Quick answer
- Winner
- Detroit Lions
- Final score
- Detroit Lions 21–20 Kansas City Chiefs
- Halftime
- Detroit Lions 7–15 Kansas City Chiefs at halftime
- FantasyHQ MVP
- A.St. Brown
- Top passer
- Patrick Mahomes
- Biggest EPA play
- (11:04) (Shotgun) 15-P.Mahomes pass short right intended for 19-K.Toney INTERCEPTED by 32-…
- Game date
- 2023-09-07
Game summary
The Detroit Lions beat the Kansas City Chiefs 21–20 on 2023-09-07, overcoming Kansas City Chiefs's 15–7 halftime lead. A.St. Brown posted a game-high +5.61 total EPA in the receiving.
The highest-scoring period was Q2 with 15 combined points.
Line score
Final score and points by quarter.
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | — | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Detroit Lions | 7 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
 Kansas City Chiefs | 0 | 15 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 20 |
Scoring Map
Each pin marks where a score occurred on the field — yard line from play-by-play.
DETDetroit Lions(2:52) (Shotgun) 16-J.Goff pass short right to 14-A.St. Brown for 9 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
36-R.Patterson extra point is GOOD, Center-47-S.Daly, Holder-3-J.Fox.
(11:56) (Shotgun) 15-P.Mahomes pass short left to 4-R.Rice for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.
7-H.Butker extra point is GOOD, Center-41-J.Winchester, Holder-5-T.Townsend.
(:37) (Shotgun) 15-P.Mahomes pass short right to 81-B.Bell for 4 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
7-H.Butker extra point is GOOD, Center-41-J.Winchester, Holder-5-T.Townsend.
7-H.Butker kicks 65 yards from KC 35 to end zone, Touchback.
(11:04) (Shotgun) 15-P.Mahomes pass short right intended for 19-K.Toney INTERCEPTED by 32-B.Branch at 50. 32-B.Branch for 50 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
36-R.Patterson extra point is GOOD, Center-47-S.Daly, Holder-3-J.Fox.
(2:14) 7-H.Butker 35 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-41-J.Winchester, Holder-5-T.Townsend.
(12:16) 7-H.Butker 39 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-41-J.Winchester, Holder-5-T.Townsend.
(7:11) 5-D.Montgomery up the middle for 8 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
36-R.Patterson extra point is GOOD, Center-47-S.Daly, Holder-3-J.Fox.
KCKansas City ChiefsFantasyHQ Analytics
Scoring timeline
Chronological scoring plays — scroll to follow the game.
- DETDetroit Lions
Q1 2:52TD ASA. StPoints+6
- Yard line
- KC 9
- Score
- 6-0
(2:52) (Shotgun) 16-J.Goff pass short right to 14-A.St. Brown for 9 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
- DETDetroit Lions
Q1 2:46XP Riley PattersonPoints+1
- Yard line
- KC 15
- Score
- 7-0
36-R.Patterson extra point is GOOD, Center-47-S.Daly, Holder-3-J.Fox.
- KCKansas City Chiefs
Q2 11:56TD Rashee RicePoints+6
- Yard line
- DET 1
- Score
- 7-6
(11:56) (Shotgun) 15-P.Mahomes pass short left to 4-R.Rice for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.
- KCKansas City Chiefs
Q2 11:50XP Harrison ButkerPoints+1
- Yard line
- DET 15
- Score
- 7-7
7-H.Butker extra point is GOOD, Center-41-J.Winchester, Holder-5-T.Townsend.
- KCKansas City Chiefs
Q2 0:37TD Points+6
- Yard line
- DET 4
- Score
- 7-13
(:37) (Shotgun) 15-P.Mahomes pass short right to 81-B.Bell for 4 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
- KCKansas City Chiefs
Q2 0:34XP Harrison ButkerPoints+1
- Yard line
- DET 15
- Score
- 7-14
7-H.Butker extra point is GOOD, Center-41-J.Winchester, Holder-5-T.Townsend.
