During July, the Last Word On Sports NFL department will be analyzing the schedules of every team in the NFL. We will be ranking each game in order of difficulty (with one being the most difficult). This series will be split up into the eight most difficult games (ranked 1-8) and the eight easiest games (ranked 9-16) for each team. In this article, the Kansas City Chiefs most difficult games are the focus.
Kansas City Chiefs Most Difficult Games in 2016
1. Week 10 at Carolina Panthers
After going 15-1 in regular season play and eventually losing to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50, the Panthers are out for blood and should be a difficult matchup for any team. Cam Newton, who was named league MVP last season and ranked #1 on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2016 list, should put up even better numbers with the return of budding young wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin. Neutralizing the Panthers high-powered offense should be the Chiefs focus if they want to win in Charlotte.
2. Week 4 at Pittsburgh Steelers
Even if Le’Veon Bell sat out this one for missing multiple drug tests, the Steelers are confident in DeAngelo Williams, who is 33 years old but filled in nicely for Bell last season after he suffered an MCL tear in Week 8. And despite Martavis Bryant’s suspension, the Steelers still possess one of the most electrifying players in the league in Antonio Brown. A primetime Sunday night matchup, this is the Chiefs first major test.
3. Week 12 at Denver Broncos
By November, the Broncos starting quarterback will likely have settled in, whether that’s Mark Sanchez or Paxton Lynch. Divisional games are always fought hard. Though many of the pieces on their championship squad last season are gone, the Broncos should not be taken lightly. While the situation at quarterback is unnerving, the team fared well the entire 2015-16 season with mediocre play from Peyton Manning and Brock Osweiler. With the addition of former Utah Ute Devontae Booker, they also have a talented trio of running backs. The Broncos defense should also still be among the NFL’s elite.
4. Week 6 at Oakland Raiders
The Raiders have no shortage of young talent and have plenty of reasons to be optimistic heading into their second season under head coach Jack Del Rio. Khalil Mack, a potential Defensive Player of the Year and MVP candidate, is sensational against the run, and that’s certainly an area the Chiefs will lean on this year with Jamaal Charles, Spencer Ware and Charcandrick West all potentially toting the ball on a regular basis. The Raiders offense is led by Derek Carr, perhaps the best quarterback in the NFL 25 or under, and he’s clicking with wide receivers Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree.
5. Week 16 vs. Denver Broncos
This late in the season, odds are the Broncos will be vying for a playoff spot or division title. They will undoubtedly bring their A game. It’s also worth noting that the Broncos have won five straight at Arrowhead dating back to 2011. In those five games, they’ve won by an average of eight points, so the game should be relatively close.
6. Week 14 vs. Oakland Raiders
Like the Denver Broncos, the Raiders could be on the playoff bubble late in the season and looking at a must-win game here. Arrowhead will be rocking as the Chiefs play their biggest rival, which will definitely help. The game is also on Thursday night, so both teams will have to overcome a short week.
7. Week 2 at Houston Texans
Already boasting one of the NFL’s top defenses, the Texans made a splash in free agency with the acquisition of quarterback Brock Osweiler and running back Lamar Miller. These two positions arguably hurt them the most this past season. Marcus Peters should also have his hands full with Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, who is getting better each year. There’s not doubt this meeting will be closer than the 30-0 whooping the Chiefs gave Houston in the 2016 Wild Card round.
8. Week 8 at Indianapolis Colts
Which Andrew Luck will we see this year? Before being injured last season, Luck was on pace for a whopping 27 interceptions. T.Y. Hilton, Donte Moncrief and Phillip Dorsett are a trio of talented wideouts, but the Colts won’t be able to get much done against a top-10 Chiefs defense if Luck proves once again that he is a turnover machine. This will be a rematch of the 2014 Wild Card game between the two teams, in which Luck helped the Colts overcome a 28-point deficit to beat the Chiefs 45-44 at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Be sure to check out the eight easiest games as well.
