Instant predictions for Chiefs’ 17-game schedule

**Week 2: vs. Indianapolis Colts**

*Sunday, September 20, 7:20 p.m. NBC* Read the first line of the previous blurb. ***Chiefs win (2-0)***

**Week 3: at Miami Dolphins**

**Sunday, September 2**7*, 12:00 p.m. CBS* This is a good time to catch a team that truly flipped the organization on its head and shook out all its loose change this offseason. The Chiefs have no reason to lose this game. ***Chiefs win (3-0)***

**Week 4: at Las Vegas Raiders**

*Sunday, October 4, 3:25 p.m. CBS* With a theme similar to the projected win in Miami, there could be bright spots for the Raiders this year, free from the dead-end era under head coach Pete Carroll — but this early in the season, Kansas City needs to flex the experienced, veteran muscles and start the season with a 2-0 record in the division. ***Chiefs win (4-0)***

Week 5: Bye

**Week 6:** vs. Los Angeles Chargers

*Sunday, October 18, 3:25 p.m. CBS* I doubt many of the veteran Chiefs players will be happy with the early rest, but still, it gives Kansas City soe sort of advantage in the first matchup with a possible contender for the division title. That said, there’s always an October home loss that defies logic and produces some grey hairs, and this feels like the sweet spot for it. ***Chiefs lose (4-1)***

**Week 7:** at Seattle Seahawks

*Sunday, October 25, 7:20 p.m. NBC* The first of two West Coast road trips will be a fun matchup, and hopefully Chiefs’ running back Kenneth Walker is in midseason form for his revenge game. I believe Seattle could regress closer to the pack after winning the Super Bowl, and this game will be a point of proof. ***Chiefs win (5-1)***

**Week 8: at Denver**

*Sunday, November 1, 3:25 p.m. CBS* Broncos’ head coach Sean Payton will be ready for the rematch, one that could define Denver’s season given the predicted 0-1 start and a tough lineup of early-season opponents. This makes two AFC West losses in three weeks, splitting the season series with Denver with 10 weeks still to play. ***Chiefs lose (5-2)***

**Week 9:** vs. New York Jets

*Sunday, November 8, 12:00 p.m. CBS* There’s not much to fear about the Jets in their current state, mainly because the quarterback position is bleak. It’s a tough spot for them to match the energy of a contender coming off a division loss, so this is a simple bounceback opportunity to take advantage of. ***Chiefs win (6-2)***

**Week 10:** at Atlanta Falcons

*Sunday, November 15, 12:00 p.m. CBS* While I respect the Falcons’ hire of head coach Kevin Stefanski, I see the Chiefs staying focused through the trap opportunity and avoid a left-handed upset at the hands of Tua Tagovailoa or Michael Penix. ***Chiefs win (7-2)***

**Week 11:** vs. Arizona Cardinals

*Sunday, November 22, 12:00 p.m. CBS* This is the real “trap game,” with a short week to prepare for Thanksgiving night following it, and I may have fallen for the trap if it was any other opponent. ***Chiefs win (8-2)***

**Week 12:** at Buffalo Bills

*Thursday, November 26, 7:20 p.m. NBC* At this point in the season, it’s hard to imagine either team would be holding anything back with only so much time to make up for a loss in the standings. I don’t see this setting being one that inspires change from the usual routine in this AFC matchup. ***Chiefs lose (8-3)***

**Week 13:** at Los Angeles Rams

*Thursday, December 3, 7:15 p.m. Amazon Prime* With just the standard seven days to rebound from Thanksgiving, I see the Chiefs doing just that in a matchup that feels more like a celebration of football’s offensive evolution than it does an intense battle. The scheme advantage may almost certainly be with the modern Rams offense, but it feels like the right time for quarterback Patrick Mahomes to prove that only matters so much. ***Chiefs win (9-3)***

**Week 14:** at Cincinnati Bengals

*Sunday, December 13, 3:25 p.m. CBS* The Bengals would love to play spoiler to a the Chiefs’ hopes at homefield advantage, and certainly could be overtaking it for themselves in this situation. However, that’s quite a projection, considering this team hasn’t proven to be a contender in years. This will be a fierce matchup regardless, one that will prepare both for the playoffs and was definitely missed last season. ***Chiefs win (10-3)***

**Week 15:** vs. New England Patriots

*Monday, December 21, 7:15 PM, ESPN/ABC* This “Monday Night Football” matchup in Arrowhead will always bring back memories of the 2014 beatdown of Tom Brady. A similar beatdown feels like a stretch to suggest, but there is reason to believe the Patriots will regress like many Super Bowl losers do the following year. I wouldn’t be surprised if New England was in a position to be eliminated from playoff contention with a loss here. ***Chiefs win (11-3)***

**Week 16:** vs. San Francisco 49ers

*Sunday, December 27, 3:25 p.m. CBS* It’s easy to see how there could be much more bad blood on one side of this interconference than the other, the one who emerged victorious in both Super Bowl LIV and LVIII. Those wounds are still fresh, and could be an x-factor amid a playoff push I assume San Francisco will be making. This could also be a look-ahead spot for the division-leading Chiefs to a game that could potentially crown a champion of the AFC West with its result. ***Chiefs lose (11-4)***

**Week 17: at** Los Angeles

*Date and Time TBD* I do see a path to the Chargers being a contender for the AFC West up until the very end, so in classic Chiefs fashion, Los Angeles’ hopes for such a dream will be dashed when Kansas City wins the late-season matchup that clinches the division. ***Chiefs win (12-4)***

**Week 18: vs.** Raiders

*Date and Time TBD* With four losses, there is a strong possibility that the top seed in the AFC is still within reach for the Chiefs, and it will most likely take beating Las Vegas in the season finale at Arrowhead. This could be an awesome opportunity for rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza to begin his villain arc in the lore of this rivalry… but I see Kansas City saying “maybe next year” while keeping momentum ahead of a postseason run. ***Chiefs win (13-4)***

The Bottom Line

**Final record: 13-4** There is little doubt in my head (or maybe it’s my heart) that the re-tooling done to the Chiefs’ roster, coaching staff and potentially scheme will set Kansas City up to start out strong, staying ahead of the curve by running the offense differently than before, and keeping a steady hand through the toughest parts of the schedule to once again hold one of the NFL’s best win-loss records. The bye week actually feels a bit deflating, as do the two road games against re-building organizations leading into it. That’s where the lull comes from in the first loss of the season to Los Angeles, but the new energy and messaging from the coaching staff can absolutely make a difference in avoiding the snowball effect from it. There were times over the last three seasons under offensive coordinator Matt Nagy that lulls turned into weeks-long stretches of ineffectiveness. If that continues to happen, then last season may not be an outlier, but there’s a reason Reid made the decision to bring back offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, and while the “accountability” is fresh, it could very well be a reason Mahomes and the offense’s rhythm finds stronger consistency moving forward.