- KCKansas City Chiefs
Q2 0:34XP Harrison ButkerPoints+1
- Yard line
- KC 35
- Score
- 7-14
7-H.Butker kicks 65 yards from KC 35 to end zone, Touchback.
- DETDetroit Lions
Q3 11:04TD Brian BranchPoints+6
- Yard line
- DET 54
- Score
- 13-14
(11:04) (Shotgun) 15-P.Mahomes pass short right intended for 19-K.Toney INTERCEPTED by 32-B.Branch at 50. 32-B.Branch for 50 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
- DETDetroit Lions
Q3 10:54XP Riley PattersonPoints+1
- Yard line
- KC 15
- Score
- 14-14
36-R.Patterson extra point is GOOD, Center-47-S.Daly, Holder-3-J.Fox.
- KCKansas City Chiefs
Q3 2:14FG Harrison ButkerPoints+3
- Yard line
- DET 17
- Score
- 14-17
(2:14) 7-H.Butker 35 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-41-J.Winchester, Holder-5-T.Townsend.
- KCKansas City Chiefs
Q4 12:16FG Harrison ButkerPoints+3
- Yard line
- DET 21
- Score
- 14-20
(12:16) 7-H.Butker 39 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-41-J.Winchester, Holder-5-T.Townsend.
- DETDetroit Lions
Q4 7:11TD D.J. MontgomeryPoints+6
- Yard line
- KC 8
- Score
- 20-20
(7:11) 5-D.Montgomery up the middle for 8 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
- DETDetroit Lions
Q4 7:06XP Riley PattersonPoints+1
- Yard line
- KC 15
- Score
- 21-20
36-R.Patterson extra point is GOOD, Center-47-S.Daly, Holder-3-J.Fox.
Stars of the game
Top performers by total expected points added (EPA).
- 1A. St.Brown · Detroit Lions · Receiving · +5.61 total EPA · 9 snaps · +0.62 EPA/play
- 2
Marquez Valdes-Scantling · Kansas City Chiefs · Receiving · +4.06 total EPA · 2 snaps · +2.03 EPA/play - 3
Isiah Pacheco · Kansas City Chiefs · Receiving · +2.69 total EPA · 4 snaps · +0.67 EPA/play - 4
Jared Goff · Detroit Lions · Passing · +2.54 total EPA · 36 snaps · +0.07 EPA/play - 5Jalen Reeves-Maybin · Detroit Lions · Rushing · +2.53 total EPA · 1 snaps · +2.53 EPA/play
- 6
Kalif Raymond · Detroit Lions · Receiving · +1.77 total EPA · 1 snaps · +1.77 EPA/play - 7
Sam LaPorta · Detroit Lions · Receiving · +1.74 total EPA · 5 snaps · +0.35 EPA/play - 8Ju. Watson · Kansas City Chiefs · Receiving · +1.70 total EPA · 4 snaps · +0.43 EPA/play
FantasyHQ Game MVP
Highest total EPA with the player's top snap and the game's biggest single play when different.
FantasyHQ Game MVP
A. St.Brown — DET · Receiving
A. St.Brown posted the highest total EPA (+5.61) in the game, the strongest overall impact for Detroit Lions. Across 9 counted snaps, they averaged +0.62 EPA per play.
A. St.Brown's top snap (+3.02 EPA): (2:52) (Shotgun) 16-J.Goff pass short right to 14-A.St. Brown for 9 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
Biggest single play (-8.54 EPA): Patrick Mahomes — (11:04) (Shotgun) 15-P.Mahomes pass short right intended for 19-K.Toney INTERCEPTED by 32-B.Branch at 50. 32-B.Branch for 50 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
Quarterback report card
Patrick Mahomes led all passers in efficiency for Kansas City Chiefs, setting the tone in the passing game according to FantasyHQ analytics.
Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs) · 48 dropbacks · 43.8% completion · -6.2% CPOE · -0.05 EPA/play · -2.19 total EPA- Jared Goff (Detroit Lions) · 36 dropbacks · 61.1% completion · -0.1% CPOE · +0.07 EPA/play · +2.54 total EPA
Team stats comparison
Side-by-side offensive and defensive efficiency.
| Stat | Detroit Lions | Kansas City Chiefs |
|---|---|---|
| Offensive EPA/play | -0.046 | -0.079 |
| Offensive success rate | 36.0% | 39.5% |
| Pass EPA/play | +0.070 | -0.046 |
| Rush EPA/play | -0.026 | -0.324 |
| Defensive EPA/play | +0.079 | +0.046 |
| Defensive success rate | 60.5% | 64.0% |
Drive & efficiency notes
Both offenses finished within striking distance on EPA per play (Detroit Lions -0.05, Kansas City Chiefs -0.08) — a true toss-up on the analytics sheet.
Season benchmark context (offensive EPA per play):
- Detroit Lions: -0.05 EPA/play (46th percentile vs. 2023 team-game averages)
- Kansas City Chiefs: -0.08 EPA/play (37th percentile vs. 2023 team-game averages)
- Detroit Lions: 12 drives, -3.98 total EPA, 2 scoring drives
- Kansas City Chiefs: 11 drives, -6.44 total EPA, 5 scoring drives
Who scored touchdowns and field goals
Every touchdown and field goal from official play-by-play.
Touchdowns
- Detroit Lions — A. St (Jared Goff pass)
- Kansas City Chiefs — Rashee Rice (Patrick Mahomes pass)
- Kansas City Chiefs — Blake Bell (Patrick Mahomes pass)
- Detroit Lions — Brian Branch
- Detroit Lions — D.J. Montgomery
Field goals
- Kansas City Chiefs — Harrison Butker
- Kansas City Chiefs — Harrison Butker
Quarter by quarter
Quarter-by-quarter recap from live scoring plays.
The opening quarter: Detroit Lions won the period 7–0. Detroit Lions found the end zone from the KC 9 (Q1 2:52) — (2:52) (Shotgun) 16-J.Goff pass short right to 14-A.St. Brown for 9 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Detroit Lions added 1 points from the KC 15 (Q1 2:46) — 36-R.Patterson extra point is GOOD, Center-47-S.Daly, Holder-3-J.Fox..
The second quarter: Kansas City Chiefs won the period 15–0. Kansas City Chiefs found the end zone from the DET 1 (Q2 11:56) — (11:56) (Shotgun) 15-P.Mahomes pass short left to 4-R.Rice for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.; Kansas City Chiefs added 1 points from the DET 15 (Q2 11:50) — 7-H.Butker extra point is GOOD, Center-41-J.Winchester, Holder-5-T.Townsend.; Kansas City Chiefs found the end zone from the DET 4 (Q2 0:37) — (:37) (Shotgun) 15-P.Mahomes pass short right to 81-B.Bell for 4 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Kansas City Chiefs added 1 points from the DET 15 (Q2 0:34) — 7-H.Butker extra point is GOOD, Center-41-J.Winchester, Holder-5-T.Townsend.; Kansas City Chiefs added 1 points from the KC 35 (Q2 0:34) — 7-H.Butker kicks 65 yards from KC 35 to end zone, Touchback..
The third quarter: Detroit Lions won the period 7–3. Detroit Lions found the end zone from the DET 54 (Q3 11:04); Detroit Lions added 1 points from the KC 15 (Q3 10:54) — 36-R.Patterson extra point is GOOD, Center-47-S.Daly, Holder-3-J.Fox.; Kansas City Chiefs connected on a field goal from the DET 17 (Q3 2:14) — (2:14) 7-H.Butker 35 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-41-J.Winchester, Holder-5-T.Townsend..
