The Chiefs are trying to become the first team to win three consecutive Super Bowls. Their 2024 NFL schedule will help them get well positioned to do so.
Kansas City is the consensus odds-on AFC favorite and right behind reigning NFC champion San Francisco. Based on strength of schedule (winning percentage of opponents from last season), the Chiefs were middle of the pack. But there's no question the league gave them plenty of breaks (again) while also catering to their strong connection to Taylor Swift.
Here's looking at the quirks on the latest slate for the NFL's best team and the world's most popular musician:
MORE: How Taylor Swift's Eras Tour schedule compared to Chiefs in 2024
Chiefs play on every day of the week, except for Tuesday
NFL Sunday has been redefined as the league tries to play midweek more often. The Chiefs open Week 1 at home on a Thursday against the Ravens. They also host the Raiders on Black Friday on Week 13 and go to the Steelers for Christmas Wednesday in Week 17. They also have two Monday night home games, Week 5 vs. the Saints and Week 9 vs. the Buccaneers.
The Chiefs also play on Sunday night twice. That means they have only 12 non prime-time games and only 9 Sunday afternoon games.
Kansas City is the first team in 97 seasons to play on six days of the week in a season. They join the 1927 New York Yankees, not to be confused with dominant same-named MLB team of that year.
Chiefs to play three of their most recent playoff opponents
They begin with an AFC championship rematch with the Ravens at home. They also get a Super Bowl rematch in San Francisco in Week 7 and a divisional playoff rematch at Buffalo in Week 11. They also get another shot at Super Bowl 55 foe Tampa Bay. Only Miami and Philadelphia are missing in that key familiar tour.
Taylor Swift has a convenient concert break in Toronto before the Buffalo game
It's not an NFL conspiracy theory. It's an absolutely intentional they scheduled the Chiefs' trip tof ace the Bills around Swift's November international stop on "The Eras" Tour.
Swift is playing six shows at Toronto's Rogers Centre: Thursday, Nov. 14 through Saturday, Nov. 16 and then Thursday, Nov. 21 through Saturday, Nov. 23. The Bills host the Chiefs at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y. on Sunday, Nov. 17. That is no happy coincidence that Swift needs to travel only two hours south by car to see Travis Kelce on the road in his biggest road game of the season. That all was part of the grand plan.
There's one game Swift will need to miss, however. The Chiefs host the Chargers on Sunday night Dec. 8, when she is scheduled to perform a show in Vancouver.
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Chiefs get two tough AFC North games out of the way early, with weak NFC South games scattered
Kansas City will feel great about its chances to get back to the No. 1 seed should it get past Baltimore and Cincinnati home in Weeks 1 and Week 2. From interconference play, the Buccaneers and Saints are prime-time home games and the Falcons and Panthers are very favorable road games. They also get the 49ers right after a bye.
The Browns-Texans-Steelers is a tough stretch late from Weeks 15 to 17 with the outside two games on the road in the cold, but the Chiefs still will be well favored in all three and typically have pre-playoff momentum late in the season.
Taylor Swift really needs to miss only one Chiefs home game
Beyond the Vancouver conflict for the Chargers home game in Week 8, Swift also will play NFL Sundays in Miami (Oct. 20), New Orleans (Oct. 27) and Indianapolis (Nov. 3).
The Chiefs play at the 49ers in Week 7 on Oct. 20. They stay on the road in Las Vegas in Week 8 on Oct. 27. They are at home again in Week 9, but that's a Monday night game on Nov. 4, after Swift is done in Indy, her final domestic "Eras" date. Kelce can then likely count on his girlfriend in attendance for every home game except Dec. 8.
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