The football-watching world was in shock last night after the Detroit Lions delivered a kickoff opening upset to the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs on their home turf. Most remarked how the Lions seemed the real deal and could become a playoff team.
NBC’s Mike Tirico, however, isn’t buying any of that.
As the Lions and their fans were celebrating their win, Tirico said that this victory by the Lions should come with a qualifier.
“This has an asterisk because of no Chris Jones and no Travis Kelce,” Tirico said.
Nah this comment by Tirico is insane pic.twitter.com/iZx0wYbxrm
— Josh Augdahl 〽️ (@UMFanAugdahl) September 8, 2023
Tirico is referring to Chiefs star defensive end Chris Jones, who is sitting out due to a contract dispute, and star tight end Travis Kelce, who was a last-minute scratch due to a knee injury.
Lions fans were quick to pounce on Tirico for asserting that their team’s big win wasn’t real or deserved.
Mike Tirico swooping in there in the end with the asterisk comment, absolute clown lol
— Ryan (@R_Fostrrr) September 8, 2023
Mike Tirico really said this Lions win is an asterisk because there was no Chris Jones and Travis Kelce….
Chiefs literally have Patrick Mahomes…
I’m sick.
— (@CameronParkerPO) September 8, 2023
If you just listened to that game you’d think Mike Tirico & Chris Collingsworth were the broadcast crew for the Kansas City Chiefs football radio network…
— Jason Lawhead (@JasonLawhead) September 8, 2023
Does the absence of the Chiefs’ best defender and arguably greatest tight end in the league deserve consideration in any evaluation of last night’s game? Sure. But you know what else deserves consideration? The fact that Chiefs right tackle Juwan Taylor either committed a false start and/or lined up illegally on every single play last night and the officials didn’t call it until 58 minutes into the game.
Many on X are talking about how Chiefs right tackle Juwaan Taylor is lined up significantly far behind the line of scrimmage while also appearing to false start on a lot of plays.
What do you think?
🎥 @BryanDFischer | @NFL pic.twitter.com/S6vIdlPBEJ
— The Athletic NFL (@TheAthleticNFL) September 8, 2023
The above is but one example.
Add to that that Kadarius Toney had one of the worst nights any receiver has had in a long time. Including letting what should have been an easy completion bounce off his hands and into the waiting arms of a Lions defender, who returned it for a touchdown. Take away that one play alone, and the Chiefs would have won the game even without Jones and Kelce.
Tirico is a great announcer. But that was a clown comment.