Chiefs vs. Lions final score, results: Detroit knocks off Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City in NFL opener

Dan Treacy

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Chiefs vs. Lions final score, results: Detroit knocks off Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City in NFL opener image

The Chiefs raised a championship banner on Thursday, but it was Dan Campbell who raised his arms in jubilation at the end of the night.

Facing one of the most challenging atmospheres in the NFL, the Lions went into Arrowhead Stadium and handed the reigning champions a season-opening loss by holding Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs' potent offense to 20 points.

Perhaps most encouraging for Detroit was the play of Aaron Glenn's defense. The Lions were a team built to win shootouts last season. They were also built to lose them, with a leaky secondary and some holes up front. Shootouts won't be necessary if the unit plays as well as it did in Kansas City.

Detroit generated consistent pressure against the Chiefs' talented offensive line — which may have gotten away with some false starts — and made life difficult for Mahomes, who was held to 226 passing yards. While the Lions' offense only produced 14 points, a pick-six by rookie Brian Branch got Detroit seven more and was the difference in the end.

MORE: J.J. Watt, fans blast officials for ignoring Jawaan Taylor's false starts

For the Chiefs, everything that was feared about their makeshift receiving corps turned out to be true. Mahomes had very few reliable targets in his arsenal with Travis Kelce (knee) out, and mistake after mistake by his receivers ended up costing the Chiefs. Kadarius Toney made more mistakes than anyone, including the baffling drop that turned into Branch's pick-six.

Kelce will return, but can he alone mask the Chiefs' pass-catching issues? Even if Kansas City collects itself in Jacksonville next week, Thursday's loss could be a difference-maker come January in a conference that leaves little room for error.

Expectations were going to be high for the Lions even if they dropped the opener in Kansas City. With a win already under their belt, anything less than an NFC North title might make 2023 a disappointment for one of the NFL's most entertaining young teams.

MORE: Andy Reid explains confusing, crucial fourth-and-long decision

The Sporting News tracked live scoring updates and highlights from Thursday night's NFL kickoff game between the Chiefs and Lions. Check out all of the key moments you might have missed.

Chiefs vs. Lions score

   1   2   3   4   F 
Lions 7 0 7 7 21
Chiefs 0 14 3 3 20

Chiefs vs. Lions results, highlights from Thursday night football

Final: Lions 21, Chiefs 20

11:24 p.m. — The Lions win! Dan Campbell's squad goes into Arrowhead Stadium and knocks off the reigning champions. What a gritty performance, especially on a night when Detroit's offense wasn't at its best.

11:22 p.m. — Montgomery gets the much-needed first down for the Lions. Detroit is starting to smell it...

11:17 p.m. — Mahomes' throw on 4th & 25 sails just a bit too high! The Lions will take over. The Chiefs have all of their timeouts, so this isn't over, but this game is Detroit's to lose.

11:16 p.m. — This drive is a mess for the Chiefs, as Jawaan Taylor finally gets called for a false start and backs them up another five yards.

11:16 p.m. — Andy Reid will go for it on 4th & 20...

11:15 p.m. — The absence of Kelce is starting to really make a difference. Another missed opportunity has the Chiefs facing 3rd & 20. 

11:13 p.m. — A horrible night for Kadarius Toney gets worse as he drops a wide open pass from Mahomes. A holding penalty on the next play erases a first down for Kansas City.

11:12 p.m. — This Dan Campbell decision fails. The Lions go for it on 4th & 2, but Goff's pass is batted down and the Chiefs will be set up from their own 45 to go for the win. All it takes is a field goal. 

11:10 p.m. — So much for that penalty: Jahmyr Gibbs breaks free and runs all the way for the first down anyway. Big play for Detroit. 

11:09 p.m. — Frank Ragnow didn't snap the ball, so the Lions start their drive backed up five yards.

11:04 p.m. — Trick play for the Chiefs as the snap doesn't go to Mahomes, and the Lions make a massive play to stop Rashee Rice behind the line of scrimmage. That's Joshua Paschal with the tackle. Detroit is getting the ball back and has a chance to really put the Chiefs on the ropes.

Lions 21, Chiefs 20

11:00 p.m. TOUCHDOWN — Montgomery runs right up the middle and into the end zone! The running game gained momentum as that drive went on, and that made all the difference. The Lions have the lead with seven minutes left.

10:59 p.m. — Big play by Josh Reynolds! He breaks away from defenders to take the Lions into the red zone.

