Q3 11:15Mike Tirico:18th overall pick in the draft, inside run for about 3 there with Clyde Edwards-Helaire. Here's Melissa.
Q3 11:02Mike Tirico:We play at Jacksonville next week, have the extra time with a Thursday game. It was hyperextended in practice on Tuesday. This is 3rd and 6. Mahomes throws the cross, is intercepted off the deflection! Brian Branch, the rookie, ties the game with his first NFL touchdown! Welcome to the NFL, Brian Branch!
Q3 10:46Cris Collinsworth:And thank you very much, Kadarius Toney. Brian Branch, they have been excited since the day they drafted him. Right through the hands of Tony, an absolutely perfect throw that'll go down as an interception for Patrick Mahomes on a perfect throw.
Q3 10:36Mike Tirico:Tony missed a bunch of camp with a torn meniscus. Riley Patterson adds the extra point, and if you were around the Detroit Lions in the offseason, all you've heard is about was this rookie out of Alabama who's worked his way into the nickel spot. Ball finds him, finishes it off, and that Lions defense get right back out on the field as Jack Fox kicks it off for Detroit. And the Chiefs will take it to the 25.
Q3 10:24Cris Collinsworth:A lot of discussion about the rookies on the Detroit Lions defense. Jack Campbell, a first-round pick, started this drive with a big play. What looked like what was going to be a completion in the middle of the field to Tony, he breaks Picks it up and then don't underestimate this play by Brian Branch. He was trying to break hard left back here, had to reach back to his right one-handed. How many times do we see defensive backs put that ball on the ground? But right now we have a tie score.
Q3 10:10Mike Tirico:Isiah Pacheco back in the game here, Chris. First down, Mahomes chase throws it out to Pacheco in open space, makes one man miss and he's taken to the sideline by Derrick Barnes as he'll pick up about 7 yards on that one. We talked to Dan Campbell last last night about his rookie nickelback Brian Branch. He said what you saw at Alabama is what we saw in training camp. He makes plays run game and pass game. That's why they weren't afraid to throw him in there on opening night.
Q3 9:57Cris Collinsworth:There were a lot of questions. Would they put Branch down in the slot or would they put C.J. C.J. C.J. C.J. C.J. Gardner-Johnson? And it looks like they made the right decision. Branch has been the guy there tonight.
Q3 9:51Mike Tirico:Inside give, Pacheco trying to leap forward there, and he's just going to be marked by Carl Johnson right around the 35. Line judge coming in there. Little bit of pushing there at the end of the play. Folks are looking for a flag. It's starting to get a little chippy.
Q3 9:43Cris Collinsworth:Everybody on Kansas City, including Andy Reid, when we talked to him, acknowledged what kind of team this is. They knew coming in that this was going to be one of those feisty teams. There's going to be some pushing, there going to be some shoving. Don't react to it. But I think it kind of woke up the Detroit Lions when that— some of that stuff was going on.
Q3 9:34Mike Tirico:Touching the 35, Sadeeb to first First down, and Mahomes deep drop, looking deep, launching downfield for Watson again. This one comes up short and incomplete. It was well covered. The Lions had Cam Sutton and C.J. C.J. C.J. C.J. C.J. Gardner-Johnson back there. This Lions secondary revamped and playing okay thus far here tonight, save for that one drop.
Q3 9:23Cris Collinsworth:I mean, it's so bizarre to see Patrick Mahomes underthrow one. I was like, did that ball get tipped? Or, I mean, he was on the move. Maybe he just thought his guy, if he threw it short, could come back and get it. A bit unusual. A strange start here to the second half.
Q3 9:14Mike Tirico:Already 10 incompletions on the night for Mahomes. Incomplete, Richie James. He was with the Giants last year. A lot of similar type receivers. That's what's going to be interesting to watch, how this receiving corps works its roles as the season goes on for Andy Reid and the Chiefs.
Q3 9:06Cris Collinsworth:Yeah, Richie James had a big year last year, tied for the most catches, 57 catches So who is it that's going to step forward and make those plays? Because right now you get the feeling that Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes are still trying to figure that out.
Q3 8:58Mike Tirico:McKinnon's always a big factor in there. Third and four, Mahomes scanning, nothing open at first. On the run, it's too tall for Skyy Moore and incomplete. Hutchinson again gets to Mahomes at the end, and it's fourth down. The Chiefs will kick it away.
Q3 8:49Cris Collinsworth:One of the things things that you get, not just legitimate wins on the edge, but you get pure hustle out of Aidan Hutchinson. He'll never stop. And if he didn't just hustle all the way to the end of that, that ball is probably completed. Forced Patrick Mahomes to adjust just a bit. And here come the Lions.
Q3 8:41Mike Tirico:You see why Mahomes was unhappy, felt like Hutchinson brought him down late and unnecessarily. He was barking at John Hussey, the referee. No flag. Tommy Townsend kicks. Kalif Raymond all the way back to his 2, makes the catch He had space. He's a good return man and brings it back to the 17-yard line. So a little bit of a dangerous catch, but Raymond makes it. All on hand on this opening night here in Kansas City. And start with Gibbs on the right. Jahmyr Gibbs there working. Started his career at Georgia Tech before going to Alabama. Takes it out to the 22-yard line.
Q3 8:23Cris Collinsworth:Highest drafted running back for Detroit since you know who, Barry Sanders. There may never be another one like that.
