Chiefs Vs Lions Reaction: KC Offensive Weapons Fall Flat

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For the first time since 2014, the Kansas City Chiefs have lost their regular season opener. The team enjoyed the unveiling of a new addition to their franchise Super Bowl banner. But as the team looked to turn the page to a new chapter in 2023, the end result was simply frustrating and simple. Make no mistake about it, the Detroit Lions made some key plays in crucial moments. The Chiefs were mostly hurt by self-inflicted wounds by their offensive weapons, however.

The absence of Travis Kelce was already going to be a tough wrinkle to overcome. At the same time, Kansas City was feeling pretty excited about their new-look wide receiver room entering the regular season. To say that this group left a lot to be desired, is an understatement. The Chiefs pass catchers rarely looked to be in sync with Patrick Mahomes.

The good news is, the Chiefs have plenty of season left to improve on these mistakes. Yet, Kansas City must be able to trust in some of these pieces going forward, despite some horrific mistakes in the opening game. Let’s look back at the difference in Thursday’s contest, focusing on some ugly offensive miscues.

Toney’s Night To Forget

The first full campaign for Kadarius Toney in a Chiefs uniform could not have started any worse. He finished with one catch on five targets for one receiving yard. On the four targets in which he did not make a catch, Toney dropped every single ball. One of those dropped balls led to a pick-six for rookie Lions defender Brian Branch. When you factor in that pick-six in a one-point loss, especially in a game where Kansas City’s defense only allowed 14 points, that drop looms large.

But it was not just that drop that led to points for Detroit. Overall, Toney’s mishandlings pretty much all consisted of plays in which he was open. His dynamic athletic ability could have been sparked multiple times. This was due to there being plenty of room to roam after the catch. But with being unable to make vital grabs, a lack of focus and inconsistent spatial awareness, Toney let the Chiefs offense down all too often. And, he did that multiple times.

Dropped The Ball

All told, it was not just Toney that had a case of the drops on opening night. The entire Kansas City pass catching group left a good chunk of plays out there that had an opportunity for success. Skyy Moore and Justin Watson each had a couple of ill-timed bobbles late with the game on the line. Elsewhere, there were a few plays in which Mahomes found a way to extend things and deliver a fairly accurate pass. Those pinpoint balls on improvised plays resulted in nothing, though. Even Jerick McKinnon had a couple of odd drops, despite being a generally sure-handed pass catcher at running back.

Unfortunately for the Chiefs, this kind of miscue mounted heavily for what seemed like the entire contest. When it rained, it poured. Kansas City has had some wide receiver questions before. However, this group is still heavily inexperienced and new to this team and offense. It could certainly take more time to gel. Nevertheless, the Chiefs pass catchers made extremely simple mistakes over and over again in this loss to the Detroit Lions.

Short Yardage Issues Rear Its Ugly Head

Over the course of the last few years, the Kansas City Chiefs have had a good amount of issues in short yardage situations. We have heard that Mahomes would not mind running the quarterback sneak again. But after his freak knee injury in 2019, Kansas City has refused to go back to that. It is not just that they will not use the quarterback’s legs from under center with one yard to gain.

In fact, Kansas City has had a tendency of becoming too cute with the play calling with anywhere from two to four yards to go for a first down. Not once, not twice, but a few times, the Chiefs opted to go with a reverse or end around run in short yardage situations against Detroit. The Lions did a great job of not losing contain and remaining disciplined in their gaps. It may not always be successful. Though, the Chiefs have to be more willing to hand it off to a running back from under center in those moments. That is especially true in NFL games that are close, more often than not.

Be on the lookout for more FPC Chiefs articles and analysis throughout the coming days. For more great sports and NFL content, stay tuned to Full Press Coverage.

– Braden Holecek is the Kansas City Chiefs managing editor for Full Press Coverage. He covers the NFL. Like and follow on Follow @ebearcat9//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Follow @FPC_Chiefs//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js and Facebook.