Five Intriguing Kansas City Chiefs Matchups For The 2023 Season
Updated: Jun 28, 2023
With the 2023-24 Chiefs schedule officially out, the road to their next Super Bowl begins at home. After winning Super Bowl LVII over the Eagles, the hype around the chance to repeat is only increasing. The Lions come to town for Week One and that is the official kick-off of the entire NFL season. While I am sure Chiefs fans consider every game an intruiging one, let’s widdle it down to five that stand out above the rest for the 2023 season, shall we?
Honorable Mention: Week One, Detroit Lions
Is it cliche to say that the first game of the season is an intriguing one? Yeah probably but this is a special one for sure. The official NFL Kickoff game will begin Kansas Citys road to a repeat. While the Detroit Lions might not have the appeal of other opponents on the Chiefs schedule, this will still be a fun one.
What makes this matchup intriguing is that the Chiefs finally get that Super Bowl banner ceremony with a packed house. After the Chiefs 2019 Super Bowl victory, COVID ruined any chance of a full crowd season opener by the time the next season kicked off. This is also the first time in 20 years that the Lions will be back at Arrowhead. Welcoming a Lions team that won eight of their final ten games in 2022 to finish at 9-8 and post their first winning record since 2017, could make for a great matchup, at least for the first half.
Week Nine, Tyreek Returns To Germany?
Most Chiefs fans would agree that it kind of sucks that Tyreek Hills first matchup against the Chiefs as an opponent is not happening in KC. The much anticipated “return of Tyreek” will instead take place in Frankfurt, Germany. This is a huge game for both teams considering KC is the defending champs and Miami is trying to cement their name as AFC contenders.
Miami added Jalen Ramsey in the offseason to boost their defense just in time for a matchup with Patrick Mahomes and company. This matchup would have been put much higher on this list if it were happening at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on maybe Sunday Night Football. However, the matchup is happening regardless so we finally get to see if Tyreek can beat his former team and back up the trash talk that has been happening for the last year.
Week 18, Chiefs Close Regular Season In LA
While the AFC West runs through Kansas City and has been for awhile now, divisional games are usually competitive. The LA Chargers have become the toughest opponent in the division by far. Justin Herbert is the closest thing to an equal in the division and that is what makes this matchup so good. KC ending the regular season on the road against the biggest divisional test is the best way to close it out.
The Chiefs currently have a three-game winning streak over the Chargers but all have been by only one score. The Chargers are picked to make a big leap every year so far and probably will be again this season. However, this matchup is either going to mean alot for the Chargers or a burner game for the Chiefs. If the division race is close, both teams could be circling this game. Regardless, an intra-division matchup to close out the regular season is beatifully planned and will make for must-watch football.
Week Four, We Finally Get The State Farm Bowl
Somehow, Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes have never faced off in a game. Injuries and what not have kept Rodgers on the sideline preventing a huge matchup. The “State Farm Bowl” featuring Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes is going to be one of the most watched Sunday Night Football games of the season.
Rodgers is now a member of the New York Jets so this will be an AFC matchup that actually matters. This game is also on the road in New York which makes this even more intriguing. Mahomes will be on the road to a repeat and Rodgers will be attempting to rally a young, feisty Jets team into a contender. This could easily be the best game of the season for KC unless they’re back in the Super Bowl again.
Week 11, Super Bowl LVII Rematch
The NFL is blessing fans with a Super Bowl LVII rematch in Week 11. The Eagles will have to come to Kansas City for the rematch and I am sure Chiefs Kingdom is excited about that. Anytime you get a rematch of one of the best Super Bowls in recent memory, this has to make the top-two.
The Eagles are having a busy but productive offseason so far. The NFL Draft was a slam dunk for them and they could easily be running the entire NFC once again.The Chiefs are also going to be one of the better teams in the AFC so we could very well be watching another potential Super Bowl rematch during the rematch in Week 11 which sounds crazy. The best part of this matchup? Both teams are coming off their bye week so both will be fully rested for a potential heavyweight battle.
Week 17, Chiefs Welcome Their Favorite Rival, The Bengals
Last but not least, we have the most intriguing game on the Chiefs 2023 schedule. In Week 17, we get yet another installment of the Chiefs and Bengals rivalry. KC finally conquered Cincinnati in last years AFC title game. With both teams shaping up to be elite AFC contenders again, get your popcorn ready for Week 17. This game is also on New Years Eve, what an exciting way to usher out 2023 and welcome in 2024.
This game is also in Kansas City so the Bengals will have to once again try to block out the noise of Arrowhead. With this game being in Week 17, this could be the deciding game for who the AFC side of the playoffs runs through. So with all of this extra fluff and bad blood between the teams, Week 17 is shaping up to be the best game of the year and we haven’t even started training camp yet.
If you like fantasy football, check out Trophy Smack for your next league prize!