Q3 8:18Mike Tirico:Barry Sanders is around this Lions organization a lot. Montgomery checks in. Goff throwing in the middle, and it's St. Brown at the 41-yard line, brings it in for the first down and a gain of 18 to Amon-Ra St.
Q3 8:09Cris Collinsworth:Brown. What a pretty route this is. Watch him squeeze back to the outside to create that throwing lane. You've got Gotta create throwing space here and then really got McDuffie just off stride and Goff timed it out perfectly.
Q3 7:59Mike Tirico:41, Goff out on the edge, will throw that one on the one to Laporta, the tight end with a big hurdle and a flag coming in as well as Laporta takes it into Kansas City territory to the 46. Coming from the back end, looking at the secondary play. Field judge threw it. That penalty is declined. Result of the play, first down.
Q3 7:40Cris Collinsworth:Starting to think the Detroit Lions had a good draft, aren't you?
Q3 7:39Mike Tirico:Uh-huh.
Q3 7:38Cris Collinsworth:Sam LaPorta has definitely made some plays. We've been impressed tonight with Jahmyr Gibbs. Gibbs. We talked about what the guys have done on defense. They've been driving the ship so far.
Q3 7:32Mike Tirico:47, they line up to give it to Gibbs. The inside run for 2, maybe 3 yards. Melissa?
Q3 7:18Mike Tirico:We're gonna put up a statue for Barry Sanders, unveil it next week at Ford Field. So deserving. What a great career. His highlights on YouTube, you go down that rabbit hole, it's deep. You stay there for a while. St. Brown on the edge, ball in his hands at the 39-yard line with Brian— for him in the draft, again, out quick. At that time, Josh Reynolds cannot hang on. This is the quick games where Detroit's going, but the connection's not sharp there.
Q3 7:06Cris Collinsworth:So here we go. And it looks like the punt team is going to come out. But if you get this kind of opportunity, you really got to find a way to give them at least a chance. With Dan Campbell, you never know. And I guarantee right now, look, the Kansas City Chiefs, they're just leaving their defense out there. They're going to heck with the punt return team.
Q3 6:56Mike Tirico:Total punt safe on 4th and 3. Fox has thrown it in the past a couple of times. This time, just going to try to cozy it down there as See if he can be pinned inside the 10. Got the good bounce. Jack Fox, job well done. 30 yards but all net, pinned back at the 10. Long field for Mahomes with 5:44 left here in the third, 14 apiece. Eastern football night in America gets it going. Saquon Dak, a whole bunch of stars. Can't wait to be at MetLife for that one. Start this drive with a run for 3 yards and Isiah Pacheco as the Chiefs take over backed up at their own 10-yard line in a 14-14 game.
Q3 6:35Cris Collinsworth:Well, you had that little burst out of Mahomes and the Chiefs, and right before the half, right, a couple of big plays, bang, bang, bang, right down the field. But for the most part, the Detroit Lions defense is doing a pretty good job out here.
Q3 6:27Mike Tirico:That is a sentence that has not been heard a lot in September and October the last couple of years. 13, Mahomes, first look is covered, he's on the run, and he'll get the first down as he's bumped down hard At the 21-yard line, Benito Jones, 335 pounds, just knocked Mahomes down.
Q3 6:17Cris Collinsworth:On the outside again, this has been the matchup all night long, and you'll see Jawaan Taylor. He is going to be gone before anybody else on that offensive line is with that deep set that he has. And Patrick Mahomes taking a big blow at the end of that.
Q3 6:07Mike Tirico:22. Mahomes flipping out to Pacheco, started blocking Hutchinson and finishes gaining 9 yards. Good work by Isiah Pacheco, injured from earlier in this third quarter.
Q3 6:00Cris Collinsworth:Mike, it's really a completely different story for me watching the Detroit Lions on defense. So far in this game, they've had 23 different zone defenses, just 9 snaps of man coverage. So they're making some changes. And why do you do that, you say? Well, you've got Brian Branch back there who made the interception interception because they're in that zone. Any overthrown ball gives you a chance to score a touchdown on the defensive side.
Q3 5:48Mike Tirico:See where Andy Reid goes on second and one. He'll run Pacheco and he'll get the first down to the 34-yard line. So Isiah Pacheco, leaning on him here a bit, not a lot in terms of stats, 7 carries and 20 yards, but moves the draw, moves the chains there as Jack Campbell, the first rounder, comes back in for Detroit.
Q3 5:38Cris Collinsworth:Kansas City's now starting to go to their strength. They're starting to run the football right over those interior 3. Joe Tooney, Creed Humphrey, Trey Smith. Big powerful guys inside. And they're giving them a chance to fight back, almost like what we've been talking about with the Lions on offense.
Q3 5:29Mike Tirico:34, Mahomes gonna take a deep shot for Watson downfield. And it's broken up. Flag down. They'll throw it on Cam Sutton. Sutton was trying to time the contact as Watson was slowing down. We've got a couple of officials in conversation here. We'll see if the flag holds up. Ball placed on the foul, automatic first down. And the first penalty of the night on Detroit that's accepted is a big one.
Q3 5:12Cris Collinsworth:Cameron Sutton, their big free agent, and they are excited about him. But we've talked about it a lot with Watson being that Deep threat. Let's see, does the contact get there early? It certainly does, and it clearly pushes Watson past the football there with that contact.
