Live updates: Detroit Lions at Kansas City Chiefs, season opener
Drive start: DET 25(15:00 1st)
Detroit's offense takes the field first. Running back David Montgomery runs for 7-yards on first down, but a failed play-action pass and an incomplete pass on the next two plays forces a three-and-out on the first drive of the night.
Drive starts: KC 13 (14:09 1st)
Kansas City goes to the ground for the first two plays with Clyde Edwards-Helaire, setting up a 3rd-and-short. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes completes a 10-yard pass down the seam for a first down. However, the Chiefs' offense is brought to a halt on the next set of downs. Defensive end John Cominsky notches a shoe-string tackle on a scrambling Mahomes on third down, forcing Kansas City to punt it back to Detroit.
Drive starts: DET 9 (10:50 1st)
Pregame
The long-awaited start of the 2023 NFL season arrives tonight, as the Detroit Lions travel to Arrowhead Stadium to take on the reigning Super Bowl-champion Kansas City Chiefs.
The Lions' 2022 season didn't end in a parade like their opponents. It came to an end before the playoffs even started. But Detroit's 8-2 run to end the year has fans and national writers alike excited about the team's potential heading into the 2023 season.
Quarterback Jared Goff is back at the helm, with star wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and a formidable offensive line back for support. However, a busy offseason means plenty of new faces on both sides of the ball. On offense, look for rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs to add another dimension to the passing game and running back David Montgomery to help replace fan-favorite Jamaal Williams' production from a season ago.
Defensively, rookie linebacker Jack Campbell and first-year defensive back Brian Branch could make immediate impacts after a strong showing during training camp and the preseason. Free-agent acquisition C.J. Gardner-Johnson should also strengthen a secondary that struggled throughout the 2022 season.
Follow along here for live updates from Detroit News contributor Alex Faber.
Season opener: Lions at Chiefs
▶ Kickoff: 8:20 p.m. Thursday, Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
▶ TV/radio: NBC/97.1
▶ Records: Season opener for both teams
▶ Line: Chiefs by 6½
▶ Last meeting: Sept. 29, 2019 — Chiefs 34, (at) Lions 30