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The Chiefs’ unique schedule includes three games in 11 day period as well as crucial AFC matchups.
As the holiday season approaches, the NFL season hits its home stretch in the race for the postseason. The Kansas City Chiefs, despite a 10-1 record, have had a frustrating season for several reasons.
The team has not lived up to its usual high standard of play on either side of the ball while also suffering a myriad of injuries, which has undoubtedly made their road to the three-peat much more challenging.
Two injured Chiefs—running back Isiah Pacheco (fractured fibula) and defensive end Charles Omenihu (ACL tear) are trending toward making their returns to the field in week 12. They are welcome reinforcements for the franchise as they enter into a final six-game stretch, which is anything but ordinary.
When the NFL schedule was released in the spring, it was noted the team would play on every day of the week, except Tuesday. In the season's final six weeks, the Chiefs have only two traditional Sunday games remaining on the calendar (with their Week 18 matchup against the Denver Broncos yet to be scheduled). Along with the inconsistent schedule, four of the remaining six games are against teams who would be in the postseason if the regular season ended today.
This scheduling quirk begins this Friday, as the Chiefs are hosting the Las Vegas Raiders on Black Friday — when the world is awaking from their tryptophan-induced comas just in time for an NFL matchup. This is the NFL’s second Black Friday matchup after introducing the game in the 2023 season. The inaugural Black Friday game was viewed by an average of 9.61 million viewers on Amazon Prime.
A Friday game is unique to the Chiefs. This will be the first Friday Chiefs game since the 2005 season at the Miami Dolphins. Fans may remember this game was moved up on the calendar in preparation for Hurricane Wilma, which would have caused unsafe playing conditions if the game had been played as scheduled in Miami on Sunday.
On a rainy Friday night in Miami, the Chiefs beat the Dolphins 30-20 on short notice and same-day travel. The Chiefs hope for similar results this Friday against the Raiders.
Following Black Friday, the Chiefs will have nine days rest, their last extended rest period of the season (should they not secure the number one seed in the AFC playoffs). Potentially, the most brutal portion of their schedule will begin on December 15th against the Cleveland Browns.
The Chiefs will play three games in 11 days in weeks 15-18. After their Sunday matchup against the Browns, they will play against the Houston Texans on Saturday. Then, on only three days of rest, they will face the Pittsburgh Steelers on Wednesday, Christmas Day.
Not only are two of the three games against current AFC division leaders, but two of the three are also on the road.
This punishing schedule will be very difficult for the Chiefs to...
