Rating Chiefs’ opener potentialities worst to greatest
The NFL offseason marches on with one more procedural matter that by some means grew to become a hyped occasion: the regular-season schedule launch.
All 32 groups’ dwelling and away opponents have been locked in for a while, however the true form of the season might be revealed by 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, when the league is about to announce its full 18-week, 272-game slate. And provided that the NFL historically has allowed the defending champion to function host on Thursday evening of Week 1, the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs look poised to as soon as once more command the highlight at Arrowhead Stadium to launch a brand new marketing campaign.
With 9 dwelling video games for Patrick Mahomes and Co. this yr, there are a number of intriguing choices for the primary significant motion of the autumn. Whereas only some of those showdowns appear to be viable candidates for the opener, listed here are the entire potentialities ranked from worst to greatest as choices to kick off the 2023 NFL season.
9. Chicago Bears
With all due respect to Bears common supervisor Ryan Poles and the enhancements he has made to the roster within the final two months, there’s excessive blowout potential in having the staff with the NFL’s worst report in 2022 open Week 1 at one of many league’s most daunting venues. Possibly this may very well be a extra aggressive matchup in a while within the season, when the varied free-agent additions have settled in and new No. 1 huge receiver DJ Moore has established a rapport with Justin Fields. For now, although, the Matt Nagy Revenge Bowl has the trimmings of an early-window Sunday sport.
8. Las Vegas Raiders
Not one of the three AFC West conferences appear to be good bets to inaugurate the brand new season, as the one time the NFL has opened with a divisional matchup within the final 10 years was with the Inexperienced Bay Packers at Chicago Bears tilt in 2019 – a particular exception made to honor the NFL’s 100th season. Mahomes vs. Jimmy Garoppolo is probably going the least fascinating quarterback showdown in all of Kansas Metropolis’s dwelling video games. And there is little probability that Las Vegas’ undermanned protection has a solution for Andy Reid and Co. after the Chiefs averaged 37.5 factors per sport of their final 4 contests in opposition to the Silver and Black.
7. Denver Broncos
There undoubtedly might be loads of early intrigue surrounding Sean Payton and his efforts to restore Russell Wilson. Nonetheless, that is most likely not sufficient to raise the most recent iteration of a lopsided rivalry – the Chiefs have a series-best 15-game successful streak – that in any other case appears extra like a midseason “Thursday Evening Soccer” affair.
6. Detroit Lions
With Detroit rising as a favourite to assert its first division title in 30 years, the Chiefs will present a helpful litmus check for the place the staff stands relative to a longtime contender. However possibly this sport is smart for one more slot, corresponding to Kansas Metropolis’s already introduced sport in Germany.
5. Los Angeles Chargers
The one vital impediment standing between the Chiefs and their eighth consecutive AFC West title is Justin Herbert. Offensive coordinator Kellen Moore’s arrival may imply massive issues for the Chargers quarterback and the remainder of the assault. But whereas the final 4 contests between the divisional foes have every been determined by not more than six factors, there won’t be sufficient new or unknown components to essentially promote this to a nationwide viewers.
4. Cincinnati Bengals
You may’t go fallacious kicking off the schedule with the league’s defining rivalry of the final two seasons. The animosity is natural, too, with the postseason’s “Burrowhead” tiff serving as the most recent level of competition. That bitterness hasn’t dissipated, as Chiefs tight finish Travis Kelce described the defection of former teammate Orlando Brown Jr. to Cincinnati this offseason thusly on a March version of his podcast: “It is like watching your greatest buddy simply flip evil on you.” But when this conflict does get set for early September, it’ll mark the fifth showdown in 21 months between the 2 sides. Possibly a bit spacing – and letting every staff discover its peak type – would do everybody some good.
3. Philadelphia Eagles
A Tremendous Bowl 57 rematch would appear like a simple option to open the season, particularly with the Eagles trying just like the overwhelming NFC front-runner after returning the majority of their core contributors. But given the immense curiosity this sport is bound to generate, the NFL may profit from placing it into an early-to-midseason prime-time slot and looking out elsewhere for the opener. This is able to even be maybe probably the most tough Week 1 draw for the Chiefs’ offense, which may have tenuous early cross safety behind new offensive tackles Donovan Smith and Jawaan Taylor whereas the unit additionally recalibrates its receiving corps. Nonetheless, irrespective of the place this sport lands on the schedule, it possible might be one of the vital anticipated matchups of the whole common season.
2. Miami Dolphins
Tyreek Hill going full throttle in opposition to his former teammates for the primary time since he pressured his manner out of Kansas Metropolis by way of a commerce? Jalen Ramsey and new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio scheming methods to decelerate Mahomes? Tua Tagovailoa’s return to the sphere? There is no scarcity of fascinating subplots to be discovered on this showdown, and there are ample stars on either side. Possibly the opposite video games that includes established powers find yourself with a more in-depth remaining rating. However with these groups not having met since Mike McDaniel took over and remodeled the Dolphins’ assault into one of many league’s most explosive models, there is a distinctive dynamic right here that value spotlighting within the opener.
1. Buffalo Payments
Do not overthink this. Pitting the NFL’s two greatest offenses and its most dynamic quarterbacks in opposition to one ought to all the time arrange a profitable showcase for the league. And that very equation gave us arguably one of many best playoff video games of all time lower than a yr and a half in the past. Buffalo, after all, already spoiled the opening to a Tremendous Bowl title protection final yr when it routed the Los Angeles Rams, so possibly the league appears in a special route for this fall. However the leisure worth every time these two groups meet is bound to be astronomical.
Comply with USA TODAY Sports activities’ Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz on Twitter @MikeMSchwartz.
