Travis Kelce’s Latest Injury Could Be Bad For The Detroit Lions

Football is back, baby. We've already seen the much anticipated return of College Football, and now this week the NFL returns. *audible exhale* We made it...we made it.

The return of the NFL season is even more special in 2023, because the regular season kicks off with the defending Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs taking on our Detroit Lions. It doesn't get more Prime Time than that, does it?

You really couldn't ask for a better matchup to launch the start of the season. Two of the hottest teams in the league last year get to square off to see who can continue that end of the season dominance and start the year 1-0. The Chiefs, obviously, had an incredible run at the end of their year, winning it all. However, the Lions had a spectacular run of their own, winning five of their last six games.

Football fans are excited because their sport is back and they should get a great game to start the season. Chiefs fans are excited because they get to raise the banner, and take on a franchise that has arguably been one of the biggest laughing stocks in the league over the past few decades. Lions fans are excited because they have a chance to start the year by beating the best, and recent developments have them thinking a little more optimistically about their chances.

Earlier this week, it was announced that Kansas City's star Tight End, Travis Kelce, injured his knee and is now doubtful for the game against the Lions. Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid announced on Tuesday that Kelce had "hyperextended his knee" at practice that morning and his status for Week 1 isn't certain, according to Adam Schefter at ESPN.

Ian Rapoport, of the NFL Network, had more developments on the injury, saying it looks good for Kelce's long-term health, but Week 1 is certainly in question.

As the week has progressed, there remains hope that Kelce will be able to go. Jordan Dajani, of CBSSports.com, wrote that Travis' brother Jason, who plays Offensive Line for the Philadelphia Eagles, thinks little bro will be ready to go.

Now, obviously, you never want to see a guy get hurt. Hopefully, he's healthy and ready to go. However, it's understandable that Lions fans may be hoping he gives the knee a break and starts his season Week 2. You'd have better chances of winning if the other team was without one of the best and most impactful players, which Travis Kelce is. He's the go-to target for quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The guy had four touchdowns in a game last year! That doesn't just happen. Of course the Chiefs aren't the same team without him.

Since his injury, the betting line for the game as gone from Chiefs -7 to Chiefs -4.5, according to ESPN. That dramatic decline makes me believe Vegas sees a real chance of him not playing in this game. Don't get too excited, though, Lions fans. There might be something we're overlooking here.

It's not time to start celebrating, yet. Even if Kelce doesn't play in the game, the Chiefs need to be taken seriously. Shouldn't have to say that regarding the defending Super Bowl Champions, but it's necessary. They still have the best quarterback in the league, in Patrick Mahomes, and let's be honest...he could very well be the most talented QB to ever play the position. That's a debate for another time, but there's no arguing he's certainly already one of the greatest to ever do it.

Not only are the Chiefs set at the quarterback position, but they have one of the best coaches in the game, as well. Andy Reid is a scheming beast. He's going to find a way to get players open, even if they aren't as skilled as Travis Kelce. The rest of the weapons on the team may not have Kelce's name or pedigree, but they should not be ignored. I mean, look at the weapons Tom Brady won with for years in New England. They never had the most skilled pass catchers, but they found and created ways to win with the personnel they had. The Chiefs are capable of doing just that.

My big fear is that this injury might cause the Lions to take their foot off the pedal a little. The points spread as dropped in half, essentially, and now they might not be coming into the game as the underdogs they were last week. Now, there's sort of the expectation that they should win this game, if Travis Kelce doesn't play. I don't want that mentality. This team is built on Grit. They thrive on people not believing in them. Look how they finished the season last year. They proved the whole wrong, in a display that truly was Detroit vs Everybody.

Prior to his injury, the expectations for the game were different. If the Lions lost, hey it's to the defending Champs and one of the best quarterbacks we've ever seen. What did you expect? However, if they won. It would have been a huge statement. It would prove to the world that this isn't "S.O.L." Now, if Travis Kelce doesn't play, and the Lions win, it won't look as impressive to the rest of the viewing world. They were supposed to win that game playing a team without their best weapon. It really takes away some of the credit that the Lions would receive, had this not happened.