Q3 5:04Mike Tirico:And the grab too at the back of the— it's a 41-yard penalty. That sets up Mahomes at the 25-yard line. Fake it, two receivers deep. Mahomes buys some time, and he'll outrun it. It's Blake Bell, and he'll gain 8 yards to the 17-yard line. Pellow caught the touchdown earlier, part of the tight end rotation in the absence of Travis Kelce tonight.
Q3 4:50Cris Collinsworth:I don't think I'm breaking any news here, but Patrick Mahomes is driving this defense crazy, right? I mean, it almost looked like Mahomes was mad that he had to accept that 10-yard pass on the sideline. I mean, he just drifts and finds the holes and the weaknesses in your defense, and those receivers have all that time to move and make plays, it's almost too easy, but nobody does it as well as he does.
Q3 4:37Mike Tirico:Threw it inside, that's behind Skyy Moore, an incomplete. Branch was there covering. It'll bring up a 3rd and a couple for the Chiefs with 2:18 left. Aidan Hutchinson after a break back in there.
Q3 4:32Cris Collinsworth:Yeah, they're just going with those RPO-type plays now for Mahomes, so give him a chance. He'll read it out. That time the inside linebackers broke into the middle and he threw it on the double slant right behind.
Q3 4:26Mike Tirico:What was the time of these first games you watched? Guys haven't played a full football game yet. 76 degrees, humid night. Most snaps they've seen all year. 3rd and 2. He's getting moves on that line all the time. Underneath the cross is incomplete. It's almost like the run of Richie James got in the way of Kadarius Toney, who again has one in his hands and again doesn't hold on. Field goal coming.
Q3 4:13Cris Collinsworth:You're right, Mike. The mesh point was right when the ball was showing up and it looked like a bit of a distraction there for Tony, who is clearly frustrated not only after the dropped one that led to the interception, but here look, just distracted.
Q3 4:05Mike Tirico:Weren't even up there for— oh, there it is. 35 yards, Harrison Butker. Injured his ankle week 1 last year, messed with his mechanics a little bit, but still had the 2 massive kicks at the end of the year. Saw Clark Hunt, the owner, is afraid to shake his hand. I think it hurt just shaking the hand of someone wearing that huge ring. They've got Goff on the throw, incomplete for St. Brown. Blanketed. And the safety play of Justin Reid shown there.
Q3 3:48Cris Collinsworth:So here's what you're getting. It's been a really good effort tonight defensively by Kansas City. You bring the slot here, you jump this route there, and it's all sequenced up where you've got to throw around the leaping L'Jarius Sneed and really put that ball in danger on the outside.
Q3 3:39Mike Tirico:Joshua Williams Williams in that corner for the Chiefs, bottom of the screen. More pressure coming, second and 10. Wow, what a rush by Nick Bolton! And Goff just gets rid of it on the edge. Flag down as part of it as well. What a pass rush by the third-year middle linebacker.
Q3 3:30Cris Collinsworth:Yeah, but that had to be a trip, I think. So we get a non-call the other way.
Q3 3:18Cris Collinsworth:Well, this is strictly because Nick Bolton just ran over Montgomery and he had no choice. He's trying to protect his quarterback. That's a bit embarrassing there. But if you have ever been in the same room with Nick Bolton, you know what a tank that guy is. And Ty just took full advantage of Montgomery.
Q3 3:08Mike Tirico:Had that big fumble return in the Super Bowl. And Jalen Hurts couldn't handle it. It bounced right to Bolton's hands. Super loud. Second and 22. Jared Goff in the middle. It's caught too shy of the first down for Kalif Raymond. And Chris, you mentioned Raymond as a receiving factor for these Lions. Big chunk there of 20 yards.
Q3 2:54Cris Collinsworth:And you have to be able to respect the speed of Raymond on the side. But let's give some credit here to Jared Goff. We all talk about him with the play action— that was straight drop back. And when you end up talking with Ben Johnson, the offensive coordinator, he said the biggest area of improvement so far from Jared Goff this year has been in the straight drop back game.
Q3 2:43Mike Tirico:Now it's 3rd and 2, and they look to throw it again back in the middle. Incomplete. Chiefs did a very nice job covering St. Brown and Gibbs and all the Lions trying to get to the edge, and they'll punch it away.
Q3 2:36Cris Collinsworth:Now you, you basically have to turn that drive over to Nick Bolton. Not only did he just run over David Montgomery, but he had the coverage there that ended up breaking that one up. So defensively, go figure, it has been the Kansas City Chiefs on the night without Chris Jones that have really been able to dominate this game defensively.
Q3 2:26Mike Tirico:Jack Fox to kick, not his best, 44 yards. Here comes Richie James, taken at the 32. The ball comes out. Did he come down first? Let's see what they rule on the field. Down first is the ruling on the field. They'll come in and say the ball was out first and down. James took a— The ruling on the field is the receiver was down by contact before the ball came out. Kansas City's ball, first down. It's another good special teams play by Khalil Dorsey, and you see that elbow down, the ball comes out. Nice job with the live call on the field, and the Chiefs keep possession, take over 32-yard line. Allen Baynes, the side judge, was about 10 yards away from that, saw it, ran in and made the call live that it was down and not a fumble. And a very good call at that. 0-6 up. These teams were the two teams that played in the highest-scoring games in the league last year. 31 on the board here late in the third as Edmonds-Hilaire takes it to the 36-yard line. I just can sense that the nerves are a bit frayed as we get deeper into this one.
