Chiefs’ 2022 schedule is historically tough to start

There are no easy wins in the first half of the Kansas City Chiefs’ 2022 regular season schedule.

Even if the Kansas City Chiefs will likely be one of the better teams in the AFC again next year, they will have to earn it by running their gauntlet of a first-half schedule.

The Elias Sports Bureau pointed out how challenging the Chiefs’ first eight games are on their 2022 NFL regular season slate. Kansas City will be the first team in league history to play eight teams right out of the gate who had a winning record the season prior. While they have their annual bye in Week 8, they will not face cannon fodder until Week 10 vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The two worst teams from the year prior on the Chiefs’ first-half schedule are the Los Angeles Chargers and the Indianapolis Colts. Both AFC teams went 9-8 and were eliminated from playoff contention in Week 18.

Kansas City Chiefs will have to run the gauntlet with brutal first-half schedule

While it does get easier for Kansas City after Week 9, there are very few easy victories on the schedule. Although the Chiefs draw the mediocre AFC South in its entirety, they also get the buzzsaw that is the NFC West, even with the Seattle Seahawks expected to be completely flightless. Factor in the AFC West being otherworldly, plus a first-place schedule, and there you go.

Even if division rivals like the Chargers and the Las Vegas Raiders pull back, the Denver Broncos should be better after trading for Russell Wilson. Simply put, the Chiefs have one of the toughest schedules in the entire NFL, not just in the first half of the season. The good news is Kansas City has the talent to win double-digit games again. The problem is they may not win the AFC West.

Of those first eight games in question, the Chiefs need to go about 5-3 to be in good shape to make the postseason. Anything better than that is gravy. While legions of Chiefs Kingdom will believe this team is going 14-3 or 15-2, the 2022 Kansas City squad is way more likely to go 12-5 or 11-6. Regardless, this group should be battle-tested by the time Wild Card Weekend arrives.

They can overcome it later, but the first half of the Chiefs’ schedule will be a test to their viability.