The NFL schedule-makers provided the Kansas City Chiefs with a unique schedule this year.
As the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Chiefs’ schedule is loaded with prime-time games, some two-game road stretches and plenty of playoff teams, but the structure of the schedule seems favorable compared to last season.
During the first seven weeks of the season, Kansas City will only play three playoff teams. They face many more playoff teams in the latter half of the season after the bye week, including the Philadelphia Eagles, Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals. It means they’d better start hot and finish strong if they’re to make the most out of this schedule.
With all of that in mind, here are seven takeaways from the Chiefs’ regular-season schedule in 2023:
Banner night will be much different this year
In many ways, this year’s banner night will be a proper celebration of both Super Bowl LIV and Super Bowl LVII wins for Kansas City. When the Chiefs opened against the Houston Texans in 2020, they were at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. There was just 22% attendance allowed at Arrowhead Stadium to celebrate the Super Bowl win. Fans had to wear masks, social distance.
This time, the Chiefs are also getting a better opponent, though the Lions won’t be at full strength. Second-year WR Jameson Williams will be serving the first game on a six-game suspension.
Conditioning will be tested in Week 2
When the Chiefs played at Jacksonville in Week 1 of the 2019 NFL season, the heat was a big test for the team. It was 98 degrees at kickoff with a heat index of nearly 114 degrees with the humidity. It was one of those games where Andy Reid and the players were really thankful for some of the hot and humid days at training camp in St. Joseph, Missouri.
In Week 2, they could be in for another taste of that type of weather. It likely means they’re going to rotate some of the big guys a bit more frequently, especially on the defensive line. I wouldn’t be shocked to see the team make an extra player at that position active, just in case.
Maximum games in prime time once again
It should be no surprise that the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes got the maximum allotment of primetime games this season. This year Kansas City gets two games on “Sunday Night Football” and two on “Monday Night Football” along with one on “Thursday Night Football.” Technically, they get an extra Thursday night game in Week 1, but it doesn’t count toward the typical prime time allotment because of the fact that it’s the NFL’s season opener.
The NFL allows teams to be scheduled for five primetime games and to be flexed into up to two more primetime games in a given season. That doesn’t even include other nationally televised games that aren’t broadcast in prime time like the team’s Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve games this year.
Chiefs again get a short week to prepare for most anticipated rematch
Highly-anticipated playoff rematches tend to come on a short week for Kansas City.
Last season, everyone wanted to see the Chiefs-Bills rematch because of the “13-second game” in the playoffs the year prior. Kansas City played the Buffalo on a short week after facing an AFC West division rival in the Las Vegas Raiders. The same scenario is happening again in 2023.
The Chiefs will play the Raiders on Christmas Day (Monday, Dec. 25) in Week 16. The following week, they’ll get their highly-anticipated AFC Championship Game rematch against the Cincinnati Bengals with a short week of preparation. It’s hardly the best two-game stretch for Kansas City this season and if they’re not focused, they could drop another game to the Bengals in the regular season.
Fans of noon kickoffs get the shaft again
Last year, I thought things were bad when the Chiefs had just five kickoffs at noon CT. Kansas City plays just two games at the noon time slot this season. One of those games is in the scorching heat of Jacksonville in September and one of those games is the Monday game against the Raiders on Christmas Day. They could have a third game at this time slot scheduled against the Chargers in Week 18, given that is still listed with a TBD date and time.
My main thought: With seven 3:25 games, the NFL is probably trying to get numbers up on their afternoon slate in 2023.
It’s certainly a far cry from the days when the Chiefs played nothing but noon games.
Good timing for the bye week
The bye week feels like it comes at a good time this year. Last year, the Chiefs had their earliest bye week of the Patrick Mahomes era in Week 8. In 2018, 2019 and 2021 the Chiefs had their bye week in Week 12. This year is like 2020, the team will once again have their bye week in Week 10. It comes right between the team’s trip overseas to Frankfurt, Germany to face the Miami Dolphins and their Super Bowl LVII rematch with the Philadelphia Eagles. It feels like the perfect opportunity to recharge, refocus and recalibrate ahead of what should be one of the best games of the season.
Big-time potential for "Football Weather"
From Week 13 through Week 17, the Chiefs are playing in locations that could see snow. They’ll have “Sunday Night Football” at Lambeau Field and “Monday Night Football” at Foxboro. They’ll also have three games at Arrowhead Stadium for that stretch. This is good news, given the fact that Patrick Mahomes is a self-declared snow game guy.
“I think I’m a snow game guy.” @PatrickMahomes pic.twitter.com/rMbmr2YNqY
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) December 18, 2019