Q3 1:47Cris Collinsworth:Yeah, it, it's hard, right? You haven't really played in games with your entire offensive group. Usually defense is a little ahead early on, but I keep going back to what Goff and Mahomes did that night in the Coliseum out in LA when they were sprinting up and down the field. Still possible.
Q3 1:39Mike Tirico:36, Mahomes double punches and completes it underneath Noah Gray through a tackle into the secondary and taken down by Gardner Johnson at the 40. But good work by Noah Gray on that one to gain 24 yards. And Brian Branch is shaken up for Detroit. And Mahomes is letting the Lions sideline know to come check on him.
Q3 1:25Cris Collinsworth:Well, there he is, the guy that they were really expecting big things. Good little double move on the inside of the field by Noah Gray. And we talked about maybe he couldn't run quite like Travis Kelce after the catch. Pretty darn good right there. That's right.
Q3 1:18Mike Tirico:The Celts leading the cheers and fired up. And the concern with Branch is that was a non-contact injury. He did not make contact with any of the players, anyone, and went to the ground.
Q3 1:11Cris Collinsworth:As the athletic training staff's looking at him, let's take a look one more time at this. You can see a lot of movement Movement by Jawaan Taylor on the outside, but he is in a battle.
Q3 1:00Mike Tirico:So it's interesting, you said earlier he's so deep you wonder if he's legal or not. Let's explain that while we have a second. Terry McCauley is with us back in the studio, 3-time Super Bowl referee. Terry, let's just talk about how Taylor is lining up, not the early movement, but where he's lining up to Chris's question before, is he legal or not?
Q3 0:52Cris Collinsworth:Sure, Mike.
Q3 0:51Mike Tirico:To be on the line, his helmet has to break the waistline of the center, and to be honest, we've watched him the whole game, he's really not remotely close, uh, and it's really putting the defensive end at a tremendous disadvantage when he can be that far back. So again, it's the center's belt line, and does his helmet go there across? And then it's that early jump he gets, and the Chiefs knew that. They played against him in Jacksonville in the divisional playoff in the stadium last year.
Q3 0:38Cris Collinsworth:But I give him credit for that, for the, the ability to time out the snap count the way that he does. But it's also part of the responsibility of the coaching staff, of the Lions to go, hey, point it out, come on. Yeah, you know, you can't, you can't give them that kind of advantage.
Q3 0:30Mike Tirico:We see Branch being walked off. We'll continue to monitor him. Has played a key role for this Detroit team already in the first half. So the clock restarts, and she's going to try to squeeze one more in perhaps here before the end of the third. After Gray's catch for 24, Mahomes will say, let's take this one to the fourth. Through 3 in Kansas City, Chiefs 17, Alliance 14. And NBC's NFL Kickoff Special continues after these messages.
Q3 0:11Cris Collinsworth:Wouldn't look like unveiling a present or something. No thanks.
Q3 0:08Mike Tirico:First and 10 to start the fourth. Mahomes swings it out. Edwards-Hilaire. This is one would-be tackler against six before he's violently thrown down by the rookie Jack Campbell.
Q4 14:59Cris Collinsworth:All right, and we're gonna Continue to watch this a little bit. That is a tad early. And then a little shot from Marquez Valdes-Scantling. But hey, as a player, it's not getting called. You're going to keep doing it. You're going to keep pushing.
Q4 14:49Mike Tirico:Second and 3 from the 33. Inside give. Edwards-Hilaire fights for the first down to the 29-yard line. Clyde Edwards-Helaire lost the starting job week 6 to the rookie Isiah Pacheco last year, but still has a significant role in this Kansas City offense.
Q4 14:38Cris Collinsworth:Yeah, I thought Pacheco last year, because teams would play so much of the passing game, that big power back was the right move. But I'm sure for Clyde Edwards-Helaire, not only is he a good runner, but he's one of the top receivers coming out of the backfield. So who knows, maybe they think they need a little spark here in the passing game out of the backfield.
Q4 14:25Mike Tirico:29-yard line, Mahomes got some space to take off here, and he will. Lions in pursuit, Mahomes goes down right at the line Starts that slide, maybe just a half yard short of the first down. Yep, full yard, marked at the 20.
Q4 14:16Cris Collinsworth:What do you do? You know, if you're rushing— we've talked about it all these years with Aaron Rodgers too— if you're rushing forward, there's going to be two gaps in your defense, and there's nothing you can do about it. But because they've made the switch now to a zone defense for Detroit, there really isn't anything they can do. So as he buys time, those gaps get wider.
Q4 14:04Mike Tirico:Here on— it's Tony on the jet sweep, and the Lions stretch it out, bring him down. Detroit had that one read, and Derrick Barnes, the linebacker, comes across. That will set up third down.
Q4 13:55Cris Collinsworth:I tell you, it's part of the problem when you don't have a Travis Kelce is you don't have that magical guy who is almost a quarterback at the tight end position, who reads defenses every bit as well as Patrick Mahomes does, so he can find some of those gaps in there, and Mahomes will know exactly where he is. And they're missing that tonight.