10:58 p.m. — The Lions convert on 3rd & short as Montgomery pushes ahead for the first. Detroit is near midfield. As time ticks away, a touchdown here becomes even more critical. 

10:56 p.m. — Detroit shows some killer instinct on 3rd & 12, with Goff completing a pass to Reynolds under pressure for a first down.

10:54 p.m. — The Lions continue to look like a mess offensively. After a 2-yard loss on a Gibbs run, they take a delay of game penalty.

Chiefs 20, Lions 14

10:49 p.m. FIELD GOAL — There's that Lions defense from earlier in the night: After stuffing Toney for a loss, Mahomes gets wrapped up and throws to McKinnon, who drops the ball. Detroit holds the Chiefs to a field goal after rising up late on that drive.

10:46 p.m. — This has not been a banner drive for the Lions' defense, which lets Mahomes run free to take the Chiefs right to the edge of the red zone.

End of third quarter: Chiefs 17, Lions 14

10:40 p.m. — It's a non-contact injury for Branch, and trainers are grabbing at his calf.

10:39 p.m. — Brutal tackling by the Lions, who had Noah Gray wrapped up but let him get free for a 24-yard gain. Brian Branch is down in pain.

10:37 p.m. — One step forward, two steps back for the Lions. A great play to get the ball to Khalif Raymond is followed up by a quick incompletion. The Lions will punt.

10:35 p.m. — Nick Bolton bullied David Montgomery as a pass-rusher, and a tripping call backs the Lions up to a 2nd & 22. Detroit's offense has been very underwhelming in the second half. 

10:32 p.m. — Hutchinson got some medical attention on the sideline but seems to be alright. Unclear what exactly the issue was.

Chiefs 17, Lions 14

10:29 p.m. FIELD GOAL — Toney with a crucial drop on third down. Looks like Richie James' route might have blocked his view of the ball. The Chiefs still get three points out of the drive and have the lead, courtesy of Sutton's penalty.

10:27 p.m. — Mahomes throws deep for Watson and gets rewarded: Cameron Sutton is called for pass interference to set up the Chiefs near the edge of the red zone.

10:26 p.m. — Mahomes rips off another run for a first down. With Kelce out, he's making sure his mobility is a central part of the Chiefs' offense. Kansas City is giving itself breathing room after starting with poor field position.

10:21 p.m. — The Chiefs' defense comes through with a nice stop, and this time, the Lions punt from Kansas City territory instead going for any kind of fake. The Chiefs will start near their own 10-yard line.

10:18 p.m. — St. Brown keeps going to the ground to get these passes from Goff, and it certainly looks like that's by design. An 18-yard gain for the Lions.

10:14 p.m. — More pressure from the Lions, who harass Mahomes and force an overthrow downfield. Here comes a punt from the Chiefs as Detroit gets a huge stop. 

10:13 p.m. — Big third down coming here after a short completion to Richie James. Chiefs need four yards, which seems easy for this offense even without Kelce.

10:10 p.m. — That's only the fifth interception Mahomes has ever thrown in September, but it's hard to blame him for that one. Either way, a complete game-changer.

Lions 14, Chiefs 14

10:06 p.m. TOUCHDOWN — A pick-six by Brian Branch in his first NFL game! Mahomes threw right to Kadarius Toney, but the ball deflected off Toney's hands and into Branch's arms. We are all even at 14!

10:02 p.m. — A great drive by the Lions' defense is answered by a brutal drive from the offense. Kansas City forces a quick punt and will have solid field position.

10:01 p.m. — Uninspiring start to the drive for the Lions, who have zero yards to show for their first two plays. Penei Sewell and Nick Bolton get into it and draw offsetting penalties.

9:56 p.m. — Great drive by Aidan Hutchinson, who generates serious pressure twice to force a Chiefs punt. Detroit needed that stop, which gives the offense a chance to tie.

9:54 p.m. — Nice shifty run by Pacheco to get the Chiefs an early first down, but he's walking off with a bit of a limp.

End of first half: Chiefs 14, Lions 7

9:38 p.m. — The Lions didn't feel too far behind the Chiefs in the first half, but they don't have much to show for it. The opening drive of the second half is going to be huge for Detroit's defense after getting embarrassed on that last Kansas City drive.

9:37 p.m. — Goff misses Jones along the sideline, which erases the Lions' chances of attempting a field goal before halftime. 

9:35 p.m. — The Lions will try to salvage the final 34 seconds and put points on the board. Looks like they're going for it, knowing Kansas City starts the second half with the ball. 

