Arrowhead Pride
Coming off Week 5’s disappointing 31-28 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Kansas City Chiefs hope to get back to 0.500 as they host the Detroit Lions on GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium for “Sunday Night Football.”
Here’s what I’ll be wondering as the game gets underway.
The Lions’ defense has transitioned smoothly from former coordinator Aaron Glenn to Kelvin Sheppard. The structure remains largely the same: plenty of man coverage and four-man rushes. The defensive line is built around stout run defenders who can win at the line of scrimmage, while Sheppard had added more zone disguises on third down. Against the Baltimore Ravens, the Lions mixed in deeper zones to limit explosive plays.
Detroit’s defensive personnel is very strong through the middle. At defensive tackle, Tyleik Williams and D.J. Reader can reset the line of scrimmage by absorbing double-teams. Linebackers Alex Anzalone and Jack Campbell find ways to stay clean, making tackles and holding up in man coverage. Aidan Hutchinson remains one of the league’s premier one-on-one pass rushers.
But there are some problems in the secondary. Starting outside cornerback D.J. Reed is on the Reserve/Injured list. On Friday, outside corner Terrion Arnold was declared out for Sunday’s game. Safety Kerby Joseph — an elite centerfielder — is questionable with a knee injury. Brian Branch — who can rotate between the slot and safety — is questionable with an ankle injury. Neither safety practiced on Friday.
This leaves veteran Rock Ya-Sin and Amik Robertson as the boundary corners. Both have held up well so far, but they haven’t faced Patrick Mahomes.
This is where Kansas City can strike. Look for the Chiefs to isolate wide receiver Xavier Worthy downfield against these corners. Robertson is smaller — which mitigates Worthy’s lack of size — while Worthy’s speed advantage over Ya-Sin is significant. The same goes for Tyquan Thornton, who has quietly emerged as a reliable vertical threat.
This feels like a week when Kansas City can generate explosive plays through the air — something they’ve done far better in 2025. They’ll need that big-play element to keep up with Detroit’s high-powered offense.
Against the Ravens, Detroit’s defense notched seven sacks on Lamar Jackson. To do it, Sheppard relied heavily on three-man rushes with a spy, collapsing the pocket from all angles while using deep zone coverage behind it. The goal was simple: force the quarterback to hold the ball until the spy could finish the play.
A similar approach could be coming for Mahomes. His ability to scramble has been crucial to the Chiefs’ offensive success this season, raising the unit’s floor when plays break down. But the Lions’ front is disciplined and rarely loses rush integrity. While Mahomes always seems to find a lane, this matchup will present a real test of his pocket navigation.
The good news for Kansas City...
