Editor’s note: This is the fourth of a five-part series on the quarterbacks and teams best equipped to stop Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs from becoming the first NFL team in the Super Bowl era to three-peat. No. 2 on our list: Jared Goff and the Lions. (No. 5 was Jalen Hurts and the Eagles, No. 4 was Brock Purdy and the 49ers, and No. 3 was C.J. Stroud and the Texans.)
On the night the Chiefs unveiled their Super Bowl LVII banner last season, the Lions spoiled the party.
Sure, Kansas City’s shortcomings played a role. The wide receiver drops hurt. The absence of superstars Travis Kelce (knee injury) and Chris Jones (contract dispute) did too. But the Lions capitalized.
We got our first look at what would be a star rookie class for Detroit: a 50-yard pick-six from defensive back Brian Branch and big contributions from tight end Sam LaPorta, running back Jahmyr Gibbs and linebacker Jack Campbell. Veteran tailback David Montgomery scored the go-ahead touchdown midway through the fourth quarter, and the Lions held on for the 21-20 victory on opening night, stunning Kansas City on a day of celebration.
“We came in here, knew what we needed to do, knew it wasn’t going to be easy, and we did that,” coach Dan Campbell said at the time. “We won.”
That Week 1 victory affirmed the Lions’ legitimacy as a contender on the heels of a promising 2022 season.
Now, nearly a year later, they look like the NFC’s best shot to stop a Kansas City three peat.
Detroit enters 2024 off its first 12-win season and NFC Championship Game appearance in 32 years. The team’s offense, ranked top-five in scoring in back-to-back seasons, is still coordinated by playcaller Ben Johnson, who elected to stay with the Lions despite being a hot head coach candidate. Quarterback Jared Goff, who has rejuvenated his career in Detroit and inked a four-year, $212 million extension in May, headlines a unit returning nine starters.
Impact of Jared Goff’s franchise-record extension
Defensively, the Lions have bolstered a secondary that struggled in 2023. They used their top two 2024 draft picks on defensive backs — Alabama‘s Terrion Arnold (first round), Missouri‘s Ennis Rakestraw (second round) — acquired veteran cornerback Carlton Davis III via trade and signed Amik Robertson in free agency.
Why Goff and the Lions could beat the Chiefs in a potential Super Bowl LIX matchup
Detroit’s season-opening victory last season over Kansas City offered a taste of Gibbs’ potential as a dynamic weapon out the backfield.
He had a 17-yard outside run in the first quarter, where he spun out of two tackles. He had a 10-yard catch and run on a quick out in the second quarter. But Gibbs’ biggest play came down the stretch. It was an 18-yard scamper late in the fourth quarter, where he broke two more tackles. It was a killer for the Chiefs, eating up clock.
Also notable about that carry? It was a run to the right — where the Lions could potentially exploit the Chiefs.
Kansas City ranked below average in run defense last season (18th at 113.2 rushing yards allowed per game), but it sat even further down on rushes to the right specifically. The Chiefs allowed 1,003 rushing yards on inside and outside rushes in that direction combined, 20th in the league, according to Next Gen Stats (compared to 912 rushing yards allowed on inside and outside runs to the left).
And running to the right is when Gibbs was at his best as a rookie. Nearly 58% of his rushing yards (548 of 945) and 60% of his rushing touchdowns (six of 10) came running to his right, according to Pro Football Focus. He also averaged 7.6 yards per carry running up the right middle and 6.8 yards per attempt rushing on the outside shoulder of the right guard — two of his top-three directional rushing averages.
It’s not a small sample size, either. He recorded 29 carries for 221 yards rushing up the right middle, and 20 carries for 135 yards between the right guard and right tackle, per PFF.
In last year’s win over the Chiefs, Pro Bowl defensive end Aidan Hutchinson was the Lions’ most disruptive force. He brought havoc to the right side of Kansas City’s offensive line with his speed, power and pursuit. The 2022 No. 2 overall pick registered three quarterback hits and four tackles.
He did most of his damage on the edge, but he occasionally kicked inside — and that might be key to toppling the Chiefs in a possible Super Bowl matchup.
The former Michigan star had three sacks last season from an interior alignment, fifth among edge rushers, per NGS — but his 81 snaps on the interior D-line was 24th among players at his position. His 10 pressures and 14.1% pressure rate when he kicked inside also tied for 13th and 15th among edge players, respectively.
Considering Kansas City would likely bring more help for its tackles against Hutchinson in a playoff rematch, kicking him inside is a way Detroit can maintain strong pressure on Patrick Mahomes. The Chiefs would face the unique dilemma of having to double Hutchinson from the interior, which could open a different can of worms for K.C.
That’s one way the Lions could spoil the party again.
Five teams that can prevent a Chiefs three-peat:
Ben Arthur is the AFC South reporter for FOX Sports. He previously worked for The Tennessean/USA TODAY Network, where he was the Titans beat writer for a year and a half. He covered the Seattle Seahawks for SeattlePI.com for three seasons (2018-20) prior to moving to Tennessee. You can follow Ben on Twitter at @benyarthur.
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