The Detroit Lions entered the 2023 season with renewed hopes, as they ended the 2022 season on a high note, winning eight of their final 10 games to nearly make it to the playoffs. The main catalyst behind their strong play to end the year was the improved performance of Jared Goff, the 28-year old quarterback who remains the top guy in the Motor City even after the selection of Hendon Hooker.

And on Thursday night, Goff proved that the Lions' play to end last season was no mere fluke. He basically matched Patrick Mahomes stride for stride as the Lions stared at the face of the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs and refused to back down. As a result, the Lions took home a 21-20 victory over the Chiefs, and in doing so, notched a few feathers in their cap along the way.

Following their Week 1 victory, the Lions won their first game against a defending Super Bowl champion since 1997, snapping a 26-year drought, per ESPN Stats & Info. Moreover, the Lions gave every NFL team more hope that the Chiefs aren't an invincible team in the fourth quarter. The Lions became just the fourth team to come back from a fourth-quarter deficit against the Mahomes-led Chiefs at Arrowhead, including the playoffs.

Now that is the start to the 2023 season Jared Goff and the Lions wanted to have if they were to seriously threaten for a playoff spot, and maybe even the Super Bowl itself. It's always a positive to win the Week 1 matchup, as it can be an omen of great things to come for any team. But to do so against the Super Bowl champion Chiefs, and to snap a lengthy drought for the franchise in the process? Lions fans will be believing that 2023 may be their year.

Of course, it's just Week 1, so fans must temper their expectations. In Week 2, with a battle against the Seattle Seahawks on the docket, the Lions will have the opportunity to convince pundits even more that they'll be right up there come the end of the season as a genuine challenger for the Chiefs' crown.