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The Detroit Lions and Kansas City Chiefs have officially kicked off the 2023 NFL season at Arrowhead Stadium. After the unfurling of another championship banner -- with disgruntled defensive lineman Chris Jones watching on from above -- Detroit and Kansas City renewed acquaintances at Arrowhead, 20 years on.
When last they met...
The Lions had not visited Kansas City to play the Chiefs since Dec. 14, 2003. Back then, the 4-9 Lions were hoping to play spoiler against the 11-2 Chiefs, led by star running back Priest Holmes and legendary tight end Tony Gonzalez.
The game unfolded as many expected it to. Kansas City outgained Detroit 521-334 on the day and eased to a 45-17 win. Holmes rushed for three touchdowns, while Gonzalez hauled in two touchdown es from quarterback Trent Green.
When that game was played, current Chiefs superstar Patrick Mahomes was eight years old. Mahomes' counterpart in Detroit, Jared Goff, had just turned nine years old that October.
What became of the 2003 Lions and Chiefs
Detroit finished the 2003 NFL season with a 5-11 record -- part of a stretch of 10 consecutive losing seasons, which hit its nadir during the infamous 2008 campaign that saw the Lions finish 0-16.
Kansas City, on the other hand, won the AFC West title with a 13-3 record and scored a league-high 484 points. The Chiefs had started the season 9-0, but a loss to the lowly Cincinnati Bengals in Week 11 stunted their momentum. They lost to Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts in the divisional round of the playoffs.