The Detroit Lions had a chance Sunday night to plant their flag as the league’s best, backing up the claims from NFL writers across the country, if they could pull off a win over the reigning AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs.
Early on, it appeared the Lions were on the verge of doing just that — taking advantage of the Chiefs’ defense with deliberate, clock-chewing drives that kept Patrick Mahomes and company off the field.
But as the game went on, Detroit’s defensive limitations and a sputtering offense proved too much to overcome. The Chiefs took the Lions into deep water and closed strong, pulling away for a 30-17 victory that dropped Detroit to 4-2 on the season.
Losing to Kansas City is nothing for the Lions to be ashamed of. Despite the result, they showed again why they belong among the NFL’s elite. Still, how they looked in this loss will be discussed at length as they now turn their attention to a Monday Night Football showdown with Tampa Bay.
**Quarterback:** All things considered, Jared Goff was outstanding. He played with poise and turned in another efficient performance despite the loss. He completed 23 of 29 passes for 203 yards and two touchdowns with no turnovers, finishing with a 118.8 passer rating. Goff methodically led the Lions on a near 10-minute opening drive and was decisive in the short and intermediate game, especially in the second half when his rhythm with Amon-Ra St. Brown finally clicked. He completed all 10 of his throws in the third quarter, spreading the ball around and leading the Lions on a touchdown drive that gave them a chance to mount a comeback. Protection breakdowns and timing issues surfaced late, but Goff’s accuracy and decision-making were steady throughout. **Grade: A-**
**Running Backs:** Jahmyr Gibbs carried much of the early load, finishing with 17 carries for 78 yards and 21 receiving yards. Between his carries and receptions, he had 10 touches on the Lions’ opening drive. His vision and burst between the tackles stood out, forcing Kansas City’s front seven to adjust. Still, it was surprising to see him get only four carries in the second half — and for David Montgomery not to get any over the final two quarters. Montgomery finished with six carries and 37 receiving yards, including a 23-yard catch that sparked Detroit’s fourth-quarter touchdown drive. The limited usage of both backs made some sense given the game situation and clock management, but it still raised eyebrows. **Grade: B**
**Wide Receivers/Tight Ends:** At this point, it’s safe to say the Jameson Williams questions can stop — he’s fine. “Waymo” came to life, catching six passes for 66 yards and a 22-yard touchdown, winning both on timing routes and in motion. Amon-Ra St. Brown had a quiet start but finished strong, hauling in six for 52 yards and converting multiple third downs. Still, his early fourth-down drop stuck out like a sore thumb. It’s not something to dwell on — St. Brown usually makes that catch in his sleep — but it’s fair to wonder how much his wrist injury, which appeared on the practice report earlier in the week, affected him. Sam LaPorta continues to impress, catching four passes for 52 yards, including a ridiculous back-of-the-end-zone touchdown early in the fourth quarter to pull Detroit within three. Through six games, he’s already halfway to matching last season’s production. **Grade: A-**
**Offensive Line:** The line set the tone early, paving the way for a near 10-minute opening drive and keeping Goff mostly clean in the first half. Tate Ratledge was beaten badly once by Chris Jones, but protection otherwise held firm. Dan Skipper didn’t allow a pressure through three quarters, and both guards created solid interior push. Things broke down late as the Chiefs’ rush started generating more pressure. Still, it was a solid performance overall — especially with the Lions playing without Taylor Decker for a second straight week and without Giovanni Manu, who missed an opportunity to redeem himself from last week’s showing. **Grade: B**
**Defensive Line:** Aidan Hutchinson continues to jump off the screen and strengthen his Defensive Player of the Year case. He forced another fumble — his fourth straight game doing so — and recorded a sack for the fifth consecutive week, along with several pressures that moved Mahomes off his spot. But the rest of the front struggled to stop the run. Isiah Pacheco gashed Detroit between the tackles for 76 yards, and Mahomes’ mobility both inside and outside the pocket created problems. Hutchinson brought the energy; the rest of the group didn’t always match it. **Grade: B-**
**Linebackers:** Alex Anzalone led the team with 12 tackles and stayed active, though too many of those came five or six yards downfield. Jack Campbell added seven tackles and a sack, but coverage in the middle of the field was shaky throughout. Mahomes repeatedly found easy outlets — short passes to Noah Gray, Pacheco, and JuJu Smith-Schuster — that extended drives. The group hustled and tackled fine, but the lack of range and anticipation in coverage hurt them. **Grade: C**
**Secondary**: This is where the Lions felt the absence of D.J. Reed, Terrion Arnold, and Avonte Maddox. Once Mahomes settled in, he tested Detroit’s thin secondary over and over. He threw for 257 yards and three touchdowns, taking advantage of loose coverage and missed tackles. Amik Robertson struggled, getting beaten badly on Xavier Worthy’s touchdown. Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph had flashes, but slow reactions on crossing routes proved costly. Hollywood Brown and Worthy combined for more than 80 yards and two scores, and Detroit had no answer for Mahomes’ rhythm throws. Hutchinson’s pressure saved the group from worse numbers. **Grade: C**
**Special Teams:** Jake Bates connected on all his kicks and kept things steady. Jack Fox averaged 46 yards per punt and helped flip field position when needed, also making a touchdown-saving tackle. Coverage units did their job, and there were no major mistakes. **Grade: B**
**Coaching:** Without several key players in the secondary, Kelvin Sheppard schemed up as strong a plan as one could expect. Penalties by Hutchinson and Rock Ya-Sin hurt Detroit’s defensive rhythm and undermined Sheppard’s goal of limiting Mahomes’ effectiveness. Offensively, it was an oddly called game by John Morton. The idea of chewing up the clock early and keeping Mahomes off the field was brilliant — and the Lions even showed life on their next drive — but the conservative screen calls, abandoning Gibbs and Montgomery, and a third-down pass to Williams that the Chiefs thoroughly sniffed out were not among Morton’s finer moments. The offense remains a work in progress despite entering the week as the league’s top-scoring unit. **Grade: C**
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