Lions coach Dan Campbell reveals his strategy to stop Patrick Mahomes in its match against Kansas City Chiefs

The 2023 NFL season is set to kick off with a marquee matchup, featuring the reigning champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, facing off against the Detroit Lions in a highly anticipated Thursday Night Football showdown. However, all eyes will undoubtedly be fixated on one man—Patrick Mahomes.

At just 27 years old, Mahomes is already a seasoned NFL veteran with an impressive resume, boasting two Super Bowl rings, two MVP awards, and two Super Bowl MVP awards. As the Chiefs’ star quarterback, he’s poised to once again captivate audiences with his electrifying playmaking abilities.

On the flip side, the Detroit Lions, under the guidance of head coach Dan Campbell, are a team on the rise and have shown signs of intriguing progress. Campbell, however, understands that the Lions’ success this season may hinge on their ability to thwart the potent duo of Mahomes and Travis Kelce.

Campbell articulated his defensive strategy when facing the formidable Chiefs’ offense. “There’s a way to limit what they do a little bit, and it’s going to take every one of us defensively,” Campbell explained, as reported by ProFootballTalk. “You’ve got to play your keys, do your job, but when the play breaks down, you’ve got to stay alive, and stay alive for six, seven seconds. And you better find out where 87 is when that play breaks down.”

The matchup against the Chiefs serves as a litmus test for the Detroit Lions, who have been yearning to make their mark in the postseason. The Lions last saw playoff action in the 2016 season, ultimately bowing out in the Wild Card round. Their quest for a playoff victory has proved even more elusive, with their last postseason win dating back to the 1991 season when they defeated the Cowboys 38-6 in the Divisional Round before succumbing to the Redskins.

Remarkably, the Lions’ 31-year drought without a playoff victory stands as the longest active streak in the NFL. This underscores the magnitude of the challenge facing Coach Campbell and his team as they prepare to tackle the formidable Kansas City Chiefs and their dynamic playmaker, Patrick Mahomes.

As the 2023 NFL season gets underway, football enthusiasts eagerly await this high-stakes showdown, which promises to provide plenty of excitement and drama on the gridiron. Whether Coach Campbell’s strategy can contain the explosive Chiefs’ offense and halt the Mahomes juggernaut remains to be seen, but one thing is certain—the football world will be watching.