‘Do I smile or do I cry?’ Detroit Lions fans on facing Chiefs in NFL’s season opener
The Detroit Lions started last season with a 1-6 record, and a fifth straight last-place finish in the NFC North seemed a distinct possibility.
Instead, the Lions won eight of their final 10 games, including a 20-16 victory in the season finale at Green Bay that kept the Packers out of the playoffs.
Detroit finished second in the division and was fifth in scoring offense, averaging 26.6 points per game.
The NFL took note of the Lions’ late-season surge and scheduled them as the Super Bowl-champion Chiefs’ opponent in the league’s 2023 season opener.
Detroit fans were mostly thrilled to see their team would be playing in the first game of the NFL season.
Here is what they were saying on Twitter, Reddit and Facebook about playing the Chiefs in the NFL Kickoff Game.
A Reddit user wrote: “You all wanted the Lions to get more respect. We are now opening the season against the SB champs! Lets blow them out and send a message to the league!”
Another added: “I’d rather not start the season 0-1 (Chiefs are by far the hardest team on the schedule) but this might be good. No one has seen how either the rookies play or Ben Johnson’s new offensive schemes. The Lions will be the most unpredictable they’ll be all season.”
A Lions fan on Facebook shared this: “I predict four sacks on Mahomes. Maybe a pick or two. We will surprise them.”
Another wrote: “The Lions historically fare poorly when under the national spotlight in games like this. Hopefully the culture has turned. But I have to see it to believe it.”
On Reddit, a fan wrote: “Please god all I ask is that our defense is ready week one instead of taking a 6 week bye to start the year again. That’s it. That being said, this is so exciting. I can’t wait; at a certain point you can’t be afraid of losing, the boys need to go out and take care of business.”
Another shared this: “Do I smile or do I cry?”
A fan wrote on Facebook: “To be the best, gotta beat the best.”
“Well,” another wrote, “we will be in the spotlight.. chance to show we can compete.”
A fan wrote on Reddit: “Chiefs are either gonna blow out the lions by 3+ scores or the game’s going to come down to the last possession in a shootout. Either way I’m here for it.”
This was another comment: “We’re gonna get crushed. Andy Reid with all that extra time to game plan is going to wipe the floor with us. Oh well I guess.”
