Both Kansas City Chiefs HC Andy Reid and Detroit Lions HC Dan Campbell have made appearances on NFL Media properties to react to their Week 1 game, which will kick off the 2023 NFL season on Thursday, Sept. 7.
Appearing on NFL Network during their schedule release coverage, Reid provided his initial reaction to the matchup, speaking to the growth of his Week 1 opponent during the course of last season.
“We start off with Detroit,” Reid said. “And Detroit is a heck of a football team, they showed that at the end of the season. How they’ve grown and that’s great competition there.”
After starting the 2022 NFL season with one win in their first seven games, the Lions won eight of their last 10 games. They narrowly missed the playoffs, but this year they’re looking to pick up where they left off.
Appearing on “Good Morning Football” on Friday, Campbell explained that the Chiefs will be a measuring stick game for them.
“I told Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn, I was like, ‘Man, if we could pull off the Thursday night game, the opening of the season, that would be unbelievable.’ Just because you get good work in, you play that game, you get 10 days to recover, gameplan and get ready for the next opponent,” Campbell said. “I’ll be danged if we didn’t draw it — not only that, but we get Kansas City, the heavyweight champ. So, we’re excited, the staff’s excited, I know our player’s are excited. I think everyone wants an opportunity to play the champ and see where you stack up. I know what Andy Reid’s about. We know what that team’s about. They’re highly competitive, 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.”
As for why Campbell suspects the NFL chose his team for the season opener against Kansas City. He feels that it’s all about how they finished the 2022 NFL season — and even if Detroit loses the game, the league knows they’ll at least put up a fight.
“I’ll say this, here’s my first thought, if I’m being totally honest with you as to why they would give us Kansas City,” Campbell said. “OK, you finished the year a certain way, but it also means they’re betting that we won’t get our ass kicked. You may get beat, but you won’t get your ass kicked.”
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