Dan Campbell wants Lions to 'limit' Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce

Defensive coaches have been racking their brains for the past five seasons: "How do you slow down the Kansas City Chiefs offense?" Few have ever found the answer, save for the struggles the offense faced against Cover 2 once upon a time. That won't stop the Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell and defensive coordinator […]

Charles Goldman — NFL Managing Editor

Sep 3, 2023 11:45 AM EDT

Defensive coaches have been racking their brains for the past five seasons: "How do you slow down the Kansas City Chiefs offense?"

Few have ever found the answer, save for the struggles the offense faced against Cover 2 once upon a time. That won't stop the Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn from trying to find the answer during Week 1 of the 2023 NFL season.

Speaking to media members, Campbell discussed the challenge of facing off against an Andy Reid-coached offense quarterbacked by Patrick Mahomes. Asked about stopping Mahomes, he gave reporters a unique answer.

"Make him go backward, and never turn around where he can throw back that way," Campbell said. "That would be about the best way to sum it up. Look, this guy, he's tough. That's the easy answer to all this. He's a highly competitive, highly instinctive, aware player. He is the engine in this offense. Everything runs through him, and he makes it go. Around him, he's got these pivotal pieces, 87 (Travis Kelce) being one of them. Man, when you're all on the same page like they are and they have communication without saying a word, it's tough."

Campbell feels that there is a way to slow Mahomes and Travis Kelce despite the Vulcan mind meld they've got going on. The Lions' defense is not just preparing to defend the scheme, but the signature "Mahomes Magic" that comes between these two when the plays break down.

"There's a way to, I think, limit what they do a little bit," Campbell explained. "It's gonna take every one of us over there defensively. It's one thing to play your keys, do your job. But, when the play breaks down, you've gotta stay alive, and you may have to stay alive for six or seven seconds. And, you better find 87 when that play breaks down. He's as good as they come. He's as tough as they are to play. He's a great player."

It's a bold plan from Campbell to focus on defending those off-schedule plays, just because you never truly know when they're going to happen. We'll see if it can actually be executed successfully on Thursday.