Q4 13:45Mike Tirico:If they like to throw on 32. Keep watching the right tackle, you can almost tell if they're going to run it or pass it. Mahomes in trouble, they got him by the leg, wouldn't go down, and it's dropped by McKinnon. Well, the Lions had a hand on Mahomes with James Houston, couldn't bring him down, but Mahomes couldn't convert. And for the second time, Kansas City is going to try a field goal.
Q4 13:31Cris Collinsworth:I thought I was watching big-time wrestling for a minute there. He did the leg twist and the grab and the slap, then grabbed both of them and still couldn't get him on the ground. Threw a pass that should have been caught, and I, I—
Q4 13:22Mike Tirico:we have a Lions player who is being looked at for the moment. Looks like it's Levi Onwuzurike getting stretched out on this hot evening. Onwuzurike, back surgery on IR, missed most of last year. The Lions are their website did a really good job in a feature showing that long road back for this defensive lineman who they took in the second round out of Washington in 2021.
Q4 13:02Cris Collinsworth:But, but what a huge sequence that was. It was second and one, correct? Second and one, they go Jets, we stop that, come back and you get a rush out of James Houston. We haven't talked about James Houston. What a year he had, 8 sacks in just 7 games played. So a lot of these really young players for the Detroit Lions are stepping stuffing up, and they're going to have a shot here. You know, by holding the Chiefs to these field goals, they're very much in this game. Their offense just needs to perk up now as they bring Lewis Ulrike off.
Q4 12:42Mike Tirico:Hope you're enjoying this NFL kickoff presented by YouTube TV as we settle in for a full Week 1 of this NFL season. Great to open it with the champions at home. Kansas City up 3, and Harrison Butker tries to make it a half dozen. Ending up this season, special lady. She and Lamar Hunt had a great impact on the National Football League. She saw every Super Bowl in person. Touchback here, Lions will take over at the 25-yard line.
Q4 12:23Cris Collinsworth:Yeah, and apparently she felt the need for speed too, right? Everybody we've talked to said that she liked really fast cars, had a Corvette, and she wasn't sure she believed in reincarnation or not, but if it did happen, she either either wanted to be a wide receiver or a race car driver.
Q4 12:14Mike Tirico:That crazy—
Q4 12:13Cris Collinsworth:that was it.
Q4 12:12Mike Tirico:Clark Hunt was telling us that about his late mom on the field. You think about the trajectory of the league and what the Hunt family has meant, the formation of the AFL, this great franchise here in Kansas City. And we remember Norma Hunt on this night. Here's David Montgomery, the run for the Lions and a gain of 4, as once again Nick Bolton is right around the football. Bolton and Snead combine on the tackle.
Q4 11:58Cris Collinsworth:You know, I always I always thought that Fred Warner was one of the better linebackers I've seen in this league, but this guy right now, Nick Bolton, is starting to make leaps in his play. Big, strong, physical. We saw it when he ran over David Montgomery. He can fly, and of course he made that one-handed scoop and score in the Super Bowl. He is really turning into one heck of a player.
Q4 11:45Mike Tirico:Kansas City defense handling the Detroit running game a bit more after 5 on the first run. Gibbs cannot get through, and the pressure once again from that time. L'Jarius Sneed forces third down.
Q4 11:35Cris Collinsworth:So you're gonna end up with this counter run. This is one of their best ones. Again, lead back over here and try and go up and through, but Gibbs has to hit this. He can't let that edge go all the way around there— L'Jarius Sneed— and come back and make that play. He has to go.
Q4 11:25Mike Tirico:Lions, 20 carries, 67 yards on the night. Now it's third and 7. Gotta go. Delay of game. Trying to make the adjustments up front. Hard to communicate and it's going to only get louder.
Q4 11:13Cris Collinsworth:Delay of game. Offense, 5-yard penalty. Third down.
Q4 11:08Mike Tirico:And these are the downs when this place makes a difference.
Q4 11:06Cris Collinsworth:You know, Mike, so many times you play against Steve Spagnuolo and this defense, you know you're going to get some crazy look on third down. And so you get distracted up there with all the movement. Ends up costing them a big 5 yards.
Q4 10:57Mike Tirico:Third to 12, here they come. Now throws it, it's caught at the 41-yard line by Josh Reynolds. That one was floating out there. Snead was coming in at the quarterback, but Reynolds keeps the drive alive.
Q4 10:42Cris Collinsworth:Unblock coming right off the edge right here. They fake it in here, fake it in there, drop back out, but Steed came completely unblocked and just drilled Goff. Barely got that ball off. What a huge play in the game.
Q4 10:34Mike Tirico:Before he looked— obviously Goff has decided flag is down as Brock Wright is near midfield. Check the flag. Pointing towards Penei Sewell, the lineman. Apparently on Kansas City was that initial signal from John Hussey. That penalty is declined. Result of the play, second down. It was on George Karlaftis, their second-year man, first-round pick out of Purdue.
Q4 10:08Cris Collinsworth:I think they're trying to say that— yeah, you can see there that Brock Wright was trying to get out on the route. Karlaftis would not let him go.
Q4 10:02Mike Tirico:Still only one penalty on the Chiefs, three on the Lions. Pretty well played this opening game. Second and two, and Montgomery is thrown down by Derrick Nnadi. Gain of one, it'll be third and one. These are the spaces last year where Detroit would turn and give it to Jamal Williams, so they crank out the short yardage runs.
Q4 9:49Cris Collinsworth:I tell you, you're in a fist fight like this anyway, there's a chance you go for a big play here. Oh really? And think, I'm coming back on 4th down and going for it anyway. If you wanted to take a shot, you're going to get some man coverage here.
