Previewing Detroit Lions Opener with Arrowhead Report
Jordan Foote covers the Kansas City Chiefs for Arrowhead Report. He answered five questions heading into the Lions-Chiefs matchup Thursday at Arrowhead Stadium.
1.) What was your assessment of the Chiefs training camp?
Jordan Foote: It was mostly business as usual for the Chiefs, as the team was away at Missouri Western State University for a classic Andy Reid-style camp. Something about working out in the heat of summer, living in college dorms and being with only your teammates makes Kansas City’s bond rock-solid every year. The absence of Chris Jones loomed large, but multiple standouts such as Justyn Ross, Rashee Rice, Chamarri Conner and others managed to emerge anyway.
2.) Do you expect any sort of drop off in the offense without Eric Bieniemy?
Foote: Bieniemy is undoubtedly an intelligent offensive mind and while his leadership style is questioned by some outsiders, those in the Chiefs building had — and still have — a great amount of respect for him. With that said, it always has been and always will be Reid’s offense. He gets the clear majority influence and is the mastermind behind it all. The switch from Bieniemy to Matt Nagy shouldn’t come with too much of a change in either direction this year.
3.) Who are the key playmakers on the Chiefs' defense?
Foote: When Jones is with the team and on the field, he’s hands down the best player on Steve Spagnuolo’s defense. With him still holding out, however, there are still a few playmakers the Chiefs can count on. Up front, defensive end George Karlaftis improved drastically down the stretch of his rookie year and is looking to parlay that into a good sophomore campaign. Despite his flaws, Nick Bolton is a steady linebacker and has the complete trust of Spagnuolo. In the secondary, veteran L’Jarius Sneed is working through some knee inflammation but remains one of the better cornerbacks the team has had in a half-decade. Those three are the upper-tier players to watch.
4.) What are the 1-2 key matchups you are watching for?
Foote: I hate to sound like a broken record here but with Jones holding out, as well as Charles Omenihu being suspended, the go-to matchup has to be the Chiefs’ defensive line versus the Lions’ offensive line. If Kansas City can’t generate a thorough pass rush, it could be a long night. Elsewhere, C.J. Gardner-Johnson has experience playing in key games against the Chiefs. How Detroit unleashes him in an effort to contain Patrick Mahomes and company will be super interesting.
5.) How do you see this game playing out and who ends up winning?
Foote: Despite the Chiefs playing it cool all week long, this game is going to be an emotional one. A banner-raising night is always important and on the other side of the field, Detroit is as hungry as ever and can shock the world with Dan Campbell leading the way. This should be a shootout between two high-powered offenses and could come down to who has the football last. I believe Kansas City is the better team, but I’ve had a weird gut feeling for the better part of a week that’s leading me to roll with the Lions in a Week 1 upset over the reigning champs.
