The Kansas City Chiefs take on the Jacksonville Jaguars this Sunday at 12:00 p.m. CT at TIAA Bank Field.
While you should give the Chiefs your undivided attention in Week 1, here are a few interesting games for fans to keep an eye on. It is much too early to be concerned with the standings, but it’s always good to get a feel for how the Chiefs’ rivals look early on.
Here are the top games for Chiefs fans to keep an eye on in Week 1:
Broncos at Raiders, Monday, Sept. 9 – 7:20 p.m. CT
This is a great game for Chiefs fans to watch. Not only does it feature two AFC West rivals, but the Chiefs Week 2 opponent in the Raiders. The Raiders actually beat the Broncos in their December meeting last season, so I expect it to be a competitive game between both teams.
The Raiders just chose to part ways with Antonio Brown after some offseason antics that were very peculiar and public. I’m looking at this game and wondering which receiver will emerge in Antonio Brown’s place as the alpha?
As for the Broncos, the Chiefs won’t face them until Week 7. I’ll be paying attention to Joe Flacco. It’s his first regular-season start and he looked pretty good in the two games he played this preseason. I’m curious to see how he manages against a young Raiders defense.
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Chargers vs. Colts, Sunday, Sept. 8 – 3:05 p.m. CT
Again, we’re looking at a game for the AFC West ties.
The other, very obvious, storyline to follow here is the Andrew Luck retirement. How will QB Jacoby Brissett look in his first start as the guy for the Colts? This feels like the traditional trap game to me. It was a team effort to get the Colts to the playoffs in 2018 and I think that team will be ready to rally behind their new QB.
As for the Chargers, Philip Rivers didn’t play at all this preseason. I’ll be anxious to see how much adjustment period he needs with this being his first action of the season. Austin Ekeler is expected to be the lead running back with Melvin Gordon holding out. How confident are they that he can carry the load for a full season?
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Ravens at Dolphins, Sunday, Sept. 8 – 12:00 p.m. CT
The Chiefs will play during this time slot, so I don’t exactly suggest splitting your focus. This might be one for the DVR or where you check the box score every now and again. I fully expect the Ravens to win this game, but I am looking two weeks ahead to the Chiefs’ home opener against the Ravens.
Key in on the spots where the Ravens struggle against a Dolphins team that is very clearly tanking. Will the struggles come on the offensive or defensive side of the ball? Remember they have a lot of changes on defense with Za’Darius Smith and CJ Mosley leaving in free agency.
I’ll also be looking to see just how balanced the rushing and passing attack are for the Ravens. Has Lamar Jackson taken the next step as a passer or will he continue to rely on his abilities as a ball carrier to win games?
After the games
If you haven’t watched enough football, you can catch up on the most recent episode of The Franchise which debuted this past Wednesday. This episode showcased defenders Frank Clark and Tanoh Kpassagnon.
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