Jared Goff puts his undefeated record against Patrick Mahomes on the line this Sunday
The last time the Detroit Lions faced off against the Kansas City Chiefs was a significant milestone for the franchise. Kicking off the 2023 NFL season by going on the road against the defending Super Bowl champions and coming away with a victory was a moment that many deemed a turning point for the Lions. It was proof that this team was not the "Same Old Lions."
That game was only the second time Lions quarterback Jared Goff and Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes have gone head-to-head. Goff may have been wearing a different uniform this time, but the result was still the same. Goff improved his record against Mahomes to 2-0, and on Sunday, Goff will have the opportunity to go to 3-0.
While Goff and Mahomes will only share the field before kickoff and during postgame handshakes, an undefeated record against Mahomes is still a remarkable feat. Mahomes is one of the best and most accomplished QBs ever, with his Chiefs led by an all-time great head coach in Andy Reid. They're winners, and the standard every franchise strives to reach.
That Lions victory over the Chiefs in 2023 was hard-fought. The Lions were down by a touchdown at the half and grinded out a 21-20 win, thanks in part to a pick-six by rookie safety Brian Branch. Goff turned in a respectable game, completing 22 of his 35 passes for 253 yards and a TD. Mahomes matched him well, completing 21 of his 39 passes for 226 yards and two TDs on top of the aforementioned interception. It was an impressive win, but far from the fireworks of Goff's first meeting with Mahomes.
In November 2018, Goff and Mahomes squared off in an instant classic -- unless you're a fan of defense. Goff, then with the Los Angeles Rams, amassed 413 yards and four TDs while Mahomes threw for 478 yards of his own on top of six TDs. Each QB lost two fumbles throughout the game, but Mahomes' three interceptions to Goff's zero proved key to the Rams' 54-51 victory, which saw the Chiefs and Rams combine for over a thousand yards.
In 2019, the NFL ranked that game as the 33rd best game of all-time, which was the second-highest non-playoff game on their 100 Greatest Games list. It's understandable that expectations are high when Goff and Mahomes go head-to-head.
The stakes are high for this third leg of the trilogy
Goff and Mahomes will meet once again for their third primetime bout, this time on Sunday Night Football. Interestingly enough, this will be their first meeting on a Sunday, as they previously played on a Monday and Thursday.
Maybe a Sunday game is just what the doctor ordered for the struggling Chiefs, who are reeling after
a shocking loss on Monday Night Football to the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Chiefs are facing a potential 2-4 start in a tough AFC conference. It's tough to blame Mahomes for this start, given his aging roster and an offense where he leads the team in rushing yards. For the Chiefs to win, he'll need to return to an MVP level and attack the Lions' depleted cornerback group to make this a 2018-like shootout.
As for the Lions, they're riding high after rebounding from a Week 1 loss by winning four consecutive games. Goff has been playing at an MVP level, currently leading the league in TD passes and completion percentage while ranking in the top two in other categories such as passer rating and TD percentage. Injuries are proving to be a cause for concern again for the Lions, but the offense is still a force, averaging a league-leading 34.8 points per game. The Chief's defense still poses a test, however, averaging 21.4 points per game, good for a tie for 13th best.
Above all else, each time Goff and Mahomes have met, both QBs have gone on to appear in the conference championship game, with at least one of them reaching the Super Bowl. Regardless of the result, the Super Bowl will continue to be the expectation for both teams going forward. Sunday will go a long way toward making that expectation a reality.
Bills' captain Josh Allen reacts to latest Keon Coleman disciplinary action
Starting with Monday night's game in Atlanta, the Buffalo Bills know they have to be better. They also have to be more disciplined.
In the wake of Keon Coleman sitting out the start of last week's upset loss to the New England Patriots, the receiver acknowledged his mistake an vowed to improve his focus going forward. It was the second time in two seasons Coleman has been disciplined by head coach Sean McDermott.
“It is frustrating because you know you’re better than that as a person and an individual," Coleman said this week, "and you don’t like the things that it shows."
The Bills were also sloppy on the field against the Pats, with an uncharacteristic three penalties and 11 penalties.
Team captain and star quarterback Josh Allen also realizes the Bills have to button things up. They are 4-1 and tied for the best record in the NFL, but the margin between teams is too thin to play football littered with on- and off-field mistakes.
“I think he understands," Allen said of Coleman. "I think he knows at the end of the day, this locker room, this team, you don’t ever want to let your teammates down, and I think he understands that and he doesn’t want to let us down. He’s a guy that continues to work extremely hard. It’s not going to deter (me from) going his way at all.”
