NFL Week 1 2022: 3 teams on upset alert this Sunday
2. Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs were another perennial powerhouse that underwent some significant changes in the offseason. The biggest move was the trade of Tyreek Hill to Miami, creating a unicorn-sized hole in the Kansas City offense that will take time to fill.
Veterans Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Juju Smith-Schuster were imported to help fill some of Hill’s roles while rookie Skyy Moore should also rotate into the offense. Andy Reid is an offensive wizard that does have a superstar quarterback in Patrick Mahomes so the long-term shouldn’t be an issue in Kansas City, but a big change like that may take some adjustments during the season.
The Chiefs are on the road in Week 1 with a tough matchup against the Arizona Cardinals, who made the playoffs last year and are eager to rebound after a disappointing second-half slump. Oddsmakers have set the Chiefs as 4.5-point favorites but the Cardinals are more than capable of scoring enough points to keep pace with Kansas City.
If the offense flows smoothly right away this is a game that the Chiefs should find a way to win. That element of uncertainty, however, does open the door for an upset if Kansas City is out of sync from the jump.