After a grueling wait with countless leaks, we now formally know what the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs’ 2024 common season will appear to be.
For months we have recognized the who and the place—the Chiefs will play the AFC North, NFC South, and the winners of the AFC East, AFC South, and NFC West—however till Wednesday’s NFL schedule launch, we largely weren’t conscious of the when.
Now that the mud has settled on the rhythms of the Chiefs’ schedule, we are able to see the place they how they could lose or acquire momentum or at which stretches they is perhaps essentially the most drained. That comes into play when weighing the opponents for ’24.
Who’re the hardest opponents for the Chiefs and who’re the “best” on the 2024 schedule? Let’s have a look.
There weren’t many constructive issues to say in regards to the Panthers in 2023. They received simply two video games and could not even reap the advantages of being so unhealthy after buying and selling their first-round decide to Chicago the earlier spring so they might transfer up and take Bryce Younger with the primary general choice.
Younger went on to throw 11 touchdowns and 10 picks as a rookie and seemed overwhelmed however, in his protection, the crew round him was terrible. He was sacked a whopping 62 instances and had little expertise to prop him up. Most quarterbacks would wrestle in the identical state of affairs.
The Panthers employed Dave Canales to take over as their head coach and he served because the Buccaneers offensive coordinator the earlier yr. If he can work the identical magic he labored on Baker Mayfield on Younger, perhaps the Panthers shall be somewhat higher than anticipated. Proper now, although, they’re firmly the worst crew on the Chiefs’ schedule in 2024.
It was a bummer when the Chiefs’ 16-game win streak in opposition to the Broncos got here to an finish this previous season however they need to have a superb shot at beginning one other lengthy successful streak in opposition to Denver when the 2 meet up in 2024.
Denver opted to spend their first-round decide on Bo Nix and he’ll be a part of a quarterback room that consists of Zach Wilson and Jarrett Stidham. Yikes. Even when Nix does find yourself panning out, the Broncos nonetheless haven’t got an excellent roster surrounding him so the crew’s file will doubtless mirror that.
Sean Payton did flip the Broncos round in his first yr in Denver however with an inexperienced quarterback and never a ton of expertise on the crew, it feels just like the Broncos video games must be winnable for the Chiefs however you by no means know with divisional video games.
As I alluded to within the earlier entry, divisional video games can generally be a crapshoot. The Raiders managed to beat the Chiefs in Kansas Metropolis final season (and on Christmas Day nonetheless) so that they’re definitely able to doing that in any given season.
On the identical time, the Chiefs have made Allegiant Stadium their residence away from residence, successful all 4 common season video games there for the reason that Raiders made the transfer to Las Vegas. Oh yeah, they usually additionally received this large factor known as the Tremendous Bowl there this previous season as properly.
The Raiders all the time put up a struggle in opposition to the Chiefs and whereas their quarterback state of affairs is not the very best, it is higher than what the Broncos are working with.
The Chiefs get to play the NFC South this season, which is why their energy of schedule is on the better facet. The Saints completed final season with a successful file however missed out on the playoffs. Their offensive line struggled to guard Derek Carr final season in order that shall be one thing to regulate when these two groups meet up.
The Chiefs are all too accustomed to Carr contemplating that he spent the primary 9 years of his profession with the Raiders and he struggled in opposition to Kansas Metropolis throughout that point. That being mentioned, the Saints are usually fairly robust defensively so this is perhaps a lower-scoring recreation if each defenses come to play.
The Steelers are such an fascinating crew as a result of they have not had robust quarterback play since Ben Roethlisberger retired but they proceed to win video games. They have not had a shedding season in 20 years and are very well-coached.
The Chiefs will doubtless face a well-known face once they head to Pittsburgh, because the Steelers added former Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson within the offseason. They’re undoubtedly extra recognized for his or her defensive prowess so this might be a enjoyable defensive battle if the Chiefs protection additionally picks up the place it left off a season in the past.
These won’t be Tom Brady’s Bucs anymore however they’re nonetheless a feisty crew. Nobody thought a lot of the Buccaneers final yr however they went on to win their division for the third straight yr and received a playoff recreation.
The Bucs have been fairly cold and warm throughout the 2023 season and have usually performed fairly strong protection so this might be an intriguing match-up. Chiefs followers clearly do not take care of the Bucs after they demolished KC in Tremendous Bowl LV, so although this common season match-up will not avenge that loss, it will nonetheless really feel fairly good knocking the Bucs off.
