Chiefs vs. Lions: Inside The Enemy Camp
The Kansas City Chiefs will look to bounce back against the Detroit Lions Sunday, following their embarrassing 41-7 loss to the Buffalo Bills last week. It won’t be easy as the Lions appear to be a team on the rise, playing at home.
To get a better idea of what the Chiefs are up against, I sat down with Zac Snyder from FanSided’s Lions blog, SideLion Report. SLR is truly one of the finest blogs on the entire network and I strongly encourage you to make frequent trips over that way to get the scoop on all things Lions.
Now, let’s go Inside the Enemy Camp with SideLion Report!
How did the interior of that nasty Lions D-line perform in Week One?
Their play didn’t turn into a pile of sacks but they were active enough to keep Josh Freeman from getting comfortable. We have come to expect the heavy pass rush but their ability to stifle the Bucs’ running game was a great sign.
Gunther Cunningham has a long history with the Chiefs. He was the team’s defensive coordinator twice and also it’s head coach. How do Lions fans view our old friend Gun?
Considering the way the Lions defense have improved since he (and Jim Schwartz) arrived, he is viewed very positively. Off the field he is kind of a like a crazy old uncle and I think a little eccentricity is endearing when the results are tangible. The Lions are on the same page defensively from the head coach to the defensive staff down to the players. Everyone is doing their part, including Gun.
I didn’t catch the game but it seems as though Stafford had a pretty good game last week. How did you feel he played and is this finally the year he shows up for an entire season?
Stafford makes a couple throws every game that make you realize why he was a number one overall pick. Last week was no exception as he made a perfect pass over Aqib Talib to Calvin Johnson for a 36 yard touchdown on a fourth and three play. I feel that last year would have been a big breakout year for him if not for the injury so this will be the year fans around the league start the discussion about whether or not Stafford fits in with the other elites. There is no medical reason why Matthew Stafford shouldn’t make it through the season. Yes, he hasn’t done it in his first two season but doctors do not feel that he has any chronic problems or a greater risk of injury than any other player.
Who are some young Lions players that Chiefs fans may not have heard of yet that they should keep an eye on Sunday?
I don’t want to insult anyone’s intelligence about rosters around the league so I’ll keep it to one name: Aaron Berry. He came to the Lions last year as an undrafted free agent and earned a week one start. He intercepted a pass in that game but also suffered an arm injury that ended his season. He is back again this year and played a physical brand of ball last week in Tampa. I can admit that he probably got away with what should have been pass interference in the end zone but I like his aggressive style. It remains to be seen if he can be a number one or two corner but he is a relatively unknown player that has made some noise in Detroit.
The Lions beat the Bucs last week, a team that went 10-6 last season. Detroit appears to be on the rise. What was different about the way they played the Bucs over what the team has done in previous years?
The biggest difference is that they dictated play for just about the entire game. They didn’t get pushed around, they did the pushing. They didn’t get forced into the Bucs tempo, they set their own. Perhaps most importantly they didn’t get rattled by their mistakes. They played well from the opening kick but trailed until midway through the second quarter thanks to a big kickoff return and a tipped pass that was returned for a touchdown. Their play didn’t suffer and they eliminated the mistakes and were able to put themselves ahead for good as a result.
Lastly, your prediction for how badly you think the Lions will
murder
…I mean, your prediction for the game?
The confidence I’m feeling in the Lions is strange but I consider the Chiefs a lesser opponent than the Bucs and the Lions have the added benefit of playing at home. I expect to see the Lions control the game statistically and on the scoreboard. Lions win 27-13.