The Kansas City Chiefs schedule for 2021 is nearly set. What are the top matchups for the red and gold in 2021?
As of Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs schedule is taking shape with 15 of 16 opponents confirmed:
The Chiefs now know all but one opponent for 2021 season:
— Matt Derrick (@mattderrick) December 28, 2020
Home: Broncos, Chargers, Raiders, Steelers, Browns, Cowboys, Giants and Bills
Road: Broncos, Chargers, Raiders, Ravens, Bengals, Eagles, Washington and AFC South champ
They will go to Tennessee if Titans win tonight.
The Tennessee Titans travel to Houston on January 3rd to face the Texans, and barring something catastrophic they should be able to wrap up the AFC South division in their final game of the season. This would complete the Chiefs schedule for 2021 with some intriguing rematches between the Chiefs and some likely Super Bowl contenders.
It looks like this might be an easier schedule overall than the Chiefs schedule in 2020. This season the Chiefs played five teams with almost certain expectations of making the playoffs, with four of them on the road. Things can change, but it looks like the Chiefs are only set to play four teams total that fit that criteria and only two of them on the road. As it stands, four games in particular stick out.
Steelers @ Chiefs
Through 12 weeks of the 2020 NFL season, the Pittsburgh Steelers were regarded as not only a great team but Super Bowl contenders and the Chiefs primary competition to make it to Tampa Bay. The last four weeks have seen them fall off significantly, but it still remains the Steelers are a perennial playoff team with Mike Tomlin at head coach.
The last time Mahomes and company played the Steelers, it was a barnburner. Mahomes threw for six touchdowns, one of two times he did so in 2018, and the Chiefs beat the Steelers at Heinz Field for the first time since 1985.
It sounds like Ben Roethlisberger plans to return in 2021, and he’ll undoubtedly have a restocked offense following free agency and the NFL Draft. JuJu Smith-Schuster and James Claypool are an imposing duo, one that will put Spagnuolo’s secondary to the test.
Coupled with the Steelers tough defensive unit, one of the few with the horsepower to slow down the Chiefs dynamic offense, the Steelers pose one of the stiffer challenges on the Chiefs schedule in 2021.