The Kansas City Chiefs’ 2023 NFL season schedule has officially been revealed.
With six prime-time games, two games on holidays and an international game, the Chiefs have quite the slate ahead of them. They’re also playing a championship schedule after winning Super Bowl LVII. With a tough schedule ahead of them, which games are coming at just the right time for the team in 2023?
Four particular games stuck out:
Detroit Lions (Week 1)
The Lions were scorching hot to end the 2022 NFL season, but this is going to be a very different team. Their running back room is completely different with Jamaal Williams and D’Andre Swift now elsewhere. They used the free agency period and the 2023 NFL draft to rebuild their secondary and beef up their defensive line and linebacker group. Basically, this Lions team has a high ceiling in 2023, but they’re still going to be building chemistry come Week 1.
There’s also the fact that they’ll be without second-year WR Jameson Williams, who will be serving a suspension for gambling. That’ll hurt Jared Goff and the Detroit offense.
New York Jets (Week 4)
It feels like we’ve been waiting forever for a matchup between Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers. In 2019, Mahomes missed the game due to his dislocated kneecap. In 2021, Rodgers was ruled out of the game with COVID-19 exposure. They’re getting this game in early in the season to ensure that these two all-time great QBs get a chance to face each other.
Specifically for Kansas City, I think it bodes well that this game happens early. The Jets have a tough schedule early in the season and they know that there might be a bit of an adjustment period for Rodgers and the offense to start clicking. Of course, he’s familiar with the Jets’ new offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. Any later than Week 4 and I’d say that New York would probably already have hit their stride. There is a chance, however, that their offense is still working on timing, which could make all the difference in what is sure to be a shootout.
Denver Broncos (Week 6)
The Broncos traded to acquire former Saints HC Sean Payton this offseason because they’re desperate to get their franchise turned around. They’re particularly desperate when it comes to Kansas City as they haven’t won a game against them since the Obama administration.
Getting the Broncos on a Thursday night game at home is about as big of a boon for the Chiefs as they could possibly hope for. They haven’t lost a Thursday night game since 2018, and frankly, we all know that particular game against the Chargers was quite a fluke. If Denver does manage to stop its 15-straight-game losing skid to Kansas City, it probably won’t be this week.
Buffalo Bills (Week 14)
The Chiefs faced the Buffalo Bills in Week 6 of the regular season last year. They exacted their revenge for the “13-second” playoff game, beating Kansas City 24-20. Fast forward to the end of the season, Buffalo was a completely different team due to injuries and just the grueling nature of a 17-game NFL regular season.
Playing the Bills later in the season is a bit of a double-edged sword. On one hand, both teams are going to be about as polished as they’ll get for the 2023 NFL season. Von Miller should be back to full health for the Buffalo, but the Chiefs’ tackle situation should be looking a lot better. On the other hand, both clubs will have gone through 14 weeks of attrition. I’ll put the Chiefs’ training staff up against any of the other 31 NFL teams every day of the week.