Chiefs 14, Lions 7

9:29 p.m. TOUCHDOWN — 64 yards within seconds. Mahomes finds Blake Bell for the go-ahead touchdown three plays after being set back in their own 36-yard line and facing 3rd & 17. Chiefs lead with 34 seconds until the half.

9:28 p.m. — Wow! On a pass that was nearly intercepted, Marquez Valdes-Scantling comes through with a great catch for 34 yards. Justin Watson goes 26 yards on the very next play to set the Chiefs up inside the 5-yard line.

9:26 p.m. — Holding penalty on Jawaan Taylor backs the Chiefs up 10 yards. 3rd & 17 as Mahomes takes a timeout.

9:25 p.m. — It's quickly 3rd & 7 for the Chiefs, with the help of an overthrown deep ball by Mahomes.

9:22 p.m. TWO-MINUTE WARNING — Rashee Rice goes 25 yards to give the Chiefs some breathing room. KC has a chance to score here and start he second half with the ball. 

9:18 p.m. — Goff is sacked by Mike Danna on third down as these defenses start to make their mark. Chiefs defenders tried to knock the ball out, but Kansas City will gladly settle for a punt.

9:17 p.m. — The Chiefs go nowhere on the ensuing drive, as pressure from Aidan Hutchinson forces a third down incompletion. Tommy Townsend gets off a good punt, but the Lions will have decent field position from about their own 40. 

9:10 p.m. FUMBLE — The Lions won't get anything out of that drive after all. Trent McDuffie comes in and knocks the ball loose from Marvin Jones' arms, and Bryan Cook recovers. The Chiefs will have poor field position, but that's only a small consolation for the Lions after a wasted opportunity.

9:09 p.m. — Big mistake: A botched snap hits Brock Wright and is recovered by Goff for an 10-yard loss. That turns a great red zone opportunity into a tough 2nd & 20.

9:08 p.m. — Gibbs turns on the jets and takes the Lions into the red zone.

9:07 p.m. — Sam LaPorta has arrived. The rookie catches a Goff pass for 14 yards, the first reception of his NFL career. Goff has thrown eight consecutive completions.

9:05 p.m. — Big time catch by St. Brown! He goes low to catch a well-placed ball from Goff and take the Lions into Kansas City territory. Four catches already for St. Brown. 

Chiefs 7, Lions 7

8:57 p.m. TOUCHDOWN — Rashee Rice is on the board with his first NFL touchdown! Rice battled drops in the preseason, but he found himself open in the end zone and held onto a short pass from Mahomes. All even at 7.

8:56 p.m. — Kadarius Toney gets stuffed not far out from the goal line, resulting in third down.

8:54 p.m. — After Mahomes hits a wide open Marquez Valdes-Scantling for a first down, he uses his legs and puts the Chiefs right inside the 10-yard line. This is the mobility Mahomes was (mostly) missing during Kansas City's Super Bowl run.

8:51 p.m. — Elsewhere, Joe Burrow has signed a new deal to become the highest-paid player in NFL history.

End of first quarter: Lions 7, Chiefs 0

8:50 p.m. — Mahomes takes off running and this time gets the Chiefs another first down. Kansas City heads into the second quarter in Lions territory.

8:48 p.m. — Kelce or not, the Chiefs are still money on third down. Mahomes finds Justin Watson for a big 19-yard grab on 3rd & 8 to keep KC's drive alive.

Lions 7, Chiefs 0

8:43 p.m. TOUCHDOWN — The first touchdown of the season belongs to Amon-Ra St. Brown! Great route by St. Brown, who runs across the field to gain separation and take it into the end zone. 7-0, Lions.

8:41 p.m. — Nice run by Montgomery to take the Lions up to the Chiefs' 13-yard line. Ben Johnson is mixing and matching with these running backs.

8:38 p.m. — The Lions finally get some breathing room on a nice catch-and-run by Amon-Ra St. Brown. Josh Reynolds gets Detroit into Chiefs territory on the very next play. Goff finding a rhythm after a tough start.

8:36 p.m. — Not so fast! Dan Campbell calls a fake punt from inside his own 20-yard line and the Lions get the first! Gutsy. 

8:35 p.m. — The Lions go three-and-out again, as a last-ditch throw by Goff on third down is caught short of the marker.

8:30 p.m. — Mahomes tries to take off on third down but gets taken down quickly. The Chiefs will punt. So far, Mahomes has had a hard time finding open receivers even with plenty of time in the pocket. Not a surprise given the inexperience of the group without Kelce.

