KC Chiefs: Predicting each game of the 2022 season
Before the regular season kicks off, let’s predict the Kansas City Chiefs’ final record and playoff result game by game.
With the NFL preseason over and the regular season kickoff right around the corner, NFL previews and predictions will be amongst the most consumed football media content. The Kansas City Chiefs will open their season on Sunday, September 11th at 3:25 CST in Glendale, Arizona against the Cardinals.
Kansas City has a demanding overall schedule, having the second most difficult schedule in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus ($). That makes sense since they have to play both Super Bowl participants from last year (Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Rams), fellow title favorites Buffalo Bills and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and they also play in what many consider to be the strongest division in the NFL.
Despite the challenging schedule, many fans in Chiefs Kingdom are confident and expect a playoff appearance for the eighth season in a row. But what does their schedule look like and how will the team perform this season?
With the preseason and roster cuts behind us, here is a look at the week-by-week matchups on the Chiefs’ 2022 regular-season slate, predictions for each game on the schedule, and even a playoff projection.
Week 1: at Arizona Cardinals (3:25 CST, CBS)
Kansas City will open their season in the same stadium where they aim to end it. Super Bowl LVII will be played at State Farm Stadium in Glendale. For the third season in a row, the Chiefs will play a regular season game in the stadium that hosts that season’s super bowl. The Chiefs have won the previous two such matchups, including a victory in Tampa Bay in November of 2020 and a thrilling overtime victory against Los Angeles last December.
The Cardinals will be without superstar wide receiver Deandre Hopkins due to a PED suspension. This will be key since it’s likely that Kansas City’s defense will start slow again due to the influx of youth and new faces to the unit.
Arizona’s defense last season was solid but it definitely was not the 1985 Bears. They have a lot of talent, and J.J. Watt should be healthy to start the season, but I believe that the Chiefs’ offense is the more talented group when facing off against the Cardinals’ defense.
It won’t be a pretty game, as the offense may have some hiccups as well, but an elite offensive line, Travis Kelce, Andy Reid, and Patrick Mahomes will be enough to propel them to victory.
Result: Chiefs WIN 31-26 and start 1-0.
Week 2 (TNF): vs Los Angeles Chargers (7:15, Amazon Prime)
Two teams that provided arguably the most entertaining regular season game in 2021 will be the first ones to play a regular season game on Amazon Prime’s Thursday Night Football.
The Chargers are arguably the biggest threat to the Chiefs in the AFC West in 2022 due to the additions of J.C Jackson, Khalil Mack, Bryce Callahan, and more. Another thing to watch out for regarding this game is corner J.C. Jackson potentially missing this game due to a recent ankle surgery that was projected to keep him out for two to four weeks. Based on the projected timeline, the star corner could very well be back in time for this game but ankle surgery is not easy to return from for a player like a cornerback.
The Chiefs will be tested on both sides of the ball as the Chargers have the talent to rival them. Los Angeles gave them all they could handle last year but the Chiefs aren’t ready to give up the AFC West throne. With this game being on a short week, it puts the road team at a severe disadvantage due to only having two full days to prepare, but that didn’t seem to bother Kansas City last year in a similar scenario. This will be a tough test but I believe the home team will come out on top in another classic.
Result: Chiefs WIN 33-28 and go to 2-0.