The Kansas City Chiefs have been on a roll since Patrick Mahomes became their full-pledged starting quarterback.
Since 2018, they’ve had at least 12 wins in each regular season and have made the AFC Championship Game for four straight years.
They could have also made it to three straight Super Bowls if not for a gallant effort by the Cincinnati Bengals.
Come the 2022 season, they will be subject to more challenges after losing Tyreek Hill and Tyrann Mathieu to free agency.
Likewise, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter revealed, their schedule is also one of the toughest
Chiefs are the first team in NFL history to start the season with eight straight games against teams that had a winning record in the previous season, per @EliasSports. pic.twitter.com/SAtoCQMrME
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 13, 2022
Schefter tweeted, “Chiefs are the first team in NFL history to start the season with eight straight games against teams that had a winning record in the previous season, per @EliasSports.”
Six of those eight teams had double-digit wins last season, with the only exceptions being the Indianapolis Colts and the Los Angeles Chargers.
Those two teams could have made last season’s playoffs if not for blunders during their final regular season games.
Likewise, all of their early opponents have a legitimate chance of making the 2022 postseason.
Of those games, Week 4 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Week 6 versus the Buffalo Bills are the highly-anticipated ones.
The earlier of the two games will pit Mahomes and Tom Brady, while the latter is a rematch of the thrilling Divisional Round showdown last season.
The Chiefs Must Move On From Hill And Mathieu
Mahomes will still have reliable targets downfield in Marquez Valdes-Scantling, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Travis Kelce.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire can also be a menace from the backfield while their offensive line remains solid.
The Chiefs are also hoping that rookie George Karlaftis will help generate more pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
But without Hill, Kansas City might be facing an uphill battle, especially with this grueling schedule.