The Chargers made a splashy hiring within the offseason, including Jim Harbaugh as their head coach and that might spell hazard for the Chiefs in relation to their dominance within the division. Whereas the Chargers might need a fiery new head coach, they’ve numerous roster holes and are not anticipated to be a severe contender this season.
That being mentioned, the Chargers may give the Chiefs some hassle of their two conferences this yr and division video games are all the time bizarre.
The Browns managed to make the playoffs final season regardless of having to begin 4 completely different quarterbacks and that is as a result of their dominating protection. Myles Garrett headlines that unit and is the reigning Defensive Participant of the Yr after notching 14 sacks and 30 QB hits in 2023.
As is the case with the remainder of the AFC North, protection would be the issue to look at when the Chiefs and Browns sq. off.
With this being the AFC West’s flip to play your complete NFC South, it signifies that we’ll get to see the Chiefs and Falcons go head-to-head. The Falcons had an enormous offseason after signing Kirk Cousins in free company and getting higher offensively.
That is a kind of match-ups the place the Chiefs ought to win (they’re usually favored in each recreation) however the Falcons might be a sneaky-enough opponent. Since Okay.C. all the time permits groups to hold round, I would not be shocked if the Falcons got here away with one in opposition to the Chiefs.
A yr in the past, individuals would have laughed at me if I put the Texans this excessive on the record however they’d a very spectacular 2023 marketing campaign regardless of having a first-year head coach and rookie quarterback taking on. The Texans went on to win their division and knock off the Browns within the playoffs and the unhealthy information for them is that individuals are conscious of who they are often now.
The Texans have been a well-liked decide for the Chiefs’ Week 1 opponent however the NFL went in a special course going with the AFC Championship rematch. Possibly the stress of being the up-and-coming crew impacts the Texans they usually regress like Jacksonville did this previous season. Nevertheless, in the event that they’re pretty much as good as we expect they are often, this must be a tough recreation.
The highest 4 opponents might be put in any order, actually. I slotted Buffalo within the 4 spot as a result of they misplaced expertise this offseason and it is going to be tougher for them to make a Tremendous Bowl now that they are in a little bit of cap hell.
That being mentioned, the Payments have been in a position to get the very best of the Chiefs throughout the common season and this recreation shall be in Buffalo. The Chiefs all the time win the playoff video games between the 2 and followers wouldd take shedding to the Payments within the common season if it means successful the rematch within the postseason. Possibly that can play out once more in 2024-25.
Earlier this week, I wrote about how the NFL schedule-makers clearly did not wish to miss out on one other Joe Burrow-less recreation in opposition to the Chiefs so that they have been clever to schedule it tremendous early this time round. The Chiefs/Bengals rivalry has been one of the crucial enjoyable non-division rivalries in recent times with the 2 buying and selling haymakers over the previous few seasons.
The Bengals had many issues go awry in 2023 but managed to complete the season with a successful file (they nonetheless missed the playoffs). They’re going to have a neater schedule this yr, so it is completely attainable that we’ll see one other Chiefs/Bengals match-up within the AFC title recreation once more.
The Chiefs open the season in opposition to the Ravens, who they beat within the AFC Championship Recreation. This might be one other case of the NFL not desirous to miss a marquee quarterback match-up, which might be why it was scheduled so early versus holding onto it for later within the yr.
The Ravens misplaced their defensive coordinator so that they’ll be in flux in that division. In actuality, Week 1 is the proper time to get a crew just like the Ravens as a result of they will not be in full swing but. The identical argument might be made for Kansas Metropolis, after all, however they not less than are returning each of their major coordinators.
We’ll have a rematch of Tremendous Bowl LIV and LVIII in Week 7 when the Chiefs head to San Francisco for a date with the 49ers. These two groups have grow to be very accustomed to one another regardless of taking part in in several conferences, after squaring off in two of the final 5 Tremendous Bowls. Kansas Metropolis has received each match-ups.
The 49ers are good at just about every thing and that is why they high this record. They will run the ball, Brock Purdy can sling it when he must, and the Niners’ protection can dial up stress when it issues essentially the most. This shall be must-see tv.