Will the Kansas City Chiefs suffer from a Super Bowl hangover next season? We’ll have our answer early in the campaign.
On Tuesday, CBS announced that Kansas City will host Cincinnati for an early season matchup with the Bengals. The game, which will see the renewal of one of the NFL‘s great rivalries, contributes to a brutally tough start to the season for the defending Super Bowl champions.
When Chiefs, Bengals Will Renew Epic NFL Rivalry
Cincinnati will visit Kansas City on Sunday, Sept. 15, at 4:25 p.m. ET. The Chiefs will be coming off a home matchup with the Baltimore Ravens; the Bengals’ Week 1 game wasn’t known at the time of this writing.
The Chiefs and Bengals met late last December when Kansas City earned a 25-17 home win. However, Jake Browning was at quarterback for the Bengals, as Joe Burrow missed the final seven games of the campaign due to a wrist injury.
So, next season’s Week 2 matchup will mark the true renewal not just of one of the great team rivalries in football, but arguably the best QB-specific rivalry in the league.
Patrick Mahomes vs. Joe Burrow
Burrow and Patrick Mahomes have squared off four times during their careers: twice during the regular season and twice during the playoffs. The Bengals are 3-1 in those games, with the Chiefs taking the most recent matchup, the 2022 season’s AFC Championship Game.
- Jan. 2, 2022: Bengals 34, Chiefs 31
- Jan. 30, 2022 (AFC title game): Bengals 27, Chiefs 24 (overtime)
- Dec. 4, 2022: Bengals 27, Chiefs 24
- Jan 29, 2023 (AFC title game): Chiefs 23, Bengals 20
The Bengals aren’t intimidated by the Chiefs, and Burrow clearly relishes the opportunity to play against Mahomes. Plus, the Bengals will be looking to prove they still are Kansas City’s kryptonite after losing the last two matchups between the two teams.
As for the Chiefs, they could be looking to prevent starting 0-2 on their quest for a three-peat.
Could Chiefs Start 0-2?
On Monday, the NFL announced its season opener: Ravens at Chiefs for the Week 1 edition of “Thursday Night Football.”
The game will be a rematch of last season’s AFC Championship Game, which saw Kansas City earn a 17-10 win over Baltimore. The Chiefs likely will be favored, but Lamar Jackson and company are perfectly capable of leaving Arrowhead Stadium with a victory.
Moreover, the Chiefs suffered a home loss to the Detroit Lions in last season’s opener. So, the NFL’s greatest team isn’t immune to a slow start.
But they’ll need to be ready to go this time. In starting their season with games against the Ravens and Bengals, the Chiefs are primed for a potential 0-2 start. Such a start could carry major playoff ramifications, as the Chiefs, Bengals, and Ravens figure to be among the AFC’s top contenders.
Kansas City might not be happy about the schedule, but this is what the NFL wanted. And given the ratings success of last season’s Lions-Chiefs opener, the league’s schedule makers might be prioritizing juicy early season matchups, regardless of how difficult they might be for the teams involved.
Regardless, the Chiefs will face major tests in Weeks 1 and 2. If they pass both, they’ll be well on their way to another dominant season.
Who Are Chiefs’ Opponents for 2024 NFL Season?
With Kansas City’s first two games revealed, let’s look at its remaining opponents for next season.
