The NFL season is here! The season kicked off with a matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Detroit Lions on Thursday night, September 7. However, the outcome of the game did not align with the predictions of the NFL community and fans.
The unexpected yet glorious victory of the labeled ‘underdog’ over the reigning champions may be attributed to various shortcomings on the part of the hosting team. As the Arrowhead Stadium witnessed disappointed faces, online fans made sure to express their frustration. They directed criticism at specific individuals in the aftermath of the Chiefs’ narrow loss to the Lions.
Pitfalls within the Kansas City Chiefs team?
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The Detroit Lions kicked off the season with a thrilling 21-20 victory on the road against the Kansas City Chiefs, giving them a 1-0 record in the season opener. The game’s turning point came with rookie defensive back Brian Branch’s pick-six, marking Detroit’s first opening-week win since 2017. However, Branch faced an injury too in his first game. For the Chiefs, who are seeking to defend their championship title this year, the first loss raises concerns for both the team and their fans.
Week 1 final. pic.twitter.com/5qc4Itb49P
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) September 8, 2023
While several factors may have contributed to the defeat, one significant setback was playing without their star TE due to Travis Kelce‘s injury. Patrick Mahomes gave it his all without Kelce, but four drops from receiver Kadarius Toney, including one that resulted in a pick-six, wound up Kansas City’s challenging night.
The 24-year-old Toney, who is considered one of the Chiefs’ most dynamic offensive weapons, finished the game with just one receiving yard and negative one rushing yard. This play led to frustration among fans directed at him and the Chiefs on social media.
Do fans want Jones back and Toney out?
It was a disappointing day for Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reid, and the Chiefs. The absence of Chris Jones due to contract issues and Travis Kelce due to a knee injury had a noticeable impact on the team’s performance. While Mahomes managed to complete 21 of 39 passes for 226 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception, it was clear that Toney bore more responsibility for that interception than the star quarterback did. This opened the floodgates for online fans to vent their frustrations. One fan expressed their frustration by saying, “Cut Toney, pay Jones, Sign ANYONE WHO CAN ACTUALLY CATCH A FOOTBALL.”
Another fan humorously suggested, “I would go borrow the pitch machine from the Royals set it at 105 mph and shot balls at the WRs until they caught 50 in a row. And I’m talking baseballs. Not footballs.”
Yet another fan commented, “The Chiefs’ receivers lost that game……. Some of those missed catches were absolutely brutal.”
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A person chimed in, “Catch the ball or go to space?”
Another fan remarked, “Let Chris sit and use that money for a receiver that can catch.”
Someone referred to Toney by his jersey number, saying, “cut 19 right the f*ck now.”
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The fans were clearly frustrated, and Twitter was flooded with harsh comments, particularly directed at Toney, while many demanded Jones’ return.
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