The Chiefs’ schedule adds additional challenge to end of season

As the vacation season approaches, the NFL season hits its house stretch within the race for the postseason. The Kansas Metropolis Chiefs, regardless of a 10-1 file, have had a irritating season for a number of causes.

The workforce has not lived as much as its standard excessive customary of play on both facet of the ball whereas additionally struggling a myriad of accidents, which has undoubtedly made their street to the three-peat far more difficult.

Two injured Chiefs—operating again Isiah Pacheco (fractured fibula) and defensive finish Charles Omenihu (ACL tear) are trending towards making their returns to the sector in week 12. They’re welcome reinforcements for the franchise as they enter right into a closing six-game stretch, which is something however peculiar.

When the NFL schedule was launched within the spring, it was famous the workforce would play on day-after-day of the week, besides Tuesday. Within the season’s closing six weeks, the Chiefs have solely two conventional Sunday video games remaining on the calendar (with their Week 18 matchup towards the Denver Broncos but to be scheduled). Together with the inconsistent schedule, 4 of the remaining six video games are towards groups who can be within the postseason if the common season ended as we speak.

This scheduling quirk begins this Friday, because the Chiefs are internet hosting the Las Vegas Raiders on Black Friday — when the world is awaking from their tryptophan-induced comas simply in time for an NFL matchup. That is the NFL’s second Black Friday matchup after introducing the sport within the 2023 season. The inaugural Black Friday sport was seen by a mean of 9.61 million viewers on Amazon Prime.

A Friday sport is exclusive to the Chiefs. This would be the first Friday Chiefs sport for the reason that 2005 season on the Miami Dolphins. Followers might keep in mind this sport was moved up on the calendar in preparation for Hurricane Wilma, which might have brought about unsafe enjoying situations if the sport had been performed as scheduled in Miami on Sunday.

On a wet Friday night time in Miami, the Chiefs beat the Dolphins 30-20 on quick discover and same-day journey. The Chiefs hope for comparable outcomes this Friday towards the Raiders.

Following Black Friday, the Chiefs could have 9 days relaxation, their final prolonged relaxation interval of the season (ought to they not safe the primary seed within the AFC playoffs). Doubtlessly, probably the most brutal portion of their schedule will start on December fifteenth towards the Cleveland Browns.

The Chiefs will play three video games in 11 days in weeks 15-18. After their Sunday matchup towards the Browns, they’ll play towards the Houston Texans on Saturday. Then, on solely three days of relaxation, they’ll face the Pittsburgh Steelers on Wednesday, Christmas Day.

Not solely are two of the three video games towards present AFC division leaders, however two of the three are additionally on the street.

This punishing schedule will likely be very tough for the Chiefs to beat. In a season burdened by accidents—greater than another within the Reid and Mahomes period—they should proceed to battle towards the adversity within the house stretch to the postseason. It will likely be a minor miracle if the workforce is ready to escape this stretch of three video games with none extra accidents or banged-up gamers.

Fortuitously for the workforce, the aforementioned returns of Pacheco and Omenihu will assist present reinforcements and much-needed juice for his or her respective models. The workforce may also have the potential returns of kicker Harrison Butker (torn mensiscus) and broad receiver Hollywood Brown (sternoclavicular joint dislocation and restore) in some unspecified time in the future earlier than the tip of the season.

Butker may conceivably return by mid-December if his rehab goes in line with schedule. Present reviews point out Brown, who has not performed for the reason that first sport of the preseason, might return for the Christmas Day matchup towards the Steelers. The return of those 4 gamers in time for the postseason will give the workforce contemporary our bodies and really proficient soccer gamers of their quest for the three-peat.

The Chiefs could have a possibility to lock in a postseason berth in week 12. Nevertheless, their final purpose must be on securing a first-round playoff bye for much-needed relaxation after a demanding December schedule.

There are legitimate causes that no workforce within the fashionable Tremendous Bowl period has ever accomplished a three-peat. Whereas the schedule makers gave the Chiefs no favors over their closing six video games, it’s merely one other problem the Chiefs should overcome.

The creation of their dynasty has been crammed with adversity and challenges earlier than, and the house stretch of the 2024 season will likely be no completely different. Every thing the Chiefs obtain this season will definitely have been earned.