The Kansas City Chiefs had a less-than-ideal start to their 2022 Super Bowl title defense. Without two of their All-Pro players, Chris Jones and Travis Kelce, the Detroit Lions were able to take advantage of their absences to propel them to an exciting 21-20 victory to kick off the 2023 NFL regular season.
Without Kelce on the offensive end, quarterback Patrick Mahomes had to find other ways to move the ball down the field and score points. The other pass-catchers in the Chiefs receiving room needed to step up without their superstar tight end, and unfortunately could not do enough to help Mahomes, especially receiver Kadarius Toney.
Toney dropped three passes in the Chiefs loss to the Lions, one which resulted in a pick-six by Lions rookie defensive back Brian Branch:
Another look at the drop by Toney.
And the game is tied at 14, what a blow to KC.pic.twitter.com/tmH9zv8myxhttps://t.co/jw0OLRpXSa
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) September 8, 2023
Despite that interception changing the complexion of the game in a matter of seconds, Mahomes said he still has faith in Toney. “I trust he’s going to be the guy,” said Mahomes. Toney may not be feeling like “the guy” right now, but it is a huge vote of confidence to hear that from your quarterback after dropping three passes.
The Chiefs hope to have Kelce back next week when they play against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He hyperextended his knee in practice earlier this week and the team chose to take a cautious approach with their star tight end.
Chris Jones’ timeline to return is a bit murkier. He is currently holding out on the Chiefs due to a contract dispute and it has been reported that the two sides seem far apart in negotiations.
