The Detroit Lions sent a message to the rest of the NFL with their Week 1 victory in Arrowhead Stadium over the reigning Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs. The message was clear: this is not the same old Lions team we’ve become accustomed to and Lions safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson made sure everyone received the message:
Video: New #Lions Safety C. J. Gardner-Johnson in the locker room repeating: "It ain't the same Detroit! "It ain't the same Detroit!!"
"It is not a mother—– fire drill!"
🤣😂
The Lions are enjoying beating the #Chiefs
(via @KettleFinance) pic.twitter.com/U7eFmJxEyk
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) September 8, 2023
“It’s not a mother——- fire drill,” said Gardner-Johnson. The Lions defeated the Chiefs 21-20 on their home field in epic fashion and Gardner-Johnson played a huge role in his Lions debut. He recorded five tackles and two pass deflections to help the Lions improve to 1-0.
While it is only the first game of the season, this was a monumental win for a franchise that has often been considered the laughingstock of the NFL for their historic lack of success. The win yesterday propelled the Lions to the franchise’s first 1-0 start to a regular season since 2017.
The Lions got key contributions from some of their best players. In addition to Gardner-Johnson, defensive end Aidan Hutchinson was disrupting Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes all night with his ability to create pressure. Defensive back Brian Branch intercepted a pass and returned it for a touchdown in his NFL debut.
On offense, Lions stud receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown hauled in six receptions for 71 yards and a touchdown and was quarterback Jared Goff’s favorite target the entire game. David Montgomery performed admirably in his Lions debut, receiving 21 carries and rushing for 74 yards en route to scoring the game-winning touchdown.
The Lions have a long way to go if they want to reach their ultimate goal, but C.J. Gardner-Johnson and the rest of the team know how important of a victory this was for this team.
