Kansas City Chiefs: The 5 biggest games of 2018
Week 1, at Los Angeles Chargers
It might be easy to put the first game of the season on this list and call it one of the “biggest games” of the year for any team. But with the Chiefs transitioning from Alex Smith to Pat Mahomes under center, the Chiefs have one of the more interesting Week 1 storylines for 2018. Entering his second season, Mahomes will be challenged in Week 1.
The Chiefs will face a Chargers defense that returns pass rushers Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram. Bosa was seventh in the league with 12.5 sacks while Ingram had 10.5, tying two others for 15th most.
Although Bosa is the bigger pass-rusher, it was Ingram who got the best of the Chiefs’ offensive line last year. Ingram sacked then-quarterback Smith four times while Bosa got to Smith just once in both meetings.
Regardless, every game and every year is different. Bosa and Ingram could be viewed as the best pass-rushing duo in the NFL coming into 2018. In 2017, the Chargers were the only team last year to feature two defensive players in the top 20 in sacks. Pro Football Focus rated Ingram and Bosa sixth and seventh respectively among edge defenders from 2017.
On top of that, this is a divisional game. If the Chiefs suffer a loss, they will start the season one game back in the division, and will have three of their next five on the road. Yes, it is early. But a good start early in the season will go a long way for a Chiefs team with a new and young player under center.