Detroit Lions CB Jerry Jacobs Makes Strong Statement About Week 1 Game vs. KC Chiefs

Detroit and cornerback Jerry Jacobs are fired up for the regular-season opener in early September against the reigning champion Chiefs.

Nov 21, 2021; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Detroit Lions cornerback Jerry Jacobs (39) celebrates the team s interception against the Cleveland Browns during the fourth quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-USA TODAY Sports

There's still quite a bit of time between now and when the Kansas City Chiefs will take on the Detroit Lions to kick off the 2023 NFL regular season. With that said, some are already beginning to look ahead to the matchup between two clubs that project to combine for a hefty amount of wins over the course of the year.

Narrowly missing out on the postseason in 2022 after posting a 9-8 record, Detroit boasted one of the league's best offenses under then-second-year head coach Dan Campbell. Despite having to endure some suspensions for players violating the NFL's gambling policy, the Lions should have a bright future this coming season but face a very tall task on Sept. 7: take down the reigning champs at their place.

Week 1's slate will see Kansas City and Detroit square off on the Thursday Night Football stage to open the season. Both sides undoubtedly understand the importance of getting off on the right foot to begin the year, and Lions cornerback Jerry Jacobs recently chimed in on the challenge of facing the Chiefs. In fact, he declared on SiriusXM that he and his teammates are ready to pull off the upset. Here's his quote, courtesy of Christian Booher of All Lions: 

"It's time to show what Detroit is made of. When we knew we were playing them in the season opener, Dan Campbell came in and said, 'They want us to lose, so what are we going to do?' ... We almost went to the playoffs and they just won the Super Bowl, so they're trying to see if we're really like that. We're ready, I know we're ready. Every time I hear we're playing the season opener against the Super Bowl team, we're ready to go out there and play ball and shock the world." 

Jacobs is correct in his assessment that the Lions are being counted out for the most part, as the Chiefs are right around a full-touchdown betting favorite for Week 1's game as of the publishing of this article. However, Campbell is notorious for being a player's coach and one who is a master motivator that his team rallies around. After Campbell informed his group that they'd be playing the Super Bowl LVII champions on the league's opening night, it fired everyone up. Now, the Lions believe they can escape Kansas City with a win.

In the last four meetings between these two teams, the series is split. Detroit won by a combined 50 points in 2007 and 2011, and Kansas City has a 39-point advantage when combining outcomes from 2015 and 2019. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes is 1-0 against the Lions in his career, with his only game against them featuring a 315-yard passing performance. Jacobs and the Lions are apparently hyped up for the regular season to start and an updated matchup to take place, although they've still got a ways to go.

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