Chiefs' Win-Loss Predictions for 2024 NFL Season
The Kansas City Chiefs' title defense is filled with all sorts of marquee matchups and strange dates throughout the NFL calendar.
Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Co. play on Black Friday, Christmas Day, open on Thursday night, once on Saturday and twice on Monday.
The unusual schedule could throw off the rhythm of certain teams, but the well-oiled Chiefs machine should be able to deal with anything thrown at them.
Kansas City will once again get everyone's best, which means an unexpected loss or two is not completely out of question.
But the Chiefs are still expected to finish at the top of the AFC standings, or at minimum, be in contention for the No. 1 seed in January.
September
1 of 4
Week 1: vs. Baltimore
Week 2: vs. Cincinnati
Week 3: at Atlanta
Week 4: at Los Angeles Chargers
The gauntlet gets thrown down on the Chiefs immediately with home matchups against the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals.
The back-to-back home games against the AFC North could carry more importance later in the season because of head-to-head tiebreakers.
Of course, the early September games will serve as potential statements for the Chiefs to showcase they are once again the class of the AFC.
That will be the prevailing take if they handle their home showdowns with Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow.
It's as important for the Chiefs to retain their focus for Weeks 3 and 4 against two teams in the Atlanta Falcons and Los Angeles Chargers that will have upsets on their minds under first-year head coaches.
A 4-0 run through September is expected for the Chiefs, but it may be more difficult to achieve than some think because of the challenges in each matchup.
September Projected Record: 4-0
October
2 of 4
Week 5: vs. New Orleans
Week 6 Bye
Week 7: at San Francisco
Week 8: at Las Vegas
The Chiefs should start the season 5-0.
A Monday night home game against the New Orleans Saints to start October will be viewed as an easy win.
Three of the four games the Chiefs play against the NFC South will be in primetime, including the Sunday night visit to Atlanta in Week 3. That's one of the weirder scheduling quirks in 2024.
The Week 7 Super Bowl rematch with the San Francisco 49ers will be billed as the early game of the season.
Both teams will have extended rest going into the game. The Chiefs have a Week 6 bye and the Niners play Seattle on Thursday night in Week 6.
The rest advantage will still favor the Chiefs, but it is not as dramatic as it usually is coming off the bye.
While the Chiefs may not like that, it seems fair to both sides so that the NFL can get the best game possible out of a marquee showdown.
The Week 8 trip to Las Vegas could be viewed as a letdown spot, especially if the Chiefs beat the Niners the week before.
The Chiefs are not going to be perfect in 2024, and the first loss seems poised to come after the bye in October.
Projected October Record: 2-1
November
3 of 4
Week 9: vs. Tampa Bay
Week 10: vs. Denver
Week 11: at Buffalo
Week 12: at Carolina
Week 13: vs. Las Vegas
The Chiefs begin and end November with nationally-televised games.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers come into Arrowhead Stadium for a Monday night clash in Week 9 and then the Raiders enter Kansas City on Black Friday.
Those two games, as well as the Week 10 home matchup with the Denver Broncos, are written in Sharpie as wins right now.
The Week 12 trip to Carolina fits into the same category.
The only real test in November is the Week 11 battle in upstate New York with Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills.
Week 11 will not only serve as a potential AFC Championship Game preview, but as a crucial tiebreaker as well for the top of the AFC standings.
A win is expected from the Chiefs' perspective, but the Bills will put everything into that game and that could be a slip-up spot for Mahomes and Co.
November Projected Record: 4-1
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
December and January
4 of 4
Week 14: vs. Los Angeles Chargers
Week 15: at Cleveland
Week 16: vs. Houston
Week 17: at Pittsburgh
Week 18: at Denver
The Chiefs' most challenging week of the season comes in late December.
Kansas City hosts the Houston Texans on Saturday in Week 16 and then visits the Pittsburgh Steelers on Christmas Day, which lands on a Wednesday.
The unusual Saturday-Wednesday run against two potential playoff teams will be tough for the Chiefs to handle, even though they are used to unusual schedules as one of the NFL's marquee franchises.
Two wins over divisional foes are expected in Weeks 14 and 18. The Week 18 matchup with the Denver Broncos comes 10 days off after the Christmas Day game.
The extended rest could serve as a good refresher not just for Week 18, but for the postseason as well.
A 15-2 or 14-3 record likely puts the Chiefs on top of the AFC, and if they can navigate the Houston-Pittsburgh stretch with ease, they could have everything locked up by the time Denver comes to town.
December/January Record Projection: 4-1
Overall Record Projection: 14-3
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
