With their youthful magician Patrick Mahomes, the Kansas City Chiefs are just beginning their season as the reigning Super Bowl champions. On the other hand, the Detroit Lions are a squad on the rise and have displayed fascinating potential. An eagerly anticipated Thursday Night Football matchup between the two teams is scheduled to serve as the season’s opening ceremony.
The Lions team is unquestionably under a lot of pressure to defeat the defending champions. The head coach of the teams, Dan Campbell, has already devised a game plan to limit the young star because he believes it would be difficult for them to control the Chiefs’ reigning superstar.
Lions HC talks about a gameplan to counter Patrick Mahomes
Under coach Andy Reid, the Chiefs have been the epitome of consistency over the last ten years. The Chiefs could mostly credit Patrick Mahomes for that incredible accomplishment because, since he assumed starter responsibilities, the team has never posted fewer than 28.2 points each season.
Any club slated to play the Patriots must therefore develop a specific, effective game plan for dealing with the 27-year-old. As a result, even though Dan Campbell has led the squad to make some noteworthy gains, the team is still a little uneasy about facing the team with the best quarterbacks in the league.
Campbell made it his goal to contain the two-time Super Bowl champion club by outlining a sound defensive scheme when facing the imposing Chiefs offense, as Mahomes appears primed to enthrall audiences once more with his dazzling playmaking ability.
“There’s a way to limit what they do a little bit, and it’s going to take every one of us defensively. You’ve got to play your keys and do your job, but when the play breaks down, you’ve got to stay alive and stay alive for six or seven seconds. And you better find out where 87 is when that play breaks down.”
The Lions completed the previous season on a high note, generating expectations bigger than the Lions have seen in many years, and the team’s general manager has already announced their desire to end their divisional title drought.
Patrick Mahomes’ record vs. the Lions
Patrick Mahomes, who is entering his seventh season in the NFL, has had one brush with the Lions. The last time the Chiefs faced the Lions was in 2019 when it was Mahomes’ first game against them, and the Lions lost 34-30 to the Kansas City team.
Patrick Mahomes was the Chiefs’ second-year starter at the time, and he finished the game with a passing rating of 81.0 and 315 yards, demonstrating his foot magic to the Lions. However, the Lions’ robust defensive scheme limited the Chiefs’ two-time MVP player in that game. The Lions club became the first in the NFL to restrict Mahomes to zero touchdowns since his first professional start due to the plan.
The Lions’ head coaches’ effort to contain the Chiefs’ quarterback was successful in their first meeting with Patrick, though they did not come out on top. Do you believe their defensive plan will be successful this time? Make sure to let us know your predictions in the comments.
