KC Chiefs Schedule 2023: Game-by-game predictions for upcoming season
By Matt Conner
WEEK 4, Oct. 1 (Sunday) – @ New York Jets
Can anyone predict how the New York Jets are going to turn out in 2023 and beyond? That’s what makes this such a fun exercise.
You can flinch at the price tag for a 40-year-old quarterback who didn’t want to play for his home team, but the Jets had to do this deal and if they gave up a bit too much despite the trade leverage they had, so be it. This is a team with a competitive defense, offensive playmakers, and a need to get good quickly if they want to seize a window in the AFC East or slip to the bottom behind a growing number of teams in the conference with quarterback figured out for the long term.
Robert Saleh’s defense is going to do damage as long as they keep Quinnen Williams happy in the middle. Sauce Gardner is a must-watch cornerback (how often do you hear that phrase?) and the front line added juice in Al Woods and Will McDonald. The Chuck Clark trade was also a smaller yet savvy deal. But the defense wasn’t the problem. After all, they held teams to the fourth least points scored in the league last year and still lost 11 games.
Does Rodgers have enough to make up the difference here? The Chiefs have to feel good about their own defense, especially as Chris Jones enjoys a replenished pass rush around him and the best linebacking corps in five seasons in the second level.
Prediction: Chiefs 26, Jets 20
WEEK 5, Oct. 8 (Sunday) – @ Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a funny team to predict. They opened last season by dominating Aaron Rodgers and the Packers (won by 16) but then rolled over against that same team late (lost by 24). They went to Buffalo and beat the Bills one week only to score 3 points and allow 40 against the Dallas Cowboys seven days later. They have solid players at every level on defense yet are ranked No. 31 overall in the NFL in yards allowed. And then there’s Kirk Cousins.
It’s quite possible the Vikings put together the sort of complete game to defeat the Chiefs, and as one of the few really concerning road games, this could topple the wrong way for the Chiefs. However, to beat Kansas City, you have to prove an ability to stop them at least a few times per game, and this defense is counting a lot on Brian Flores’ leadership to do the heavy lifting given that the offseason moves really aren’t impressive on that side of the ball.
Justin Jefferson, Dalvin Cook, T.J Hockenson, Jordan Addison—they’re all part of an exciting offensive core but the Chiefs have no problems keeping up with teams that can move the football. That the Chiefs have the more exciting defense here only makes this game that much easier to call.
Prediction: Chiefs 22, Vikings 17