The fourth quarter: Detroit Lions won the period 7–3. Kansas City Chiefs connected on a field goal from the DET 21 (Q4 12:16) — (12:16) 7-H.Butker 39 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-41-J.Winchester, Holder-5-T.Townsend.; Detroit Lions found the end zone from the KC 8 (Q4 7:11) — (7:11) 5-D.Montgomery up the middle for 8 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Detroit Lions added 1 points from the KC 15 (Q4 7:06) — 36-R.Patterson extra point is GOOD, Center-47-S.Daly, Holder-3-J.Fox..
Turning points
Plays that moved win probability the most.
- Kansas City Chiefs (Q3 11:04) — (11:04) (Shotgun) 15-P.Mahomes pass short right intended for 19-K.Toney INTERCEPTED by 32-B.Branch at 50. 32-B.Branch for 50 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
- Detroit Lions (Q4 2:33) — (2:33) (Shotgun) 16-J.Goff pass incomplete short right to 8-J.Reynolds (20-J.Reid).
- Kansas City Chiefs (Q4 2:09) — (2:09) (Shotgun) 15-P.Mahomes pass incomplete deep right to 84-Ju.Watson [79-J.Cominsky].
- Detroit Lions (Q4 8:31) — (8:31) 16-J.Goff pass short right to 8-J.Reynolds to KC 14 for 33 yards (50-W.Gay).
- Kansas City Chiefs (Q2 1:07) — (1:07) (Shotgun) 15-P.Mahomes pass deep middle to 11-M.Valdes-Scantling to DET 30 for 34 yards (23-J.Jacobs).
Impact plays
Highest EPA snaps that flipped field position.
- Kansas City Chiefs (Q3 11:04) — (11:04) (Shotgun) 15-P.Mahomes pass short right intended for 19-K.Toney INTERCEPTED by 32-B.Branch at 50. 32-B.Branch for 50 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
- Detroit Lions (Q2 5:21) — (5:21) (Shotgun) 16-J.Goff pass short right to 0-M.Jones to KC 14 for 3 yards (22-T.McDuffie). FUMBLES (22-T.McDuffie), RECOVERED by KC-6-B.Cook at KC 7.
- Detroit Lions (Q1 2:52) — (2:52) (Shotgun) 16-J.Goff pass short right to 14-A.St. Brown for 9 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
- Detroit Lions (Q4 10:46) — (10:46) (Shotgun) 16-J.Goff pass deep left to 8-J.Reynolds to DET 41 for 18 yards (2-J.Williams) [38-L.Sneed].
Every scoring play
Chronological scoring with play-by-play context.
- Detroit Lions TD (+6) — Q1 2:52 · KC 9 · Score 6-0
(2:52) (Shotgun) 16-J.Goff pass short right to 14-A.St. Brown for 9 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Detroit Lions XP (+1) — Q1 2:46 · KC 15 · Score 7-0
36-R.Patterson extra point is GOOD, Center-47-S.Daly, Holder-3-J.Fox. - Kansas City Chiefs TD (+6) — Q2 11:56 · DET 1 · Score 7-6
(11:56) (Shotgun) 15-P.Mahomes pass short left to 4-R.Rice for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN. - Kansas City Chiefs XP (+1) — Q2 11:50 · DET 15 · Score 7-7
7-H.Butker extra point is GOOD, Center-41-J.Winchester, Holder-5-T.Townsend. - Kansas City Chiefs TD (+6) — Q2 0:37 · DET 4 · Score 7-13
(:37) (Shotgun) 15-P.Mahomes pass short right to 81-B.Bell for 4 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Kansas City Chiefs XP (+1) — Q2 0:34 · DET 15 · Score 7-14
7-H.Butker extra point is GOOD, Center-41-J.Winchester, Holder-5-T.Townsend. - Kansas City Chiefs XP (+1) — Q2 0:34 · KC 35 · Score 7-14
7-H.Butker kicks 65 yards from KC 35 to end zone, Touchback. - Detroit Lions TD (+6) — Q3 11:04 · DET 54 · Score 13-14
(11:04) (Shotgun) 15-P.Mahomes pass short right intended for 19-K.Toney INTERCEPTED by 32-B.Branch at 50. 32-B.Branch for 50 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Detroit Lions XP (+1) — Q3 10:54 · KC 15 · Score 14-14
36-R.Patterson extra point is GOOD, Center-47-S.Daly, Holder-3-J.Fox. - Kansas City Chiefs FG (+3) — Q3 2:14 · DET 17 · Score 14-17
(2:14) 7-H.Butker 35 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-41-J.Winchester, Holder-5-T.Townsend. - Kansas City Chiefs FG (+3) — Q4 12:16 · DET 21 · Score 14-20
(12:16) 7-H.Butker 39 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-41-J.Winchester, Holder-5-T.Townsend. - Detroit Lions TD (+6) — Q4 7:11 · KC 8 · Score 20-20
(7:11) 5-D.Montgomery up the middle for 8 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Detroit Lions XP (+1) — Q4 7:06 · KC 15 · Score 21-20
36-R.Patterson extra point is GOOD, Center-47-S.Daly, Holder-3-J.Fox.
