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The NFL season is always better when there is an undefeated team. Whenever a team makes a serious run at going undefeated, it makes the NFL even more must-see TV than it already is. Now think about the fact that this season we have two teams at 5-0 through five weeks. Two teams, two shots at seeing a team go undefeated.
It was foreseeable that the Kansas City Chiefs would be undefeated through five weeks. But the Minnesota Vikings? With Sam Darnold? Being 5-0 through five weeks seemed like a pipe dream. Sure enough, here we are. And the Vikings aren’t 5-0 because of an easy schedule or by luck. They are good, and they have wins over the 49ers, Texans and Packers. The five teams they beat have a combined record of 13-12. In contrast, the Chiefs first five opponents are a combined 11-13.
Both the Chiefs and Vikings are on a bye this week, which means the regular season will be a third of the way in the books. This is a good time to look at how long both the Chiefs and Vikings could stay undefeated by looking at both teams’ next games, marquee/prime time games and toughest games remaining on their respective schedules.
Kansas City Chiefs
Week 7: @ San Francisco 49ers (4:25 p.m. on FOX) The Chiefs next game is Week 7 at the San Francisco 49ers. It’s an America’s Game of the Week at 4:25 on FOX, and it’s a rematch of Super Bowl LVIII. That’s going to be a difficult game for the Chiefs based on the caliber of team the 49ers. What’s unique is that both teams will have had at least 10 days of rest leading into the game. The Chiefs are on a bye, and the 49ers will be on a mini bye from their Thursday Night Football matchup in Week 6. Patrick Mahomes is 4-0 against the 49ers in his career, including 2-0 in the Super Bowl. Interestingly, Super Bowl LVIII was the only one of those four matchups to be decided by one score. Even without Christian McCaffrey, the 49ers will still give the Chiefs their absolute best shot in Week 7. But until they prove otherwise, I’ll pick the Chiefs to beat the 49ers in this matchup.
Week 9: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Monday Night Football, 8:15 p.m. on ESPN)
After a Week 8 matchup at the Las Vegas Raiders- a matchup I believe the Chiefs will win- the Chiefs will face the Buccaneers at home on Monday Night Football in Week 9. I saw what the Chiefs did to the Saints on Monday Night Football this past week, and I think the Buccaneers are in for the same long night at Arrowhead Stadium. Even though the Buccaneers beat the Chiefs 31-9 in Super Bowl LV, the Chiefs dominated the Buccaneers in the other two matchups. The Chiefs are already 2-0 against the NFC South this season, and they should win this game against Tampa Bay to get to 3-0.
Week 11: @ Buffalo Bills (4:25 p.m. on CBS)
This is the matchup I can see the Chiefs losing, and it would end their run at perfection at 9-0. Buffalo has beaten the Chiefs in each of the last three regular-seasons, and those three games were in Kansas City. I’ll take the recent history and pick the Bills to beat the Chiefs in this game. For those wondering, the Chiefs host Denver in Week 10 prior to playing at Buffalo.
Week 13: vs. Las Vegas Raiders (Black Friday, 3 p.m. on Prime Video)
But let’s say the Chiefs do beat Buffalo in Week 11- they’ll for sure beat the Panthers in Week 12- then we get to Black Friday when the Chiefs host their division rivals in the Raiders. The Raiders have given the Chiefs a lot of trouble in the previous four games between the two teams in Kansas City. Take away the Chiefs beating them 48-9 at Arrowhead Stadium in 2021, and the Raiders have two wins at Kansas City and just a one-point loss in 2022. That 2022 game was one the Raiders led 17-0. After what happened last year on Christmas, though, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs will be out to make sure that doesn’t happen again on a holiday this season.
Week 14: vs. Los Angeles Chargers (Sunday Night Football, 8:20 p.m. on NBC)
The Chiefs and Chargers always deliver great games, but the Chiefs always seem to find a way against the Chargers. That should be the case in this game.
Week 16: vs. Houston Texans (Sat. 12/21, 1 p.m. on NBC) When it comes to which teams in the AFC can take down the Chiefs, the Houston Texans are not getting nearly enough consideration as the team to do it. They don’t fear any team, and their style of play can beat the Chiefs. If the Chiefs get to this game 14-0, after a Week 15 matchup at the Cleveland Browns, this will be a very difficult game for them to win.
Week 17: @ Pittsburgh Steelers (Christmas, 1 p.m. on Netflix) If the Chiefs get to 15-0 by beating the Texans, this is the game that should scare every Chiefs fan. The Steelers always win games against teams that are better than them on paper, and this game is no example. Especially if the Steelers play desperate and are playing to stay in playoff
contention, this could definitely be the game that takes down the Chiefs. But if the Chiefs somehow get past this game, their final regular-season game is Week 18 at the Denver Broncos.
I’ve believed all offseason, leading into this season, that the Bills will beat the Chiefs this regular season, as they have in each of the last three seasons. The Chiefs should win their next four games, including their next game at San Francisco in Week 7. But this just seems like the game that will end the Chiefs run at perfection.
