The NFL has never seen a three-peat Super Bowl champion, and the Chiefs are targeting that history after winning back-to-back titles.
The closest we've gotten to such a feat was when the Patriots won Super Bowls in 2017 and 2019, but lost in 2018. This Chiefs team has retooled and is poised to make history. Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Chris Jones, and Andy Reid are focused and ready.
The actual schedule will reportedly drop on May 15. And when it does, there can be a more in-depth look at the game-by-game predictions and a much tighter prediction. For now, let's take a look at the 2024 season, schedule, and their chances to repeat.
Chiefs host 2024 NFL season-opener vs. Ravens on Sept. 5
The Chiefs host the Ravens in the first game of the 2024 NFL season on Sept. 5 in a rematch of the 2023 AFC championship game. That game will be on NBC on Thursday Night Football.
Lamar vs. Mahomes to kick off the 2024 season. 👀🔥 pic.twitter.com/IY8EaV0M6V
— NFL (@NFL) May 13, 2024
In their previous match, Kansas City' stout defense held the Ravens to just two scores in a 17-10 win to send the Chiefs to the Super Bowl. Mahomes completed 30 of 39 passes for 241 yards and one touchdown. Travis Kelce caught 11 passes for 116 yards and a score.
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2023 at a glance
The Chiefs finished the 2023 season 11-6, winning the AFC West for an astounding eighth year in a row. They have completely dominated that division. Their record was only good for the No. 3 seed in the AFC, though. They haven't been lower than a No. 2 seed in the AFC since the 2017 season.
To say their defense carried the team wouldn't be a stretch. KC allowed just 17 points per game this season — second-best in the NFL. The opening night loss to the Lions should've been a warning shot. They rallied and reeled off six consecutive wins before a mid to late-season rut. Between Weeks 8 to 16, KC went 3-5. Four of those five losses were by one score. In every loss they had, 28 points would've been enough to win each of those games. No wonder Reid and general manager Bret Veach emphasized the offensive side of the ball heading into this offseason.
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Chiefs 2024 home and away games
Here are all the Chiefs' home and away opponents for the 2024 season. Each team's 2023 record is in parenthesis. Playoff teams are italicized.
Home
- Baltimore Ravens (13-4) on Sept. 5
- Denver Broncos (8-9)
- Los Angeles Chargers (5-12)
- Las Vegas Raiders (8-9)
- Cincinnati Bengals (9-8)
- Houston Texans (10-7)
- New Orleans Saints (9-8)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-8)
Away
- Denver Broncos (8-9)
- Los Angeles Chargers (5-12)
- Las Vegas Raiders (8-9)
- Atlanta Falcons (7-10)
- Buffalo Bills (11-6)
- Carolina Panthers (2-15)
- Cleveland Browns (11-6)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7)
- San Francisco 49ers (12-5)
Seven of the Chiefs' games are against playoff teams from this past season. Even though they will play 10 games against non-playoff teams, accounting for turnover is critical. The Bengals, Chargers and Saints were recent playoff contenders despite missing out in 2023.
The division games are always tough, too. Those are games in which you and your opponent know one another so well. Be mindful that as long as the Chiefs have been in control of their division, their fellow AFC West mates have been gearing up to beat them. Perfect example: the Chargers had cap issues and needed to make several large cuts. They opted to cut their starting receivers and keep their starting pass rushers. Moves like that let you know they have to rattle Mahomes for a shot to beat the reigning, defending, undisputed AFC West champs.
Chiefs 2024 primetime game options
The first home game that sticks out as a possible primetime game is against the Ravens. Two of the best quarterbacks in the league will face off yet again. This is a new-age version of Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning. Lamar Jackson is Manning to Mahomes' Brady. While Mahomes has more accolades and has the titles, Jackson looks as if he's going to break through at some point. His lack of postseason success to this point isn't as alarming as some want you to think. These two will be at the top of their games (barring injuries) for years to come. If the league wanted to kick off the season right, make this one the Thursday Night Kickoff Special.
Bengals and/or Texans are the other home games that could see primetime. Joe Burrow and C.J. Stroud are two of the other top quarterbacks in the league. Both teams are surrounding their guys with all the weapons possible, and both defenses are strong enough to help their offenses compete with anyone. Seeing them play against the Chiefs' defense and Mahomes would be exciting in any given week.
Of their road games, the Bills and 49ers are the two that have the most juice. The Bills have been able to give the Chiefs good games over the years. They've fallen off a bit, but still have a good team. The 49ers are a perennial contender that has maintained one of the league's better defenses despite losing several players and coaches on that side of the ball.
The one sneaky option on the list of away games that could be put in primetime is against Carolina. One might ask why in the world would they put a 2-15 team in primetime? Bryce Young was No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Think of a Thursday night game where you normally get terrible teams playing one another. Instead, insert the face of the league against a second-year quarterback and it's that much more interesting.
Chiefs 2024 season prediction
The Chiefs are making the playoffs. The only way that doesn't happen is if a very specific key player misses a significant amount of time. They'll for sure win the AFC West again. No other team in that division has done anything noteworthy enough to say they'll dethrone the Chiefs. Anywhere between 10-7 and 14-3 is where this team should end up. The low end is the worst-case scenario, should they stay relatively healthy. The high end is where they'll most likely end up if everything hits right, with maybe a few hiccups. Anything less than another AFC Championship game appearance is going to feel like a failure. This team is too talented to miss the playoffs.
From this point forward, health is the biggest thing. Players need to stay healthy during this portion of the offseason while ramping it up for training camp. Hopefully, Rashee Rice's legal issues and impending suspension can be cleared up before the start of the season. Then the team can plan for what they want to do at receiver.
