3 trap games on the Chiefs schedule Kansas City can’t afford to lose

1. Week 6: Kansas City Chiefs at Washington Football Team (Oct. 17)

This one sounds nuts, but that is the nature of trap games. How is a team quarterbacked by Mahomes potentially going to lose to a team that does not have a name and does not have a franchise quarterback in the Washington Football Team? It is pretty simple, really. Remember how the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won Super Bowl 55? Yeah, Washington can rush the passer.

It is not a major cross-country flight like it would be for most teams in the division, but a road date at FedEx Field is no joke. This Week 6 matchup will come after the Chiefs’ home rematch of the AFC Championship game with the Buffalo Bills the week prior. With that being such a high-stakes game that may decide playoff seeding, it will be hard for Kansas City not to overlook Washington.

So you have the vaunted Washington pass rush headlined by defensive end phenom Chase Young, as well as a potential letdown scenario coming down from the high of a Bills victory. This one will be on the road, but we also need to factor in the threat of a Ryan Fitzpatrick FitzMagic game. Just about every year of his NFL career, Fitzpatrick will have one of those Pro Bowl-level games of his.

While that is not to say he will play out of his mind vs. the Chiefs, but if he lets it rip and gets lucky on a few deep balls, yes, Washington can shockingly upset the Chiefs at FedEx Field this season. Washington may have been a 7-9 team a year ago, but they are capable of winning the NFC East again. With a tough road game at the Tennessee Titans in Week 7, be wary of the upset here.

Ultimately, the Chiefs are capable of going 15-2 this year, even with an expanded schedule. While 14-3 or 13-4 is infinitely more likely, Kansas City cannot afford to drop one of these three games if they want to have the best record in the AFC. Buffalo and whichever team wins the AFC North should have right around 12 or 13 wins or so. The Chiefs must handle their business accordingly.

Should the Chiefs be able to avoid any of these trap games, they will have the NFL’s best record.