8:29 p.m. — Mahomes finds Jerick McKinnon on the run for the first down and more. Now Noah Gray gets involved for the first time with a short catch. He's starting in place of Kelce.

8:28 p.m. — Lions doing a fine job tackling early on and have the Chiefs facing an early 3rd & 2.

8:26 p.m. — Goff is pressured on each of his first two pass attempts and throws both away. The Lions will punt. Nice start for the Chiefs' front seven. 

8:25 p.m. — The first snap of the NFL season is a 7-yard run by David Montgomery.

8:24 p.m. — The Lions will begin with the ball. The NFL season is underway!

8:20 p.m. — We are minutes away from kickoff! It'll be slightly delayed after all of the pregame championship fanfare. 

8:14 p.m. — The Chiefs just unveiled their Super Bowl 57 banner.

8:09 p.m. — Rodney Harrison says the Chiefs look "deflated" compared to other years without Chris Jones on the field. For what it's worth, Jones is in a suite at Arrowhead Stadium. The holdout has officially extended into the regular season.

8:05 p.m. — The line has shifted to Chiefs -3.5 in some cases. Lions gaining a little bit of pregame momentum with Kelce out.

7:39 p.m. — Maybe the most intriguing young player tonight: Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs, who OC Ben Johnson claims will be used in ways fans don't expect.

7:37 p.m. — It was six years ago tonight that the Chiefs upset the reigning champion Patriots in the NFL's kickoff game. Can the Lions go in and make the same statement with the Chiefs now on the other side of the coin?

7:29 p.m. — Patrick Mahomes has been utterly dominant in September: Since debuting as a starter in 2018, Mahomes has 49 TD and 4 INT in September games. He's never lost in Week 1. In fact, the Chiefs haven't lost in Week 1 since 2014.

7:22 p.m. — With Chris Jones, fans will want to play close attention to how well the Chiefs perform against the run. Jones knows how to get to quarterbacks, but there's a presence missing up front against an offense that could run the ball often.

6:40 p.m. — The Lions lost momentum early last season and couldn't recover in time to reach the playoffs. If they do come up short in Kansas City tonight, next week's matchup with the Seahawks will be pretty critical. Last year's game against Seattle wound up making all the difference in the NFC playoff race.

6:03 p.m. — Noah Gray, who had a catch in each of the Chiefs' three playoff games last season, is next up on the depth chart with Kelce out. Blocking tight end Blake Bell is also on the roster.

5:44 p.m. — Kelce will not play tonight, according to Jordan Schultz. Patrick Mahomes will have to operate with a receiving corps thin on high-level weapons.

5:22 p.m. — Kelce is the tight end with the most eyes on him, but fantasy owners will be very interested to see how much the Lions involve rookie Sam LaPorta in their offense. With T.J. Hockenson in Minnesota and WR Jameson Williams suspended, LaPorta's path to targets is wide open.

5:05 p.m. — Travis Kelce's status is still undetermined three hours before kickoff, but Adam Schefter reported earlier in the day that Kelce wants to play. It's only Week 1, though, so the Chiefs might want to do all they can to preserve their top pass-catcher.

Chiefs vs. Lions start time

  • Date: Thursday, Sept. 7
  • Time: 8:20 p.m. ET (7:20 p.m. CT)

Thursday's game between the Lions and Chiefs is set to kick off at 8:20 p.m. ET (7:20 p.m. local time) from Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. 

What channel is Chiefs vs. Lions on today?

  • TV channel (national): NBC (U.S.) | TSN, CTV2 (Canada)
  • Live stream: NBCSports.com, NBC Sports App, Peacock, Fubo (U.S.) | DAZN (Canada)

Chiefs vs. Lions will be broadcast nationally on NBC. Mike Tirico (play-by-play), Cris Collinsworth (color commentary) and Melissa Stark (sideline reporter) will be on the call from Kansas City.

While this game will be played on a Thursday, it's not considered "Thursday Night Football" and therefore isn't being broadcast on Amazon Prime.

A live stream of the game will be available on NBCSports.com, the NBC Sports App, Peacock and Fubo, which offers a free trial.

Viewers in Canada can watch the game on TSN or CTV2. They can also stream it live with DAZN, which carries every NFL game.

Dan Treacy

Dan Treacy Photo

Dan Treacy is a content producer for Sporting News, joining in 2022 after graduating from Boston University. He founded @allsportsnews on Instagram in 2012 and has written for Lineups and Yardbarker.