Week 5 of the NFL season saw the Kansas City Chiefs suffer a crushing defeat, but they don’t have much time to wallow in self-pity. The reigning AFC champions have to get right back on the horse, as Week 6’s outing against the Detroit Lions is quickly approaching.
It’s a short week for Kansas City against a perceived top-tier NFC contender. There’s a bit of good news for Andy Reid’s crew with Sunday on the horizon, though.
Star Detroit cornerback Terrion Arnold, as expected, will miss the game due to a shoulder injury.
Chiefs Won’t Play Full-Strength Lions Team in Pivotal Week 6 Matchup
It was originally believed that Arnold suffered a serious injury in Week 5. At first, a season-ending ailment wasn’t ruled out. On Tuesday morning, however, Adam Schefter of ESPN added some context and said the timeline is better than it first seemed.
A second opinion on Lions CB Terrion Arnold’s shoulder today revealed the injury is not as bad as feared and he now is expected to return, as one source described, ‘sooner than expected’, quite possibly this month,” Schefter’s tweet read.
While it’s a good thing for the Lions that Arnold may return relatively soon, it doesn’t change anything for Week 6. The Chiefs won’t have to play against him in the secondary, which is a bonus at the expense of an unfortunate injury.
Arnold, a 2024 first-round pick, was off to an up-and-down start to his sophomore campaign. The former Alabama standout has surrendered a 69.0 completion percentage in coverage, as well as an ugly 122.2 passer rating. With that said, he’s improved his missed tackle rate and is already up to 4 passes broken up after notching 10 as a rookie.
Primarily a boundary corner, Arnold’s running mate in the secondary is D.J. Reed. Amik Robertson has the third-most snaps on the outside this year at 83, per Pro Football Focus.
Can Kansas City’s Passing Attack Find Success Against Detroit?
Contrary to their 2-3 record, the Chiefs‘ offense isn’t an issue right now. Against an impressive Jacksonville Jaguars defense in Week 5, they averaged 7.6 yards per play. They amassed 476 net yards, also going 5-for-9 on third downs. According to SumerSports, Kansas City ranks sixth in EPA/play as an offense and is 11th on passes.
Detroit’s defense is no slouch, though. Entering Week 6’s play, Kelvin Sheppard’s group ranks fourth in EPA/play allowed at -0.10. Against the pass, their 5.9 net yards per attempt reflects a unit that is successful. The Lions‘ 20.7% pressure rate is 10th in the sport. Good luck slowing down superstar pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson.
The good news for quarterback Patrick Mahomes and company is help may be on the way. After Week 6, wide receiver Rashee Rice‘s suspension is over and he can officially return. He’s been back in the building for a while now but once his practice window is opened, it’ll be a full-go for his 2025-26 debut.
In the meantime, Mahomes will continue throwing to weapons like wideouts Xavier Worthy, Marquise “Hollywood” Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster. Tight end Travis Kelce, who hauled in Mahomes’ only Week 5 passing touchdown, remains squarely in the mix.
Sunday Night Football between Detroit and Kansas City is shaping up to be a barn-burner, even without Arnold.
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