Q4 9:40Mike Tirico:Stuff it up the inside. 3rd and 1. Reamons the motion man. They'll run it inside and get the first down with Montgomery. The ex-Chicago Bear takes it to the Kansas City side, the 47. We dive under 9 minutes here in regulation.
Q4 9:30Cris Collinsworth:Yeah, just another one of those plays in which the power is— they call that one in which you get the backside guard pulling out and around. So, so many different looks out of this run game, and they, they just consistently keep changing up what they're doing play after play. And then the play action to match exactly what they're doing in the run game.
Q4 9:15Mike Tirico:Jason Cabinda, the fullback, is in there. It's play action. Goff looking to the middle and come back for the catch, and on the run is Reynolds inside the 20, puts He takes it and takes it inside the 15-yard line. The Lions into the red zone on a gain of 33.
Q4 9:04Cris Collinsworth:Again, so effective on early downs to go that hard play action and then you get the one-on-ones down the field. But I tell you, this is a well-coached Lions receiving core out there. They have been coming back to the balls. They're making good strong catches and this is the kind of drive we saw in the first half.
Q4 8:53Mike Tirico:Antoine Randlell, good player in his time in the league. The wide receivers coach for Detroit. 14, galloping through Montgomery. 5, maybe 6 yards inside the 10-yard line as we come to the halfway point of the final frame.
Q4 8:46Cris Collinsworth:You brought up a good point earlier that no matter what you do to get ready, there's nothing that really gets you conditioned for opening day. You know, you're just playing so many more snaps, and these kinds of long drives can really wear down a defense. Don't be surprised they just stay right with trying to run the football. I think offensive line now is starting to take hold.
Q4 8:32Mike Tirico:Behind the drop, Montgomery with some momentum to the end zone for the touchdown! David Montgomery behind the strength of the Lions, the offensive line, an extra point away from the lead for Detroit here in the fourth.
Q4 8:21Cris Collinsworth:We're gonna get it again. Pull out, kick out, lead up through. The diversity of this run game has just taken hold. They are no longer trying to finesse anything with the Chiefs. They are taking their best asset, this offensive line, and taking it right to Kansas City.
Q4 8:10Mike Tirico:See you through that block there, the tight end Laporta. What did Dan Campbell tell us? I wanted a tight end who could be in line as well. He had the key block. Extra point is added by Riley Patterson, and in Arrowhead on Battle Night for the Champions, the Detroit Lions have taken the lead. The new lion, David Montgomery, the score. At Ford Field, they're watching and cheering. 21-20 20. Lions on top in the history of Ford Field. Hoping their team can come home 1-0 if they can hang on.
Q4 7:51Cris Collinsworth:All right, let's take a look at our Next Gen Stats powered by our friends at AWS. And it has been Patrick Mahomes who has been dancing around and buying some time. That really has been the one thing that has worked almost every time for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's been the leading rusher most of the night here tonight and continues to haunt that change of the Detroit Lions defense to a more zone-driven approach.
Q4 7:36Mike Tirico:Down to the air to Justyn Ross, the second-year man out of Clemson who was on IR all of last year. That's across the 30-yard line to start the drive with a gain of 5. Injury to Brian Branch, who went out for Detroit suffering from cramps, being treated for that. Second down coming up. Branch coming back in. Hey, might not be more even, might not be more even. Skyy Moore in the motion, man. Pacheco the runner. Just shy of the first down. It'll be 3rd and 1 coming up. Alim McNeill, the tackle up front for Detroit.
Q4 7:11Cris Collinsworth:I tell you, Mike, you pointed this out and it's so true. You got it. Jawaan Taylor, you can tell when it's a run and you can tell when it's a pass. That run's coming right at him and he's basically on the line of scrimmage, at least for that.
Q4 7:03Mike Tirico:Play along at home. Here it is. Bell will be taking it. The Lions were ready for the trick as they pull down Rice, the rookie. Joshua Paschal comes up and gets it, and it's fourth down. They try it with Bell, touchdown earlier, college quarterback in Oklahoma Pat Mahomes to his senior year. Haskell was ready.
Q4 6:45Cris Collinsworth:Huge play, but they also could have had a free first down. The nose tackle jumped for the Lions. They don't snap the ball there and this play gets blown up in the backfield. The Lions are starting to put it together.
Q4 6:36Mike Tirico:Ethan Downs in on the kick. Raymond back deep. He's going to stay and get away from that one. Worst kick of the night, only 35 yards, and the Lions will take over at the 34. 5:07 to go, they're up 1. Watching the NFL Kickoff presented by YouTube. 4-yard line.
Q4 6:26Cris Collinsworth:They have a chance to take the game right now. They have a chance to not give the ball back to Mahomes. That's a bad way to start.
Q4 6:22Mike Tirico:No snap, it'll back them up 5. False start, everybody but the center. 5-yard penalty, first down. And that usually means it is the center. Unless 4 guys are wrong, right?
Q4 6:06Cris Collinsworth:Oh boy, it takes you a little bit out of your run game that I'm sure they were thinking we're just going to let our offensive line take over. A little tougher now.
Q4 6:01Mike Tirico:2 rookie picks are out there. Report of the tight end in motion. Gibbs the back, running to the right, to the edge, and Gibbs stays on his feet, gets the first down, and he goes out of bounds right at the 46-yard line. Strong run by Gibbs.
