The Detroit Lions fearlessly marched into Arrowhead Stadium to face an undermanned Kansas City Chiefs team Thursday night and exploited their opponent's deficiencies. Grit propelled the underdogs to the 21-20 victory in the NFL season's first game. One of their new additions held nothing back when celebrating the upset in the locker room.

“It's not the same Detroit,” safety CJ Gardner-Johnson emphatically declared over and over again before exploding into a full NSFW rant. Knowing the Lions' identity, a quiet postgame vibe was never going to be in the cards.

This team carries itself full tilt both on and off the field. The win had to be especially impactful for Gardner-Johnson, as he came into this new NFL environment with a big chip on his shoulder.

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The 25-year-old did not get the contract he wanted from the Philadelphia Eagles or any other franchise, so he bet on himself by signing a one-year contract worth up to $8 million with Detroit. The investment is paying big dividends immediately. Gardner-Johnson made his presence known in Kansas City, tallying five tackles and two passes defensed. If he can maintain that effort for the rest of the season, many executives will be calling the former fourth-round pick next offseason.

Though, it is important to note that such boisterous celebrations are mentally stored by other fans and detractors. A bad loss or two later in the year, and CJ Gardner-Johnson and the Lions will be endlessly ridiculed.

That is the downside to elevating public expectations. It's safe to assume that both he and this team will embrace that burden.