The Detroit Lions and Kansas City Chiefs face off in a Saturday afternoon preseason matchup. It’s clear both teams have very different goals for the game.
Andy Reid and the Chiefs plan on playing their starters for the entire first half. Without the benefit of joint practices, they’re still trying to get their starters meaningful reps against an opponent other than themselves. Saturday afternoon will provide that opportunity—even if it is against Lions backups.
Because Dan Campbell and Detroit are in a very different mindset right now. After a physical week of joint practices with the New York Giants and an injury-filled preseason game, Detroit needs to scale back.