Chiefs at Lions
THE STORY: While it can’t get much worse for the Kansas City Chiefs, the Detroit Lions proved there could be even better days ahead in 2011. As the Lions were engineering a 27-20 victory at Tampa Bay, the Chiefs lost Pro Bowl safety Eric Berry for the season during a brutal 41-7 loss to the Buffalo Bills in the season opener. Now Kansas City goes into the Lions’ den Sunday for Detroit’s home opener. If the Chiefs couldn’t stop Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, the Lions’ Matthew Stafford might be too much to handle.
TV: CBS, 1 p.m. ET. LINE: Lions -9, O/U 45.5
ABOUT THE LIONS (1-0): Calvin Johnson, who has eight touchdown receptions in his last eight home games, is nursing an ankle injury but is expected to play. The Stafford-Johnson connection is off to fast start with two touchdowns, while the quarterback completed 24 of 33 attempts for 305 yards in the opener. Detroit has won five straight, its longest streak since it won seven in a row in 1995. Coupled with a solid running game featuring Jahvid Best and a much-improved defense led by tackle Ndamukong Suh, the Lions seem capable of making the playoffs for the first time since 1999. Detroit yielded only 56 yards rushing to Tampa Bay, but figure to get a far sterner test from Kansas City's Jamaal Charles.
ABOUT THE CHIEFS (0-1): Kansas City fumbled away the opening kickoff last week, but its day got much worse when Berry tore his left anterior cruciate ligament. The Chiefs trailed 20-0 late in the first half, which helped take them away from unleashing their potent rushing attack. Charles, who was second in the NFL with 1,467 yards rushing in 2010, had 56 against Buffalo last week. Quarterback Matt Cassel passed for only 119 yards and his interception was one of three Chiefs’ turnovers. He has averaged only 101.3 yards and has been sacked 10 times in his last three games, including a 30-7 playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Kansas City allowed 163 yards rushing and four Fitzpatrick touchdown passes during its worst home loss since a 45-0 drubbing by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1976.
2. Stafford joined Hall of Famer Bobby Layne as the only Detroit quarterbacks to pass for 300 yards in Week 1.
3. Chiefs wide receiver Dwayne Bowe has 14 touchdown catches in 15 career games against NFC opponents.