The Detroit Lions made a statement in Week 1 of the 2023 NFL season by defeating the reigning Super Bowl champions. The Lions' victory was not a fluke, and they look like a playoff contender under the leadership of head coach Dan Campbell. In this article, we will explore why Campbell will win Coach of the Year and Jared Goff will be MVP. We will also look at why Jahmyr Gibbs will be Rookie of the Year, the Lions' defense will be elite, and the Lions will win the NFC.

Detroit Lions Beat Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1

The Lions made a statement in Week 1 of the 2023 NFL season by defeating the Chiefs, 21-20. The Lions' defense played a significant role in the victory, holding the Chiefs to just 20 points and forcing two turnovers. Quarterback Jared Goff also had a solid performance, completing 22 of 35 passes for 253 yards and a touchdown. The Lions' victory does not look like a flash in the pan, though. This team looks like a playoff contender under the leadership of head coach Dan Campbell.

In this article, we'll talk about some big reactions after the Lions beat the Chiefs. They won their first game, and it has made fans very excited.

1. Coach Dan Campbell as COTY

Dan Campbell did a fantastic job in the first game. His style is strong and full of energy. The team's win in Week 1 against the Chiefs shows that he is a great leader. He also made some bold calls. If the Lions keep playing like this, Coach Campbell could win the Coach of the Year award.

Coach Campbell also broke Andy Reid's streak of eight straight Week 1 wins. Also, Jared Goff, the Lions' quarterback, has beaten Patrick Mahomes twice. It's exciting to see how much progress the Lions have made, especially since they hired Coach Campbell.

2. Rookie Jahmyr Gibbs is Exciting

The Lions' rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs did pretty well in his first game. This is especially true considering he's still playing behind David Montgomery. Still, Gibbs ran for 42 yards in just seven tries. That's a crazy 6.0 yards per carry. Gibbs clearly has the potential to be a really good player for the Lions this year. If he keeps playing like this, he could even be the Rookie of the Year.

Now yes, people thought Gibbs didn't get to play as much as they wanted him to. However, Gibbs did great with the chances he got against the Chiefs. He caught two passes, which was nice. Sometimes, he couldn't run very far because the Chiefs' players blocked him, but when he had space, he showed how fast he could be.

3. Jared Goff is an MVP Contender

QB Jared Goff had a good game in Week 1. Some people think he could be a surprise MVP candidate this season. Goff has some talented receivers on his team, like Josh Reynolds and Amon-Ra St. Brown. If Goff keeps playing this well and leads the Lions to a good season, he might be in the MVP conversation.

The stats show that Goff completed 22 out of 35 passes for 253 yards. He had a 94.1 passer rating compared to Patrick Mahomes' 77.5. Most of his passes were in the middle of the field. Last year, he was good at using play-action passes, and he did that well against the Chiefs, too. Goff's performance was perfect for the game plan they had, even though he didn't have huge numbers. It was a smart plan, and Goff executed it well.

4. Lions' Defense is Top 5

The Lions' defense did a great job in the game against the Chiefs. The Chiefs usually score a lot of points in Week 1 games, but against the Lions, they only scored 20. It's true that Travis Kelce, one of the Chiefs' best players, didn't play in the game. Still, the Lions' defense did an amazing job against the best offensive coach and the best quarterback in the league.

The Lions' defense did well against the run, too. Mahomes is very good at moving around and making plays. The Lions' defense didn't try to keep him in one place; they just went after him. It didn't always work, but it was the right plan because pressuring Mahomes is more important than containing him.

In the second half of the game, the Lions' defense got even better. They only allowed six points, and the Chiefs couldn't convert any of their third-down plays. Overall, the defense did an excellent job, especially considering who they were playing against.

5. The Lions Could Win the NFC

The Lions' win against the Chiefs was a big deal. It showed that they might have a chance to go far this year. If they keep playing well on both offense and defense, they could be a strong contender in the NFC.

The Lions got some good rookies in this year's draft, too. We've already talked about Gibbs, but we also have guys like Brian Branch, Jack Campbell, and Sam LaPorta. Branch had an amazing play in the game with an interception return for a touchdown. Campbell also did well with a pass breakup. They will likely get more chances to play as the season goes on, and that's exciting.

The Lions played a tough game. It wasn't very pretty, but they showed they can be a gritty team. In conclusion, the Lions had a fantastic start to the season by beating the Chiefs. If they keep playing like this, they could go far in the playoffs and maybe even win the NFC. The rookies are doing well, and the defense is strong. Lions fans have a lot to look forward to this season.