'TNF' preview: Chiefs MIA All-Pros, Lions rookie RB and more to watch

The 2023 opener offers plenty of fascinating storylines. Here are the biggest ones to watch for the Detroit Lions-Kansas City Chiefs game at Arrowhead Stadium on Thursday night. 

When the Chiefs are on offense

If not Travis Kelce, who?: The status of All-Pro tight end Kelce (knee) is in doubt. 

His importance can't be overstated. He commanded 25 percent of the Chiefs' targets last year and led the league in targets inside the red zone (32). The Lions tied for the most touchdowns allowed to tight ends (11) last season.

Without Kelce, wideouts Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Skyy Moore, tight end Noah Gray and running back Isiah Pacheco will play large roles. Valdes-Scantling is the veteran, but Moore has the most potential. Gray was tucked behind Kelce last year while Pacheco burst out late, rushing for 197 yards in the postseason.

Detroit's new (and improved?) secondary: Detroit ranked 30th in passing defense last season (245.8 yards per game) but invested heavily in free agency to fix the unit. The Lions signed corners Emmanuel Moseley, Cameron Sutton and safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson. The Chiefs, with or without Kelce, are a great test.

Chiefs offensive line: Out goes LT Orlando Brown Jr., in comes Donovan Smith. Smith struggled in Tampa Bay, making Kansas City's offensive line a question. Detroit's defensive line is led by 2022 No. 2 overall pick Aidan Hutchinson (9.5 sacks in 2022) and undrafted second-year edge-rusher James Houston IV, who had eight sacks in seven games last season.

More Patrick Mahomes brilliance: Even if he's without his favorite target, don't bet against Mahomes' magic. Some quarterbacks take time to get in midseason form, but that hasn't been the case for Mahomes. In five career season openers, Mahomes is 121-of-167 (72.4 percent) for 1,542 yards passing and 18 touchdowns without an interception.

When the Lions are on offense

The Chris Jones effect: "Chris, can you please come back?" Chiefs tight end Kelce pleaded with Jones on his podcast for the All-Pro defensive tackle to end his holdout. "We need you. We need you bad."

Jones is embroiled in a contract dispute, and as vital as he is to Kansas City's defense, his value might skyrocket after Thursday night.

Can QB Jared Goff silence doubters?: For a former No. 1 overall pick, people seem in a hurry to bury Goff. But he had a great 2022, piloting an offense that ranked fourth in total offense and fifth in scoring. He had his highest touchdown rate (4.9 percent) since leading the Rams to Super Bowl LIII and his lowest interception rate (1.2 percent) of his career. 

Lions rookie RB in big role: Detroit drafted running back Jahmyr Gibbs 12th overall in the 2023 NFL Draft, and the Lions have big plans for him. Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson hinted at that being the case. Per the Detroit News' Nolan Bianchi, he said the Lions would use Gibbs "in some ways that people don't quite think we might."

The best receiver no one is talking about: The wide receiver class of 2021 included top-10 picks Ja'Marr Chase, Jaylen Waddle and DeVonta Smith, but Detroit's Amon-Ra St. Brown has the most receptions (196) of the bunch. With Jameson Williams (suspension) out, St. Brown could see even more targets than he averaged last season (9.1 per game).

Per PlayerProfiler, St. Brown ranked 39th in routes run (452) but second in target rate (32.3 percent) in 2022. He was targeted roughly once every three routes run. Expect to see him often in the red zone. Last year, he ranked eighth among wide receivers in red-zone targets (21). In 2022, Kansas City allowed the most red-zone passing touchdowns (27).