Q4 5:51Cris Collinsworth:I'll tell you It's nice when you've got a center that can pull out in front and get that block. That's pretty darn good by Frank Ragnow. That play is only made if he's athletic enough to get out and hook Karl Loftis. And then it was all Gibbs after that.
Q4 5:41Mike Tirico:Ragnow, the center, did the snap on the last one. Big block on that one. Two-time Pro Bowler. So good up front there for Detroit. So the Lions pick up the first down, 4.5 now to go. It's back to Montgomery to the left. Hands on the ball as he gets to the 49-yard line and a gain of 2. What this game would mean for Detroit momentum-wise, as mentioned, talk to the players, the amount of times they heard in the offseason about the buildup, the anticipation. Are they the same old Lions who find the way to disappoint their fans, or have they turned a corner to something different? Big ask here, big help with no Chris Jones and Travis Kelce, but they're in position to get a win and a chance at an open night. Montgomery tossed to the sideline, will stay in bounds, and he tries to do that. Did at the 48-yard line.
Q4 5:08Cris Collinsworth:Yeah, really good job that time to just basically watch him just fold up on the boundary and get that knee down on the ground. And now 3rd and 5, and for Ben Johnson, this is where it has traditionally been Amon-Ra St. Brown. Although I will say this, Sam LaPorta I think is making a little case right now. Yes, for being a potential target here.
Q4 4:51Mike Tirico:The 48, they'll go with the inside run and be 2 yards short with Montgomery at the 45-yard line. Let's watch the clock here. Chiefs will hold on to all timeouts. What Dan Campbell—
Q4 4:45Cris Collinsworth:let's watch Dan Campbell here.
Q4 4:44Mike Tirico:Now they punted from the 40-yard line earlier.
Q4 4:41Cris Collinsworth:I mean, does it really make a difference? Here's the argument about going for it. Does it make a difference if you give Patrick Mahomes the ball with 2 and a half to go on the 10 or on the 45, whereas you get a chance to line run it out yourself. Hard count for sure here.
Q4 4:32Mike Tirico:42 out of the shotgun with Montgomery in the back, and the Lions are going to go for it. They're going to throw for it, and it's knocked down. Justin Reid in there right around the line of scrimmage, so the Lions hand the ball to the league MVP at the 45-yard line with 2:29 to go, down just one.
Q4 4:15Cris Collinsworth:There's Reed right there, is going to come in and just keep hustling. They had a chance, they were trying to fit the slant in there. We've seen so many of these safeties and corners and slots blitzing all night long. Spagnuolo really has done a masterful job without Chris Jones of trying to cover up the issues he might have.
Q4 4:01Mike Tirico:Well, he needs 20 yards to get Harrison Butker's field goal range. Mahomes, plenty of time, looking in the middle, it's dropped again by Tony Tony, who has had a really poor night.
Q4 3:53Cris Collinsworth:It's not a confident catch. Ordinarily you'll see him really stick his hands out, and it just sort of, you know, when you have a Bam Knight, no matter what it is, sometimes it can build on itself. And Kadarius Toney really struggling right now.
Q4 3:41Mike Tirico:Again, missed most of camp with that torn meniscus. Second 10th. Mahomes throws, flag is down. Skyy Moore got the ball at the 38-yard line, but the flag is back by the pass protecting, and I think this one's coming back. Donovan Smith, who had penalty problems blocking for Tom Brady last year with Tampa.
Q4 3:23Cris Collinsworth:And it's a good inside move right here by Harris. And it got him. Good call. And he did have some serious issues with penalties a season ago. Here we go. This is where you're hoping these pass rushers— Aidan Hutchinson back inside. He's going to be rushing on the guard again. That's where he's had the success.
Q4 3:06Mike Tirico:Patrick Mahomes throws it inside, underneath, incomplete again. C.J. Barber Johnson comes up against Skyy Moore. And the guy, that one receiver for Kansas City, who's it going to be? Well, at the moment, none of them are making the big plays.
Q4 2:56Cris Collinsworth:They're not. And it's easy when you have a Michael Jordan on your team, right? You know where the ball's going. There's no question in these moments, you know where it's going.
Q4 2:51Mike Tirico:Tyreke Smith, Travis Kelce.
Q4 2:51Cris Collinsworth:Right now, the Kansas City Chiefs don't know where it's going.
Q4 2:48Mike Tirico:Third and 20. Back in to protect. Mahomes flings it in the middle. It is incomplete. Gardner Johnson went up. He was trying to drop it into Rashee Rice. So 0:09 left, full boat of timeouts. He's looking over to Andy Reid, see what he's going to do.
Q4 2:35Cris Collinsworth:You have to plan it right. You have 4 timeouts basically.
Q4 2:32Mike Tirico:Nope, I'm gonna go— I'm gonna go for it.
Q4 2:29Cris Collinsworth:Wow, that means you have Patrick Mahomes as your quarterback.
Q4 2:27Mike Tirico:To it. And then we got to get to the Lions 45-yard line. C.J. C.J. C.J. C.J. C.J. Gardner-Johnson almost had his hands on that. He led the league in picks with 6 last year. So Andy decides to go for it here from his own 35, needing 20 on 4th down. Lions bring pressure again. Flag for a false start. 4th and 25. Landy reconsidered.
