The Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell is not at all worried about heading to the home of recent Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs in the 2023 NFL season opener, rather, he cited enthusiasm for facing off against the well-established power.
Following an incredible 9-8 campaign that witnessed the Lions keeping the Green Bay Packers out of the postseason, Detroit proved their worth in the league and the franchise with zero prime-time games in 2022 is set to enjoy the opportunity to kick off the NFL season against the Chiefs in 2023 at the Chiefs’ banner ceremony
What did Lions HC say about the challenge of facing the Chiefs in the 2023 NFL season opener?
Lions HC Dan Campbell recently made a Friday appearance on ‘Good Morning Football’ and shared the backstory of manifesting his team to be the Thursday night game opener as they would enjoy plenty of time to plan strategies for the next game and players will get enough time to recover.
“First of all, I had told (offensive coordinator) Ben Johnson, (defensive coordinator) Aaron Glenn, I was like, man, the day before it came out, if we could pull off, somehow, some way, Thursday night game, the opener, opening of the season, man, that would be unbelievable, just because you get good work in, you play that game, then you get 10 days to recover and game plan for the next opponent.’ And I’ll be danged if we didn’t draw it”, he said.
Besides enjoying benefits of their own, Campbell stated excitement for getting the incredible opportunity to face off against the champion team on the field.
“Not only that, but we get Kansas City, the heavyweight champ. So, we’re excited. The staff is excited, I know our players are excited. I think everybody wants the opportunity to play the champ, and to see where you stack up. We know what Andy Reid is about, we know what that team is about, highly competitive, they’re a champ year in and year out, they’re going to be in the running. So, man, we’re looking forward to it. It’s going to be great”, he added.
The Chiefs won seven straight division championships as well as three AFC championships and two Super Bowls in the last four years, hence, facing a competitor with this capability may lead Detroit to get their ‘asses kicked’, speculated by the HC.
“Now I’ll say this, this is my first thought, if I’m being totally honest as to why they would give us Kansas City. Well yeah, we finished the year (well) certainly, but it also means they’re betting on we won’t get our asses kicked, all right? You may get beat, but you won’t get your asses kicked. That’s what they’re saying. So, that’s fine. We know the opponent we’re getting ready to face. But I do know there’s interest, and we’re an intriguing team”, Campbell cited.
Despite the challenge ahead, Dan expressed confidence in his team’s ability to rise to the occasion.
HC Dan Campbell and the @Lions are hyped for the chance to prove themselves in primetime 🦁😤 (via @GMFB) pic.twitter.com/lyabThLlrq
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) May 12, 2023
“They’re the top dogs, they’re as good as they get and the ultimate challenge. But if you’re a competitor like we are as a coaching staff and our players are, it just doesn’t get any better. So, yeah, to get the recognition, ‘You know what? These guys can go in there and put up a fight and compete on the opening game of the season”, the HC further added.
While the Lions are considered underdogs against the Chiefs, Campbell’s optimism and willingness to embrace the challenge could help inspire his team to perform at a higher level than expected.
Do you think that the Lions can beat the Chiefs given their recent form? You can share your thoughts with us in the comments.
