Why NFL picked Lions-Chiefs for season opener

There's more information about why the NFL chose the Detroit Lions to face the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2023 regular-season opener on Sept. 7. 

As shared by Charles Goldman of Chiefs Wire/USA Today, NFL vice president of broadcast Onnie Bose explained during an appearance on "The Dan Patrick Show" that the league did kick around different ideas, such as having Kansas City host the Cincinnati Bengals in a rematch of the AFC Championship Game in Week 1. 

"...As we went through the process, the Lions were one of those teams that we left in there," Bose continued. "And we really like the narrative around that time, the culture that they’re building there. The way they finished their season, eight wins out of their last nine of 10 games." 

Bose noted that the Lions gave even casual fans a regular-season finale to remember on "Sunday Night Football" when they defeated the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field in Week 18 this past January. Detroit had been eliminated from postseason contention earlier that afternoon, while Green Bay would've qualified for the playoffs with a victory over the Lions. 

"We really like that," Bose said of Detroit's fight to keep its hated rival out of the postseason tournament. "There is a lot of energy there and we feel really good about starting the season with that energy against the Super Bowl champs." 

The Lions ended the 2022 season with a 9-8 record and have since become arguably the top underdog darlings among insiders and reporters. For this week's edition of his "Football Morning in America" column, NBC Sports' Peter King listed the Lions at sixth in his overall power rankings. 

"Loved ‘em with their 8-2 record after Halloween," King wrote of Detroit. "I still find myself smitten with the Lions." 

Bose mentioned that any game featuring reigning NFL Most Valuable Player Patrick Mahomes and the defending Super Bowl champions will draw "a high amount of attention" and get "a lot of viewership." 

Thus, it's interesting the NFL wants that attention on both the Chiefs and the Lions on the season's opening night.