Q4 2:08Cris Collinsworth:Wow, it took all night, basically the same kind of operation out there on the outside, and there you see Jawaan Taylor playing slot receiver, finally got busted on one.
Q4 2:00Mike Tirico:Slot receiver, I caught that. So interesting, Lions brought pressure on 3rd and 20, brought pressure on 4th and 20, now they play back in more of a prevent defense on 4th and 25. And Mahomes looking to make a play, slings it across his body, and it is incomplete! Watson went up for it. Skyy Moore went up for it. Neither got it. We hit the 2-minute warning.
Q4 2:00Cris Collinsworth:Typical plays from the wide receiver position.
Q4 2:00Mike Tirico:Lions went for it on 4th down, gained 15 yards, get the ball back. Chiefs are going to use the timeouts here. Montgomery being pushed, so Wan'Dale gets 5 yards instead of 3, takes a couple more ticks off the clock. Timeout Kansas City. Let's look at some of the big plays of the night, brought to you by Google. And Chris, on that first Lions touchdown drive, it started with the fake Yeah, you have to give Dan Campbell credit right off the bat.
Q4 2:00Cris Collinsworth:One of the gutsier calls you'll see. Kadarius Toney with the drop, Branch with the touchdown. But all night long it has been the opportunity to make those plays that'll get your team back in the game or extend drives that just hasn't happened here tonight.
Q4 2:00Mike Tirico:1:53 left, second and 5. Casey, a couple of timeouts. Lions trying to get a first down which will get them to the edge of victory. It'll be a run play. Montgomery inside, trying to pull forward, gets 3 yards out of that. It'll be 3rd and 2. There's a second timeout with a buck 47 to go. Dan Campbell has had a team with bad starts the first 2 years, 0-10 and 1, and then 1-6 last year. And you talk about hard decisions that he had to make, and there was a lot of buildup, but when we talked to him last night 4 times, he said, I'm confident, I'm confident in our guys. Guys. And you've seen it with some of the play calls and the execution here tonight.
Q4 2:00Cris Collinsworth:They had a lot of tough practices, double practices against the Giants. We were up there in Jacksonville, right? And here we go though. If they don't make this, it's going to be a really interesting decision for Dan Campbell.
Q4 2:00Mike Tirico:Extra offensive lineman Matt Nelson, fullback in as well. 3rd and 2. Montgomery sifting forward, has the first down at the 20-yard line. Kansas City takes its final timeout with a minute 42 remaining out of timeouts, and the Detroit Lions are right there.
Q4 2:00Cris Collinsworth:I mean, right at the point of attack, this offensive line just continues to win. Watch this play right here by Jonah Jackson. This is a wrestling match. They're grabbing, throwing, hooking, do anything. That is the game on one run play, and this offensive line, little round of applause for them because they lived up to the billing. Was it a perfect night by the skill positions? No. But if the Detroit Lions are going anywhere this year, and this is certainly a fantastic start, it's that starting 5 right up front and that guy right there, Dan Campbell, with his special way of doing it, that are going to lead the way.
Q4 2:00Mike Tirico:And behind that Detroit bench here in Kansas City, there are a ton of Honolulu Blue and Silver jerseys. From fans. Goff takes one knee down, first down, and Goff is telling those fans, let me hear you. And listen to the cheers for the Lions in Arrowhead. An impressive road turnout by a fan base that has longed for a moment like this on a stage like this. Chevy postgame coming up. Melissa talks to the stars of the game. We'll preview Giants-Cowboys on Sunday night when this one is done.
Q4 2:00Cris Collinsworth:Like, the only time you can get a ticket for a Lions game this year is when they're on the road.
Q4 2:00Mike Tirico:That's right.
Q4 2:00Cris Collinsworth:That's it. You've got to be happy for this team. You've got to be happy for this organization. They have old-school techniques with modern play design.
Q4 2:00Mike Tirico:That's it.
Q4 2:00Cris Collinsworth:And they are a football team that really just wants to get physical. And Mike, I'm going to say it again, there were some scuffles down there at the end of the first half, and that's what this team kind of feeds off. And certainly Certainly when you add a C.J. C.J. C.J. C.J. C.J. Gardner-Johnson and some of those players, but watch the reaction now of this football team. This is a milestone moment for them to come in here and get this win.
Q4 2:00Mike Tirico:Not the same old Lions, the 1-0 Lions. They come into Kansas City on opening night and beat the champs. We saw Buffalo do it in LA last year to the Rams. We saw the Chiefs go into Foxborough in 2016 and win on opening night, and that announced to everyone that the Kansas City Chiefs were going to be a factor. This has an asterisk because of no Chris Jones and no Travis Kelce, but after what you saw at the end of last year and what you saw tonight, you only get a thumbs up or a thumbs down in this league, and right And now the Detroit Lions got the thumbs up. Detroit Lions 21, the Kansas City Chiefs 20. And when you look back at it, the offensive line for the Lions led the way. Guys like Penei Sewell, the right tackle, first-round pick, doing his job up front. C.J. C.J. C.J. C.J. C.J. Gardner-Johnson in the secondary with the big plays as well. There was no Travis Kelce to be on the other end of the Mahomes magic tonight, and Jared Goff gets the best of Patrick Mahomes again, like he did the Rams-Chiefs game. Lions 5-1 Chevrolet Postgame after these messages from your local NBC station.