The Detroit Lions had fond memories of their last visit to Kansas City. Opening the season against the powerhouse AFC West squad back in 2023 proved to kick start one of the team’s best seasons in recent memory.

On Sunday Night Football, Dan Campbell’s squad again had to square off against coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

Campbell shared this week what is needed to win consecutively like Kansas City has in recent years.

“To be able to come back year in and year out and stay hungry, stay competitive, do the right things, don’t get complacent, eliminate entitlement when you’ve been a champion over and over, I think that takes a special kind of group, a special kind of coaching staff, special kind of leadership, players, the whole thing,” said Campbell. “And so, what they’ve done is special. Same like all those years New England had with (Tom) Brady and (Bill) Belichick.

“That is so difficult to do and so I’ve got the utmost respect for those guys. And that’s why they’re never out of it. They’re always going to have a chance because they have that makeup,” Campbell added. “They have that winner’s makeup, that champions makeup. But, that’s right up our alley, we love this. You want to look back on this in a few years and say that’s what we’ve become.”

After 60 minutes of action, the Lions were not able to find the magic again at Arrowhead Stadium, dropping their second game of the season.

Next up is another primetime matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next week on Monday Night Football.

Here are several key takeaways from the Lions’ 30-17 loss:

 

Lions attack Chiefs’ weakness early

Detroit won the opening coin toss and elected to receive.

With a depleted defense, Campbell’s squad wanted to control and dominate the time of possession battle. The method to accomplish that was to run the football.

Coming into Week 6, the Chiefs struggled mightily against the run. Detroit took advantage, utilizing Jahmyr Gibbs to move the football right down the field.

The former first-round pick carried the football nine times for 32 yards, and Detroit ate up nearly 10 minutes of the first quarter.

On 4th-and-goal, Goff went in motion and was on the receiving end of a touchdown toss from David Montgomery. Unfortunately, it was ruled by the officials that the veteran failed to set properly and was flagged for an illegal motion.

Detroit took an early 3-0 lead after the decision was made to send Jake Bates out to kick a 28-yard field goal.

Jameson Williams finds groove

After recording just three catches over the last two weeks, Jameson Williams was able to get going early in Sunday’s game. He had taken a back seat in the passing game as of late, but the offense benefitted greatly from his presence in the first half.

Williams caught three passes in the first half for 44 yards, including a 22-yard touchdown in which he bounced off defenders to reach the end zone.

After a quiet stretch as of late, Williams was a focal point for Goff and the offense early in Sunday’s game.

Lions get defensive stop from backup safety

As expected, Mahomes was able to take advantage of Detroit’s depleted secondary early in the game.

The Chiefs responded to Detroit’s opening drive with an eight-play drive that spanned 70 yards. Mahomes was ble to find Xavier Worthy for a six-yard touchdown reception.

Safety Kerby Joseph, who has been battling a knee injury all season, departed the game with a knee injury on the Chiefs second offensive drive.

Thomas Harper filled in and was able to secure a pass breakup on a pass intended for Worthy on 4th-and-1.

Lions dropped by Chiefs in prime time as win streak ends at four

Amon-Ra St. Brown with rare drop

In a defensive contest in the first half, maintaining possession and scoring was going to come at a premium.

Detroit’s offense continued their aggressiveness on fourth-down on the road.

Unfortunately, one of the team’s most reliable wide receivers could not haul in a toss from Goff on 4th-and-2 with just a little over two minutes remaining in the second quarter.

It was his first of the season for the former fourth-round pick and his first career drop on a fourth down. In fact, St. Brown did not have a drop all of last season either.

Mahomes was able to capitalize, as he led the Chiefs on a touchdown scoring drive to give the Chiefs a 13-10 lead. He capped off an eight-play, 55-yard drive with a 1-yard scamper.

Photo gallery from Lions vs. Chiefs on Sunday Night Football

Defense not able to make impactful play defensively in second half

Detroit has won four straight games in which it has won the turnover battle. The Lions’ sole loss was the season-opener against the Packers, where they lost the turnover battle.

Needing a critical stop in the second half, the Lions were unable to stop the growing momentum of the Chiefs’ offense. With so many injuries in the secondary, it proved to be far too much to overcome, especially on the road.

Mahomes was able to lead the Chiefs on a touchdown drive to start the second half, finding Marquise Brown for a nine-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 10, 20-10.

After the Lions trimmed the lead to 20-17 on a toss to LaPorta early in the fourth quarter, Mahomes found Brown again on a short, 3-yard touchdown. The scoring drive spanned nine plays and 69 yards.

This article was produced by the staff at Detroit Lions On SI. For more, visit si.com/nfl/lions

Originally Published: October 12, 2025 at 11:38 PM EDT