Kansas City Chiefs fans were raring to go Thursday for the NFL’s opening day at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. The last time they were tailgating, it was ahead of the AFC Championship game.
Everything started well, but it did not end that way.
The Lions beat the reigning Super Bowl champs, 21-20, in Kansas City, spoiling the opening-night celebration of their title. Patrick Mahomes and his new crop of wide receivers struggled in the absence of star tight end Travis Kelce.
Mahomes completed 21 of his 39 passes for 226 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception that cannot be blamed on him as a pass hit the hands of Kadarius Toney and went into the waiting arms of a Lions defender who returned it for a touchdown/
No receiver on the team reached the 50-yard mark, with Marquez Valdes-Scantling leading the way with 48 yards. It was a frustrating night for the players and the fan base.
Things got so bad that Chiefs fans started fighting. One video shows a Chiefs fan fighting a security guard as others moved in to subdue him. Unfortunately, another guy would jump in to attack security before both sides grabbed their people and walked off.
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That is definitely not the best security money could buy.
As for the Chiefs, they entered the year with an unproven receiving corps outside of Kelce, and it showed in a major way.
Multiple receivers had key drops as well as the aforementioned dropped pass that was returned for a touchdown by Lions rookie Brian Branch. Former first-round pick Kadarius Toney, who entered the year with high expectations, had a demoralizing outing with one catch for one yard on five targets with multiple key drops.
The Chiefs are surely going to regret not going after DeAndre Hopkins in free agency.
