During the 2019 season, the Kansas City Chiefs continued to have a strong presence in primetime. They were awarded five primetime appearances for the second consecutive season, with Patrick Mahomes and the high-powered Chiefs offense being the star attraction. They’ve basically become must-watch football over the past two seasons.
Now they’re coming off their first Super Bowl championship in 50 years and they’re returning 20-of-22 starters. That makes Kansas City a likely candidate to see five primetime games for a third consecutive season.
With the NFL set to officially release the regular-season schedule on Thursday night, here is a look at our choices for some of the top primetime possibilities for Kansas City in 2020:
Chiefs at Raiders
One of the storied rivalries in NFL history should begin a new chapter in 2020 as the Raiders make their move to Las Vegas and Allegiant Stadium. I feel like the NFL has been trying to reignite this rivalry for a long time, but the Raiders have rarely held up their end of the bargain. I could see this being a late-season primetime game for Kansas City, maybe even as a Thursday Night Football game. That’ll give Las Vegas the opportunity to make a QB change if they deem it necessary. What better way to restart this rivalry than send the Chiefs into enemy territory during primetime?
Chiefs at Buccaneers
Chiefs at Buccanneers, also known as Mahomes vs. Brady IV, seems like the perfect game for a primetime matchup. You have two heavyweight quarterbacks going at it for the fourth time. One coming off a Super Bowl victory and the other changing teams for the first time in his illustrious career. They’ve surrounded Brady with some great pieces in Tampa Bay, including his favorite fresh-out-of-retirement tight end, Rob Gronkowski. The only reason that the NFL might not make this a primetime game is because it has the innate ability to draw record viewership without being placed in primetime.
Chiefs at Saints
This might be the last ride for Saints QB Drew Brees. At 41 years old, Brees signed a one-year deal to return to New Orleans, but beyond that, there are no guarantees. I felt like the Chiefs were robbed last season when we didn’t get a chance to see the Patrick Mahomes go head-to-head with Aaron Rodgers in primetime due to his kneecap dislocation. It’d be a nice consolation prize to see Mahomes face an all-time great QB like Brees face-off in what could be his final season.
Chiefs at Ravens
This would be a competition between two teams that are easily favored to be the most talented teams in the AFC in 2020. This is the type of game that has the potential to explode into a dramatic high-scoring affair just like the Chiefs vs. Rams game did in 2018. Lamar Jackson is the reigning league MVP and Patrick Mahomes is the reigning Super Bowl MVP. These are two of the brightest young stars at the QB position and they’re constantly going to be compared against one another. It’s probably best to let that competition be played out on the biggest stage in the NFL.
Chiefs at Bills
The Bills are the favorite to unseat the Patriots as the dominant force in the AFC East. Pitting them head-to-head with the best team in football will be a good test of whether they’re ready to take up that mantle. This game would come down to two gritty defenses and two big-armed quarterbacks trying to surpass one another. This would also be a fun game to be played late-season, with potential for “football weather” in Buffalo.
Chiefs vs. Texans
These two teams have become AFC rivals of sorts. Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson will always be compared because they come from the same draft class. Some already consider them to be the new Brady-Manning rivalry in the NFL. In 2019, the Texans got the Chiefs in the regular-season, but Kansas City came soaring back and defeated Houston in the postseason. I feel like this could be a good primetime rematch with the revenge and rivalry element thrust into the spotlight.
Chiefs vs. Broncos
The Chiefs have won their last nine-straight appearances against the Broncos. That doesn’t exactly inspire confidence that this would be an exciting primetime game. Looking at what the Broncos have done this offseason, however, I think they have the best chances of any AFC West team to see immediate improvements. At the end of the day, it’ll rest on the coaching staff and Drew Lock, but the pieces are there for this to be a competitive team. If they do improve in 2020, it could make for some interesting dramatics on the primetime stage.
Chiefs vs. Panthers
What’s more exciting than giving the new kid on the block (Panthers HC Matt Rhule) a crack at beating one of the winningest coaches in NFL history (Chiefs HC Andy Reid) in primetime? This would be a high stakes game for the Panthers. If they get off to a good start under Rhule, it could certainly make for a great primetime storyline that could attract many viewers. For the Chiefs, it’s a chance to play in primetime against a team that you don’t play often. Those games always tend to be filled with some surprises and intrigue.
