Kansas City Chiefs: Ranking every opponent on 2019 schedule
By Kole Berrey
There is excitement swirling around the 2019 Kansas City Chiefs. Fresh off hosting the AFC Championship, they’re among a short list of Super Bowl favorites, and everyone is ready to see Patrick Mahomes’ encore performance.
Still, the games need to be played, and no matter how good Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs are on paper, they have to face a tough schedule with many playoff caliber teams ready to take a shot at them.
Below, I have ranked the Chiefs opponents for 2019, and I have placed them in three tiers:
- Contenders – Have as much of a chance at hoisting the Lombardi Trophy as KC.
- Hopefuls – May not be quite ready for a championship, but are threats to give the Chiefs tough games and maybe even sneak a win.
- Pretenders – Teams the Chiefs should have no problem beating.
With all of that out of the way, let’s dive in!
Tier 3: Pretenders
13: Denver Broncos
12: Detroit Lions
11. Oakland Raiders
10: Jacksonville Jaguars
Is it bias that I put two teams from the AFC West division in the Pretender tier? Maybe, but both of those teams were a combined 10-22 last year, and both are at least a year away from being just good, at best.
The Broncos aren’t impressive simply because of the turmoil the team has been in. New coach Vic Fangio was a good hire, but adding a new system is always tough for a team. Add in that Joe Flacco is past his prime and it’s likely that the Broncos are in for a rough year.