Looking at the top matchups in the KC Chiefs 2021 schedule

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 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.

Bills @ Chiefs

The Buffalo Bills are quickly becoming one of the darlings of the NFL, and rightfully so. For an organization that has been mired in mediocrity for over two decades, they look poised to be one of the NFL’s juggernauts heading into the next decade with Doug McDermott and Josh Allen at the wheel.

The Chiefs handled the Bills fairly easily this season, with the final score seeming much closer than the actual game. They ran the ball 46 times, a career high for an Andy Reid-coached team, and shredded the Bills once tough defense for 466 total yards.

Since then the Bills passing offense looks like it’s taken a significant step forward. Stefon Diggs and Cole Beasley now look like one of the best receiving duos in the entire league, and Allen looks like an All-Pro.

With the Bills late-season surge, and the simultaneous decline of the Steelers, the Bills now look to be the primary obstacle to the Chiefs reaching their second Super Bowl in a row. Most expect these teams to meet on January 16th to decide who will play the NFC champion.

If these teams do in fact meet in the playoffs, and the AFC Championship game no less, watch for this to be the hottest ticket in 2021 and likely the game of the regular season.

Chiefs @ Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens have had a bit of a rough follow up to their 14-2 season, and Lamar Jackson has not fared tremendously better individually. Sitting at 10-5, there are still a handful of obstacles in the way of them making the AFC Playoffs.

While it’s likely they’ll still be playing come January 9th, this Ravens squad doesn’t pack the punch that their predecessor possessed. Jackson seems to have taken a step back as both a runner and passer, and the defense has not lived up to their usual standard. Prognostications of 16-0 seem ages ago, as this team grapples with its own identity.

The Chiefs have thoroughly had the Ravens number in their last several meetings, with the final scores being closer than the actual game itself. Mahomes himself has had monster games in each, and seems to relish the opportunity of playing against Jackson.

The national sports media loves both Mahomes and Jackson, making any matchup between the two a high-profile affair. Add the expectation of fans in the stands in late 2021, in a stadium unfriendly to guests, and this game will probably be tougher for the Chiefs than the one in 2020.

Look for this game to be billed as a huge obstacle on the Chiefs schedule, but my honest guess is it won’t appear as daunting in hindsight.

Chiefs @ AFC South Champion

As the records currently stand, the Tennessee Titans and the Indianapolis Colts both sit at 10-5 with a chance to win the AFC South heading into the final week. Both teams seemingly have a cake walk in Week 17, the Titans playing the decimated Texans and the Colts playing the hapless Jaguars. The two teams have split contests in 2020, but the Titans have the edge in the division giving them the tie breaker if both teams finish with the same record.

Things are still a bit up in the air, but for all intents and purposes, we’re going to assume this game is going to be played in Nashville against the Tennessee Titans. They’re an on-again, off-again Super Bowl contender, and they were off against the Green Bay Packers. Odds are they’re on against the Houston Texans and wrap up the division.

Oddly enough, the Titans franchise has had Reid’s number as the Chiefs head coach. The Chiefs have lost multiple regular season games to the Titans since 2013 and even a playoff game where they led 21-3 at halftime. Reid and company seemed to vanquish that demon last season, with the Chiefs trouncing the Titans on the way to Super Bowl glory.

Even so, this team has talent and will likely continue to pose a challenge to the Chiefs as long as “King Henry” lines up in the backfield and Ryan Tannehill continues to put up Pro Bowl production.