Chiefs vs. Lions live updates: Score, analysis, stats, highlights for 'Sunday Night Football'

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Mahomes rushes for another score

An old-school option play! Mahomes reverse-pivoted into the option and had the chance to toss the ball to Isaiah Pacheco, but the defense parted and allowed him to walk into the end zone for a touchdown to give the Chiefs the lead once again. This came right after a pass interference penalty and then a big-time throw to Travis Kelce to get KC down to the goal line. Chiefs up 13-10.

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Lions fail on fourth down

Faced with fourth-and-2 just over midfield, the Lions also went for it. And then also came up short. Goff hit St. Brown coming over the middle of the field but the throw was maybe just a little bit low and it fell incomplete. Chiefs take over with a chance to take the lead. And remember, they also get the ball coming out of halftime so this could be a big swing here.

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Chiefs go on fourth again but come up short

Kansas City tried for yet another fourth-down conversion but this time came up short. The Chiefs ran a little bootleg action (they faked a sprintout left and then wheeled back around to the right) trying to get the running back open in the flat but the Lions had it well covered. Mahomes tried to throw back across his body but Thomas Harper made a nice play to knock the ball away. He's in the lineup guys like Terrion Arnold, Avonte Maddox and now Joseph out.

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Chiefs convert another four down

Kansas City went for a fourth-and-1 near midfield this time and converted with a run up the middle by Kareem Hunt. The Chiefs LOVE that play, where they line up with offset backs and hand it to the upback while faking a toss to the halfback.

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Patrick Mahomes taking some shots

One thing to monitor: As Mahomes carries such a heavy burden in the Chiefs' run game right now, it's worth keeping an eye on the hits he takes (or avoids). He's not been afraid of contact on scrambles this year, including in this matchup. Friendly reminder: This is a physical sport. Sometimes it's a matter of when, not if, those hits take a real toll.

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Kerby Joseph down

Cody highlighted the potential impact of Lions safety Kerby Joseph before the game started. He just went down on that previous play and headed to the sideline with the trainers. Could be a significant loss for a Lions team that is already shorthanded in the secondary.

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Touchdown Jamo

Right after that sequence, the Lions kept Goff extremely well protected on third down and he found Jameson Williams on a crossing route over the middle of the field. Williams bounced off a couple of tackles and made his way into the end zone to give the Lions the lead back. It's 10-6 after the extra point, which has to be noted after Butker missed on the other end.

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Extra OL

The Chiefs just ran three plays in a row with an extra offensive lineman and two tight ends on the field. Back-to-back nice runs for David Montgomery and then a play-action pass into the flat for Amon-Ra St. Brown.

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Touchdown Chiefs

Kansas City goes for it on fourth-and-3 from the 6-yard line and gets a Patrick Mahomes touchdown pass to Xavier Worthy. Nice little rub route with JuJu Smith-Schuster setting the pick to free Worthy in the flat. Harrison Butker missed the extra point, so it's a 6-3 game.

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Why the touchdown was called back

Here's the full explanation from the NBC broadcast.

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Lions settle for a field goal

After all that running down the field and setting the tone and taking 10 minutes off the clock, the Lions took back-to-back penalties on fourth-and-goal and ended up settling for a field goal from Jake Bates. They take an early 3-0 lead before Patrick Mahomes and Co. have gotten a chance to touch the ball.

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TRICK PLAY TOUCHDOWN... called back

The Lions just broke out the bag of tricks for the second consecutive week. David Montgomery just threw a touchdown pass for a second consecutive week. Just like last week, the Lions motioned Jared Goff out of the backfield and had David Montgomery take a direct snap, but this time he flipped the ball out to Goff in the flat, who took a block from Amon-Ra St. Brown and scored...

But the problem was that Goff went illegally in motion so the Lions were called for a penalty and the touchdown doesn't count. A shame, considering how cool that play was.

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Lions take the ball and go right down the field... to the goal line

Detroit won the coin toss and, rather than defer like many teams, elected to take the ball and try to set the tone for the game. And that's exactly what the Lions did. They're on a 14-play, 70-yard drive that has taken nearly 10 minutes off the clock. They're facing fourth-and-goal from inside the 1-yard line.

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Player to watch: Lions S Kerby Joseph

While the Chiefs have been streaky with the ball in their hands, Patrick Mahomes has generally done a good job of controlling the rock, throwing just two interceptions through five games. Still, the more he has to make something out of nothing, the more he tends to put the ball in harm's way. Enter Kerby Joseph, who's racked up a whopping 20 interceptions since he began his career with the Lions back in 2022. This man is a pick magnet on the back end, showcasing elite range and ball-tracking whenever opportunities present themselves. If anyone's going to rob Kansas City of a possession in this one, it's probably going to be him.

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Key question: Which elite edge rusher will steal the spotlight?

Aidan Hutchinson is practically the face of the Lions' defense, and he's already logged five sacks and three forced fumbles on the year. He should have a favorable matchup against Chiefs right tackle Jawaan Taylor. But K.C. has a bona fide pocket disruptor of its own in George Karlaftis, who leads the club with six tackles for loss in the middle of a breakout campaign. If Karlaftis can find a way to best Penei Sewell off the edge, putting heat on Jared Goff's typically clean operation, it could go a long way in slowing the Lions' track-team fireworks.

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Major X factor: Lions' rushing attack vs. Chiefs' run defense

Not only is Kansas City struggling to move the ball consistently on the ground, but Steve Spagnuolo's defense is also pressing to plug holes against opposing rushing attacks, surrendering more than 120 yards per game. That spells big trouble against a Lions team with maybe the best 1-2 punch in the league; both Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery are on pace for 1,000-yard seasons as the lightning and thunder of Detroit's all-star lineup. Nick Bolton is a tackle machine at the heart of the Chiefs' defensive efforts, but this could be an uphill battle for the reigning AFC champions.

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Chiefs inactives

LT Josh Simmons is out for personal reasons as he was not able to make it to the game from his home in California, per reports.

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Key question: Can anyone besides Mahomes break free for Chiefs' run game?

The Chiefs somehow still rank in the top 10 in terms of average offensive yardage but are leaning heavily upon their quarterback to carry a one-dimensional attack. Patrick Mahomes remains a magician, as evidenced by his team-high 190 rushing yards via desperate scrambles, and Isiah Pacheco is at least gaining some steam in a rotational role in recent weeks. But there's no real steady rhythm with the rushing attack, with the aging Kareem Hunt still a face of the committee, putting added pressure on Mahomes' aerial work.

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Lions inactives

Some injuries in the secondary for Detroit here. LT Taylor Decker is also out.

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