What I'm saying is, it shouldn't change the narrative. With or without Travis Kelce, beating the Kansas City Chiefs to start the 2023 NFL season would be a big deal, and a massive accomplishment. If he sits out, and the Lions lose the game, now a whole new narrative begins. "How great is Patrick Mahomes that he can lead a group of nobodies to a win." "Lions can't even beat the Chiefs without their best weapon." The stories would be never ending, and the Lions would turn to the butt of the joke, when it wouldn't be deserved. This injury is already changing the conversation and narrative around these two teams, and the outcome of the game could dictate how these teams are perceived going forward for the rest of the year.

I hope Travis Kelce is healthy, I hope he plays, and I hope he plays well. Then, I hope the Lions beat them. Fair and square. Their best against our best. We'll have to wait to see what happens...but hopefully we can start the 2023 season with a win and Restore The Roar.

Can't wait for the return of Lions football? Keep reading for more on the upcoming season and our boys in Honolulu Blue!

The Detroit Lions are one of the most buzzed-about teams in the NFL right now. I'm so excited for the upcoming NFL season. It all kicks off with the Detroit Lions against Superbowl Champions the Kansas City Chiefs on Sept. 7. Pop that popcorn. Also, drink that blue Kool-Aid. I'm lining up guests for the new season of "The Squad with Anne Erickson," and we have some great people booked. I’m ready with a new season of my sports podcast. Subscribe to “The Squad with Anne Erickson” wherever you listen to podcasts. Reach out to me with your NFL insights here, and I'd love to include your thoughts on my show. Let's get to know the initial 53-man roster for 2023.

So, who will we see on the field this season? The initial lineup is set. Of course, this will change throughout the season, but this is the initial crew. No matter who's playing, there’s something different about the Detroit Lions this season, and it’s in a good way. For the first time in many years, there’s a respect for the Lions that just hasn’t been there.

When it comes to the roster, Jared Goff is one of the key pieces of the puzzle. He had a rough first year with the Lions in 2021. But, Goff was great last season and had some of the best stats in the NFL towards the end of the season. He still has a strong offense on the team, so if he picks up where he left off last season, then we're golden. We also have a solid defense and offense. We're not really rated as the "best" in any of these categories, but all of our positions are good enough to make us one of the strongest teams in the NFL. I'm not happy that summer is ending, but I'm happy that football is starting up.

This year's quarterbacks are Jared Goff, who is the starting quarterback, of course, along with Teddy Bridgewater and Hendon Hooker. We have a solid crew here. I'm a Goff believer.

This year's wide receivers include Amon-Ra St. Brown, Josh Reynolds, Kalif Raymond, Marvin Jones, Jameson Williams and Antoine Green. Sadly, Williams will miss the first several games due to gambling violations.

We're strong here. This year's running backs include David Montgomery, Jahmyr Gibbs and Jason Cabinda (FB). This is a solid roster. It's great to get Montgomery from the Bears.

We need some help in this area, but this year's lineup seems strong. This year's tight ends include Sam LaPorta, Brock Wright and James Mitchell.

Let's go get it! This year's offensive line includes Taylor Decker, Penei Sewell, Frank Ragnow, Jonah Jackson, Graham Glasgow, Halapoulivaati Vaitai, Colby Sorsdal and Matt Nelson. That's a good showing.

Let's look at the positions of EDGE and tackles. We have Alim McNeill, Isaiah Buggs, Brodric Martin, Levi Onwuzurike, Benito Jones, Aidan Hutchinson, Charles Harris, Josh Paschal, John Cominsky, James Houston, Romeo Okwara and Julian Okwara. It's a solid list.

