The Detroit Lions are heading into the massive clash against the Kansas City Chiefs with all the momentum advantage in the world. They have won four straight, punched above their weight despite being short-handed defensively. Quarterback Jared Goff has never lost to Patrick Mahomes in his career, and the Chiefs are 2-3 after a disappointing loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday.
It's safe to say that Kansas City's coaching staff seems to be aware of this reality heading into Sunday's matchup. Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub revealed that they are preparing specifically for the Lions' elite special teams unit, calling it a top-10 unit in the league.
"These guys play hard, I mean, really hard," Toub said (h/t @goldmctNFL). "They're a tough unit. We're going to have to step it up this week."
Toub then added a fascinating tidbit about how Lions head coach Dan Campbell runs three punt fakes per year and hasn't run one yet this year, suggesting that they will be ready for it.
Dan Campbell Is Clearly in Chiefs Heads Before Week 6 SNF
This perfectly sums up the matchup nightmare Campbell and the Lions give to their opponents. The creativity, unpredictability, and fearless playcalling of Detroit's HC has instilled in the Lions give fits to their opponents, who have to be more prepared than they would for an average matchup.
On paper, the Chiefs have one of the best special teams in the NFL, ranking as the fifth-best group (89.0), according to Pro Football Focus. The Lions rank 11th in special teams grades (80.3), but have historically been a strong group there. They have already scored a touchdown on a punt return this year, and have been one of the best teams punting the ball, ranking fourth in the NFL in percentage of punts landing inside the opponent's 20-yard line.
For the Chiefs, it may seem funny to be worried about a fake punt play with all of the issues surrounding the team. Their lack of discipline was on full display in Week 5, getting called for 13 penalties, which arguably cost them the game. Their rushing attack is not working, and they can't stop the run, giving up the sixth-most yards per carry in the NFL.
Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo's unit looks like a shell of itself, looking like a middle-of-the-pack group both in terms of points and yards allowed. They need to improve on that front to have a chance against the Lions offense, which has scored more points than any other team in the NFL through five weeks.
Every time the Lions step on the field, having Campbell on the sidelines gives them an edge. That will once again be one of the big advantages they will have on Sunday. The Chiefs have always responded well in times of adversity, and they will surely have a big response, setting up an excellent primetime viewing between two championship contenders.