Rams, Chiefs, Bears Among Teams Featured on NFL 2019 International Schedule

The NFL announced its slate of international games for the 2019 season on Monday, with five contests spread between Mexico City and London. 

According to Grant Gordon of NFL.com, the Kansas City Chiefs will face the Los Angeles Chargers in Mexico City, while the four games in London will see the Carolina Panthers taking on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Chicago Bears facing the Oakland Raiders, the Cincinnati Bengals taking on the Los Angeles Rams and the Houston Texans battling the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The top matchup on that slate will be the clash between AFC West rivals Kansas City and Los Angeles.

The Chiefs boasted the most prolific offense in the NFL this past season while the Chargers had the ninth best defense.

Each team reached the postseason, although both teams subsequently lost to Tom Brady and the New England Patriots—the Chiefs lost in the conference championship game, while the Chargers lost in the divisional round. 

The Chiefs were slated to play the Rams in Mexico City this season, but poor field conditions at the Estadio Azteca forced the game to be moved to Los Angeles. 

In an NFC South clash, the Panthers will face the Buccaneers in London—a matchup of two teams that underachieved in 2018.

Khalil Mack will have the chance to face his old team when the Bears face the Raiders in a showdown between one of the best teams in football this past season (the Bears) and one of the worst (Raiders).

When the Bengals face the Rams, Zac Taylor—who by most accounts will be the next head coach in Cincinnati—will get to face his old team. 

Finally, the Texans will face the Jaguars in an intriguing rivalry game between the defending AFC South champions and a Jags team that came into the 2018 season as a postseason contender but promptly disappointed.  

One of the fascinating storylines in that contest will be who the Jaguars trot out at quarterback. Will the team go into next season with Blake Bortles still under center? Or are changes coming to the position? The answer will likely play a factor into whether that matchup is between two contenders.