Let's check out our linebackers and defensive backs. We have Alex Anzalone, Jack Campbell, Derrick Barnes, Malcolm Rodriguez, Jalen Reeves-Maybin, Anthony Pittman, Cam Sutton, Jerry Jacobs, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Emmanuel Moseley, Kerby Joseph, Tracy Walker, Brian Branch, Will Harris, Khalil Dorsey, Steven Gilmore and Ifeatu Melifonwu. Many of these are familiar names.

Don't forget these guys. We also have Jack Fox, Scott Daly and Riley Patterson. In the fold. So, there you have it. Our initial lineup. Let's keep everyone healthy and winning.

With football set to return in just a few short weeks, fans everywhere are eagerly awaiting their favorite team's first game. We Detroit fans are among the most diehard fanbases in the country, and this time for good reason. The Lions are coming off a nine-win season after just barely missing the playoffs. Many sports experts are even betting sites have picked our Detroit Lions as the favorite to win their division, with Aaron Rodgers finally gone and now playing for the New York Jets. The only presumable threat to the Lions winning the division would be the Minnesota Vikings. The Lions are widely considered to be a more complete team than Minnesota, which is why Detroit is the favorite to win the NFC North and make the playoffs.

The Detroit Lions have a long and storied history. Not many people know that the Lions didn't actually start off in Detroit. Before the Detroit Lions existed, there was the Portsmouth Spartans of Portsmouth, Ohio. The Spartans were founded in 1929 and played in Ohio until 1934 when the team was relocated to Detroit, Michigan. The team was rebranded as the Detroit Lions and have worn the Honolulu Blue and Silver uniforms ever since. Interestingly enough, the Lions have played on Thanksgiving since 1934 because their original owner George Richards had major influence in the media markets. Richards was not only the owner of the Lions but he also owned the well-known Southeastern Michigan radio station WJR.

The Lions are poised to do serious damage this season behind hard-nosed head coach Dan Campbell and quarterback Jared Goff. I have the team winning at least 11 games, as I think they are significantly improved from last year. General Manager Brad Holmes has both improved the defense and offense by adding star power in the secondary and bolstering the front seven with young talent. All while adding star Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs and former Bears back David Montgomery to the backfield. One thing is for sure the Lions are going to be good. In honor of how excited fans are heading into the season, here are some of the team's greatest moments over the years! I did have to place links to the videos of some of these moments at the bottom due to the NFL's strict copyright rules.

With just a little over 1 minute left in the game former Lions Quarterback Matthew Stafford marched his team down the field for a score. It wasn't just that he got the comeback win, it was also how he did it. After completing a 22 yard pass to Wide Receiver Calvin Johnson, the ball was placed at the 1 yard line with under 30 seconds left. With no timeouts Stafford motioned his team to quickly get to the line so they could spike the ball and stop the clock. Instead when the ball was snapped Stafford dove into the endzone for the game winning touchdown!
Watch the fake spike win here.

The game that won Lions fans over. Matthew Stafford played out of his mind against the Cleveland Browns, passing for 422 Yards and 5 Touchdowns in a last second win. Stafford shows Detroit fans that he is tough as nails in this game, as he gets drilled as time expires and visibly injures his throwing shoulder on the play. The Lions got an extra shot after the play since there was a penalty in the endzone. Stafford refused to sit out for the last play, stayed in and threw the game winning score!

Watch the heroic drive by Stafford here.

Clinching the playoffs for the first time in over a decade. Matthew Stafford lead the team to a 10 and 6 record in 2011 and a NFC wildcard appearance against the New Orleans Saints.

Here are the highlights from that game!

I know former Green Bay Quarterback Aaron Rodgers didn't simply leave the team because the Lions beat him twice in 1 year. However it definitely didn't give him more of a reason to stay. Knowing the last time he was in a Packers uniform was when he was handed a season ending defeat at the hand of the Detroit Lions. This game also turned out to be a type of "prove it" game for Detroit fans, putting their confidence in this squad at and all-time high heading into the next season.