Key takeaways
What to remember for fantasy research and follow-up box score digging.
- Detroit Lions earned the result — use the box score for snap-level context.
- One-score margin — verify garbage-time stats before drawing fantasy conclusions.
- A.St. Brown (Detroit Lions) led total EPA — start here for highlight and prop research.
- Patrick Mahomes (KC) finished below expected efficiency despite volume.
Frequently asked questions
Who won Detroit Lions vs Kansas City Chiefs on 2023-09-07?
The Detroit Lions beat the Kansas City Chiefs 21-20 in Week 1, 2023.
What was the score by quarter in Detroit Lions vs Kansas City Chiefs?
Q1: Detroit Lions 7, Kansas City Chiefs 0; Q2: Detroit Lions 0, Kansas City Chiefs 15; Q3: Detroit Lions 7, Kansas City Chiefs 3; Q4: Detroit Lions 7, Kansas City Chiefs 3; Final: Detroit Lions 21, Kansas City Chiefs 20.
Who scored touchdowns and field goals in Detroit Lions vs Kansas City Chiefs?
Detroit Lions touchdown — A. St (J. Goff pass) (Q1 2:52) Kansas City Chiefs touchdown — R. Rice (P. Mahomes pass) (Q2 11:56) Kansas City Chiefs touchdown — B. Bell (P. Mahomes pass) (Q2 0:37) Detroit Lions touchdown — B. Branch (Q3 11:04) Detroit Lions touchdown — D. Montgomery (Q4 7:11) Kansas City Chiefs field goal — H. Butker (Q3 2:14, 3 pts) Kansas City Chiefs field goal — H. Butker (Q4 12:16, 3 pts) Extra points followed each touchdown unless noted in the play-by-play.
How did the quarterbacks play in Detroit Lions vs Kansas City Chiefs?
Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs), 43.8% completion, -6.2% CPOE, -0.05 EPA per dropback, -2.19 total passing EPA. Jared Goff (Detroit Lions), 61.1% completion, -0.1% CPOE, +0.07 EPA per dropback, +2.54 total passing EPA.
Who was FantasyHQ's player of the game in Detroit Lions vs Kansas City Chiefs?
A.St. Brown (Detroit Lions) was FantasyHQ's Game MVP with +5.61 total EPA on Receiving plays. across 9 snaps. Their top snap (+3.02 EPA): (2:52) (Shotgun) 16-J.Goff pass short right to 14-A.St. Brown for 9 yards, TOUCHDOWN..
Was Detroit Lions vs Kansas City Chiefs a close game?
Yes — the margin was 1 points. Detroit Lions won 21-20 in a game that came down to the wire.
Season records after this game
Detroit Lions
Now 1-0 W
Kansas City Chiefs
Now 0-1 L
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