The Detroit Lions went into Arrowhead Stadium with the Kansas City Chiefs staring down a potential 2-4 start. And while the officiating certainly didn’t tilt in Detroit’s favor, the Lions had more than enough chances to overcome it—but failed to capitalize on several pivotal plays that swung the game’s momentum.
It wasn’t the finest outing for either side of the ball. The offense failed to eclipse 300 total yards and went just 5-for-13 on third and fourth downs, while the defense allowed yet another smooth sailing opening-drive touchdown and let Patrick Mahomes post a 132.2 passer rating—his highest in a regular-season game over the last three years. Detroit led 10-6 early in the second quarter and appeared to be winning in the trenches, but from that point on it was all Kansas City, who closed the game on a 24-7 run.
The Chiefs took care of business, and the Lions now have plenty to clean up before their “Monday Night Football” clash with the Buccaneers. Here’s a look at who’s trending up—and who’s trending down—after Week 6.
Stock up: Penei Sewell, RT
With Taylor Decker and Giovanni Manu sidelined, Dan Skipper drew the start at left tackle, leaving Sewell as the unquestioned stabilizing force up front. Despite inconsistent play from the interior, Sewell was an absolute rock on the right side—a reminder why he’s firmly in contention for the inaugural NFL Protector of the Year award.
Matched up frequently against George Karlaftis, rookie Ashton Gillotte, and Mike Danna, Sewell handled every challenge. He locked out the edge rushers, stonewalled stunts, absorbed blitzes, and allowed minimal pressure throughout. His work against Karlaftis stood out—helping to hold him to just one pressure, his lowest total since Week 10 of last season, after averaging over six per game this season.
Even as the rushing attack sputtered later on, Sewell continued to move defenders in the run game and set a steady tone for the offensive line. John Morton even got creative with his play designs to allow for Sewell to get three successful run blocking reps at left tackle.
Stock down: Brian Branch, S
Branch looked a step slow, clearly hampered by injury, and wasn’t as effective near the line of scrimmage as usual. His tackling form wavered—too often going for big hits instead of secure wrap-ups—including whiffing on Xavier Worthy’s long catch-and-run early in the fourth quarter.
Off the field, Branch drew even more unwanted attention. His postgame skirmish with JuJu Smith-Schuster earned him a one-game suspension and criticism from Dan Campbell, who called the actions “inexcusable” and “unacceptable.” Branch’s edge is part of what makes him special, but he needs to channel it productively.
He’ll now have two weeks to get healthy and refocused before returning—ideally with his trademark aggression intact but under control—for what could be a major second-half rebound.
Stock up: Jameson Williams, WR
Williams delivered the kind of reliable playmaking presence the Lions needed, leading the team in nearly every receiving category. He caught six of seven targets for 66 yards—including 46 after the catch—and scored a highlight-reel touchdown, pinballing past defenders on his way into the end zone. Five of his six receptions went for either a first down or a touchdown, marking his most complete receiving performance of the season so far.
It was the type of game that can boost confidence and consistency. Williams also maintained his high-effort collisions as a blocker in the run game and now heads into Week 7 looking to build on that momentum against a Buccaneers defense he’s previously burned for gains of 50 and 45 yards in separate meetings.
Stock down: Rock Ya-Sin, CB
The drop-off from D.J. Reed and Terrion Arnold was apparent in all phases, especially given how stout both are in run support. Their absence also seemed to influence Kelvin Sheppard’s defensive approach—the Lions played zone coverage on 27 of Patrick Mahomes’ 38 dropbacks, a noticeable shift from their usual balance.
It’s hard to fault Sheppard for leaning on zone with backup cornerbacks in the lineup, but Mahomes has shredded zone coverage this year and struggled more against man looks. Perhaps Ya-Sin would have been better suited being able to be physical with receivers (and tight ends) at the line to disrupt their timing instead of playing softer coverage.
Ya-Sin was beaten by Marquise Brown for a first down in off coverage on the Chiefs’ late second-quarter touchdown drive, then was flagged for defensive pass interference against Travis Kelce on the same series. With both Reed and Arnold sidelined for at least the near future, Ya-Sin will continue to be leaned on heavily as the Lions navigate matchups against fellow NFC contenders.
Stock up: Sam Laporta, TE
In Year 3, LaPorta has fully arrived as a consistent, versatile weapon for Detroit’s offense. His receiving production is beginning to surpass his torrid rookie pace, and his overall impact within the scheme has only grown. Against Kansas City, LaPorta caught five of six targets for 55 yards—including 27 after the catch—and delivered a spectacular, acrobatic touchdown grab that brought the Lions within three points early in the fourth quarter. It was one of the more impressive individual plays by a Lions pass-catcher in recent memory, coming exactly when the team needed a spark.