Checkout the highlights from that game here!.

Behind the heroic performance of Erik Kramer and Barry Sanders the Lions defeated the Dallas Cowboys 38-6 in the NFC divisional round of the Playoffs. Making their first ever NFC championship game and capturing their first playoff win since 1957.

To relive the moments of that game watch the highlights here.

Dan Campbell is a likeable dude. He is also always saying something that make you either feel good or go, "Heh? What the heck?" I mean that in the best possible way.

I've put together a list of 10 totally hilarious things Dan Campbell has said during his few years with the Detroit Lions so far. Some of these have me scratching my head, while others just have me rolling in laughter. Dan, we love you! I hope for more great quotes this season.

Listen to the latest episode of "The Squad with Anne Erickson" below for some hot takes on the NFL Draft and what it means to the Detroit Lions. Reach out to me and give me your take on the Detroit Lions on social media here. Go Lions!

This quote he said back before the Lions' open practice at Ford field in 2022. "We are fricking starving … so the hyenas better get out of the way." Via Dave Birkett.

Dan Campbell wanted a "pet lion" at practice. OMgosh.

Appearing on the "Pardon My Take" Podcast, Campbell said he asked for a pet lion at practice.

"I'll tell you what I would really love to do, just in general," he said. "I've talked to (Lions owner) Sheila (Ford Hamp) about this. I don't think we're going to be able to do it, but I would love to literally just have a pet lion. Just a legit pet lion on a chain — a big-a** chain. And he just, he really is my pet. We just walk around the building, we go out to practice, we're in 7-on-7, we're behind the kicker when he's kicking. We're just … there we are."

I'm all for a good analogy. But this one is a bit much for me. But, hey, I'm not a football player. Talk the talk, and walk the walk, right? Here's Dan Campbell's toilet paper pep talk. The quote is from July 2, 2021, talking about practice in a press conference via Michael Silver.

"I told them, honestly, Day 1, I said, 'Look, I'm not carrying your toilet paper around. I'm not gonna wipe your butt. You're gonna wipe your own butt. You handle it and I'll treat you like men until you prove otherwise."

Who doesn't remember the praying mantis comment? Dan Campbell said regarding Josh Reynolds, "He’s slippery man. I call him the praying mantis. He’s the spider of death. There’s something about him. Fricking serpent." This is via Dave Birkett.

I don't get this quote at all. But, hey, it's working, so keep these quotes coming, Dan!

"We'll tread water as long as it takes to f***ing bury you." This was said in August 2022 via Tyler Dunne.

Here's another one I don't get. It's from "Hard Knocks" in 2022. "It doesn't matter if you have one a**-cheek and three toes, I will beat your a**." Okay.

"I swear to God, I'm not a lunatic." This was another quote from "Hard Knocks." Dan, honestly, anyone who is going to head up the Detroit Lions and shoot for the Super Bowl has got to be a lunatic- the best kind. It's okay. Embrace it.

Here's another quote from "Hard Knocks." Campbell says, "There is no light at the end of the tunnel. There is no light. There's a song Metallica has, 'No Leaf Clover,' and it says, 'Man, when it comes to the soothing light at the end of your tunnel, it's just a freight train coming your way.'" I'm not crying, you are.

"You grade them off the tape, you don’t grade off somebody out here in pajamas," via The Sporting News. This is in regards to not liking the often misleading evaluations from the Scouting Combine.

This one wasn't just a quote, but imagry, too. It went viral last year. It's the moment that Dan Campbell went on "Hard Knocks" and shook out a pair of pants. "This last bit of losing has got to get outta here." Via the NFL.

What do you think is going to happen in Week 1 between the Lions and the Chiefs? I think it's going to be a shoot out and a very high scoring game. Chiefs win, but Lions cover. Chiefs 34 Lions 30. Prediction: Lions finally win the North.

Send me your predictions for the game on Twitter!