Detroit Lions undone by unforced errors on offense, subpar defensive effort in loss to Kansas City Chiefs

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Kansas City, Mo. — Against the inferior opponents the Detroit Lions faced in recent weeks, they could overcome the occasional lapse in execution. Facing the Kansas City Chiefs on the road in primetime, the Lions were undone by self-inflicted wounds in the 30-17 loss Sunday night at Arrowhead Stadium, snapping the team’s four-game winning streak.

In the first half, a poorly executed motion on a trick play resulted in a penalty that took a touchdown off the board. Later, the Lions (4-2) coughed up a second-quarter lead, handing the Chiefs (3-3) offense a short field after typically sure-handed receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown dropped a fourth-down pass near midfield.

Capitalizing on the All-Pro receiver’s miscue, the Chiefs went ahead in the final minute of the second quarter and never looked back.

Defensively, the shorthanded Lions struggled to keep quarterback Patrick Mahomes contained to the pocket as the two-time MVP regularly completed downfield throws and effectively scrambled when necessary. Kansas City also had success with short, quick throws as Detroit’s patched-together unit missed several tackles and had a handful of costly coverage busts.

Scoring summary

First quarter

● 5:21 — Taking the opening kickoff, the Lions drove 70 yards on 14 plays, with running back Jahmyr Gibbs touching it 10 times. On fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line, David Montgomery took a direct snap and threw to quarterback Jared Goff, who had motioned to the right. The QB bobbled the ball, but was able to secure it and fall across the goal line behind a big block from St. Brown. However, the officials overturned the touchdown because Goff’s motion was illegal, leaving the Lions to settle for a 22-yard Jake Bates field goal. LIONS 3, CHIEFS 0

● 1:11 — The Chiefs wasted little time responding as Mahomes completed three of his four throws for 51 yards during the series. The final one, a fourth-and-3 toss, found Xavier Worthy on a rub route to the perimeter for a 6-yard score. Kicker Harrison Butker missed the PAT. CHIEFS 6, LIONS 3

Second quarter

● 12:49 — A slugfest is taking shape as Goff kick-started the drive with a 26-yard pass to Sam LaPorta, followed by a 13-yard run by Montgomery. Facing third-and-3 just outside the red zone, Goff found Jameson Williams on a deep dig. The receiver bounced off a tackle attempt to pinball into the end zone, putting the Lions back on top. LIONS 10, CHIEFS 6

● 0:37 — Benefitting from a short field via a turnvoer on downs and a defensive pass interference on third-and-10, the Chiefs drove 55 yards on eight plays, finishing with a touchdown on a designed run for Mahomas. CHIEFS 13, LIONS 10

Third quarter

● 11:18 — Picking up where they left off before the half, the Chiefs steered 81 yards on eight plays to open up a double-digit lead early in the third frame. Mahomes was problematic during the possession, completing four-of-five for 50 yards and scrambling for another 11. The QB capped the series with a tap pass to motioning receiver Hollywood Brown, which knifed through Detroit’s defense around the left edge. CHIEFS 20, LIONS 10

Fourth quarter

● 14:14 — Shifting strategies, the Lions unleashed Goff, who completed eight consecutive throws, pulling the Lions within a field goal. St. Brown was the recipient of half the targets, while Montgomery had the two longest gains, netting 14 and 24 yards. However, it was LaPorta who put the finishing touches on the series with a remarkable, toe-tapping grab in the back of the end zone while blanketed by defensive back Chamarri Conner. CHIEFS 20, LIONS 17

● 9:30 — Needing a stop, Detroit’s defense was, instead, a house of errors. It started with a roughing the quarterback call against Aidan Hutchinson, continued with a missed tackle, and culminated with a coverage bust as Brown came wide open on a crossing pattern for an easy touchdown on third-and-goal from the 3-yard line. CHIEFS 27, LIONS 17

● 2:26 — Eating nearly five minutes off the clock, the Chiefs extended their lead to 13 with a 33-yard Butker field goal. CHIEFS 30, LIONS 17

Key stats

● Goff completed 23-of-29 for 203 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions.

● Gibbs shouldered the backfield load with 17 of the team’s 22 carries, but gained just 65 yards. Montgomery was more efficient with his limited touches, rushing for 24 yards on four carries and adding 37 yards on two receptions.

● Williams paced the Lions with six grabs for 66 yards and a touchdown. St. Brown caught nine passes, but gained just 45 yards on the grabs.

● Alex Anzalone finished with a team-high 12 tackles, while Hutchinson, Jack Campbell and Al-Quadin Muhammad were each credited with a sack.

Injuries

● Kerby Joseph briefly exited the game at the end of the first quarter with a re-aggravation of his knee injury. He was replaced for parts of two series by Thomas Harper.

Notable

● Stepping in after Joseph exited, Harper broke up a fourth-down pass in the red zone during the same series, forcing a turnover on downs.

● Detroit turned it over on downs near midfield with the ensuing possession after St. Brown dropped a slant.

● A week after they were flagged 13 times, the Chiefs were not penalized once in Sunday’s win.

Inactives

In addition to the five players the Lions ruled out with injury before the game — offensive tackle Taylor Decker, cornerback Terrion Arnold, defensive back Avonte Maddox, linebacker Zach Cunningham and running back Sione Vaki — the team also made safety Loren Strickland and defensive lineman Mekhi Wingo inactive.

Next game

The Lions return home, but are back in primetime, hosting the 5-1 Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday Night Football.