Typically you begin off on the mistaken foot. Within the case of varied Chiefs receivers, nevertheless, it was extra like they began off the 2023 season with toes for arms. The Lions had been capable of come into Arrowhead Stadium and crash Kansas Metropolis’s Tremendous Bowl celebration by handing them a sobering 21-20 loss within the NFL’s regular-season opener. Whereas Detroit performed properly sufficient to win this recreation, it additionally did not come with out errors from the Kansas Metropolis facet, particularly Kadarius Toney and a copious quantity of drops.
Within the wake of shedding All-Professional tight finish and No. 1 pass-catching choice Travis Kelce for this recreation as a result of a knee damage, a possibility introduced itself for Chiefs wideouts to step up and carry the load. As an alternative, they — fairly actually — let it slip by way of their fingers. Toney was the principle wrongdoer, though others — like 2022 second-round decide Skyy Moore — did not assist out the trigger.
Toney was credited for 2 drops on the night time. That included a demoralizing drop on a throw by Patrick Mahomes that hit him in stride and squarely in his arms throughout a third-and-6 play within the third quarter. As an alternative of Toney hauling within the cross and turning upfield to aim to maneuver the chains, the ball bounced out of his arms and into the arms of Lions rookie defensive again Brian Department, who took the ball 50 yards to the home for a pick-six that tied the sport at 14 apiece.
A few drives later, the Chiefs had been threatening to search out the top zone, however confronted a third-and-2 play from the Detroit 17. Mahomes dropped again and there appeared to be some confusion between Toney and fellow Chiefs receiver Richie James, who shielded him from the play and resulted in one other drop somewhat than changing the primary down.
Moore was the opposite key wrongdoer within the general tough night time for Chiefs cross catchers. Of their final gasp of the night time, Andy Reid left the offense on the sector for a fourth-and-25 try, which Mahomes practically transformed. After dancing across the pocket, the defending league MVP threw a cross on the first-down marker that hit a leaping Moore in each arms, however he could not haul it in.
As a workforce, Kansas Metropolis had 4 drops on the night time, which is tied for second most in a recreation with Mahomes because the workforce’s beginning quarterback. He additionally registered simply 12 yards on 12 targets to huge receivers within the second half, which is his fewest yards per try (1.0) focusing on receivers in a half in his profession.
Evidently, the Chiefs want Kelce again within the fold as quickly as attainable.