LaPorta also continued to hold his own as a run blocker, an area where he’s made significant strides this season.
He’s currently setting career highs across multiple metrics, including:
- 12.5 yards per reception
- 9.8 yards per target
- 54.0 yards per game
- 66.7% success rate on receptions
- 6.8 yards after catch per reception
- 0.0% drop rate
- 127.8 passer rating when targeted
- Dan Skipper, LT: Skipper wasn’t a plus, but he managed not to be a liability and gave the offense a chance to function. Given the circumstances, that’s a win in itself.
- Trystan Colon, OL6: Colon checked in as the sixth offensive lineman for three plays, and the Lions made them count—those snaps produced 23 rushing yards, a testament to the creativity and physicality he helped unlock up front with some bully ball.
- David Montgomery, RB: Montgomery’s usage was limited (17 snaps), but he made the most of them with six touches for 61 total yards. He also had the passing touchdown wiped out by a penalty. In limited opportunities, he remained an efficient and dependable spark for the offense.
- Alim McNeill, DT: Around the league this week, five defenses racked up 6+ sacks—the Broncos had nine, the Seahawks seven—largely by sending pressure in waves with athletic pass-rush rotations. The Lions, by contrast, are limited in true one-on-one winners right now, which makes McNeill’s return all the more welcome. His presence as a powerful, athletic interior rusher gives Detroit’s front the “dancing bear” element it’s been missing.
- Thomas Harper, S: Harper filled in admirably for Kerby Joseph, logging 10 snaps and coming up with a crucial fourth-down pass breakup. That’s exactly what you want to see from your depth defenders.
- Amon-Ra St. Brown: This wasn’t St. Brown’s A-game. The fourth-down drop got the most attention, but overall he wasn’t much of a playmaking threat. He changed cleats at halftime to find his footing but still finished with just 5 yards per catch. The funk won’t last more than a game, but it was a rare off day.
- Isaac TeSlaa, WR: TeSlaa played a career-high 25 snaps (Kalif Raymond only logged two), but he missed blocks and went untargeted on 22 routes. Growing pains are expected, but the Lions will need more production from him moving forward.
- Jahmyr Gibbs, RB: Gibbs finished with a pedestrian 3.8 yards per carry and had only 34 total yards after the opening drive. He wasn’t utilized as a receiver and had just one rush over 7 yards (15 yards). The offense will need him to generate more explosive plays.
- Patrick O’Connor, DL: While O’Connor can line up in multiple positions, his impact was minimal. No meaningful pass-rush production to speak of, raising questions about his value in varied alignments.
- Jack Campbell, LB: The Lions often had to play base defense or zone coverage against the Chiefs’ quick-pass and RPO schemes, leaving Campbell swimming after his best three-game stretch of the season. Alex Anzalone also struggled at times in coverage.
- Arthur Maulet, NB: Maulet saw limited snaps in nickel packages, and was promptly targeted for a 17-yard catch when he entered the game. A full practice week to acclimate should help the veteran improve.
- Kerby Joseph, S: Joseph’s in-and-out performance, which he deserves credit for toughing through the injury, was messy. He missed four tackles—the most of his career—after only six misses all of last season. He’ll need to rest during the bye week and recalibrate to return to his role as one of the league’s most dangerous safeties.
- Christian Mahogany, LG and Tate Ratledge, RG: Both made noticeable strides as run blockers, showing physicality and dominance when the Lions ran the ball. However, in pass protection, their inexperience showed particularly against Chris Jones, forcing some rushed throws from Jared Goff.
- Aidan Hutchinson, DE: Hutchinson is starting to master the art of the strip sack. His bull rush en route to the ball was a thing of beauty, and he added another five pressures on the day. Hutchinson did unfortunately get charged with an unnecessary roughness penalty and allowed Mahomes to escape his grasp for a would-be sack. While his run defense wasn’t at its sharpest, that could be a byproduct of facing an Andy Reid game plan designed specifically to neutralize him as a threat.
- Al-Quadin Muhammad, DE: Muhammad played 17 snaps (13th most on the team) and recorded another sack. It’s worth wondering if his pass-rush potential could have been used more aggressively against the Chiefs’ whirling dervish attack. If there were concerns about him holding up in the running game, despite playing a mobile quarterback, it didn’t really work as the Lions allowed over 4 rushing yards per carry to Chiefs running backs.
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