Chiefs: David and Laddie’s Schedule Breakdown

There are not many days in the NFL calendar year as exciting as the schedule release. Here’s who the Chiefs will be playing, when and where. The Home opener is against the Cleveland Browns, which was announced this morning. It’s hard to imagine the Chiefs losing at home, even against an improved Browns team, especially when you consider Andy Reid’s record following a break is spectacular, as well as his September record. There may have been more leaks about the NFL schedule than an old dog, but we do know Eric Stonestreet has seen the schedule, as confirmed by Brett Veach himself before it came out. Chiefs fans will also be interested to know the Chiefs have 5 games in Prime time and the Preseason schedule looks like this:

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Chiefs Preseason

Week 1: at San Francisco 49ers
Time and date to be determined on KSHB/Chiefs Network

Week 2: at Arizona Cardinals
7 p.m., Friday, Aug. 20 on ESPN

Week 3: vs. Minnesota Vikings
Time to be determined, Friday, Aug. 27 on KSHB/Chiefs Network

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The K.C. Chiefs Regular Season Schedule

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The Chiefs drew a newly potent team for their first matchup of 2021, but will be playing at Arrowhead Stadium. The Browns of course, feature Baker Mayfield at the helm, a rapidly emerging QB talent. To his arsenal, the Browns selected WR Anthony Schwartz with their 3^rd round pick. Perhaps of greater immediate import is CB Greg Newsome II, selected in the first round. Adding to the pass rush on the defensive side in round 2 was 3-4 OLB Owusu-Koramoah. I really like this player and he was on my draft list for KC as well. Still in all, the Browns must prove that they can win head-to-head with the Chiefs who also improved their roster significantly with Free Agency and the Draft. I believe this will be an interesting game for all fans but the Chiefs are experienced and their OL woes have been resolved. The strength of the Defense front 7 also improved with the addition of DT Jarran Reid and the drafting of LB Nick Bolton. KC win’s this game based on that reasoning. I cannot predict this game coming out with different outcome: Result: Chiefs Win. -David

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The Raven’s draft was very good, perhaps a B+ or A- so they improved their potential exponentially and will be a tough competitor for any team they face. The Ravens have their franchise QB in Lamar Jackson who contracted the Covid-19 virus in the offseason. He gains a lot from having Bateman and Wallace added to his arsenal and another factor that could come back and bite KC was the signing of Free Agent WR, and former Chief, Sammy Watkins. With Bateman and Wallace added it bodes well for their aerial game and Bateman should be an immediate impact WR. On the front line they added F/A Guard, Kevin Zeitler for pass protection and run blocking both. Last year they had a revolving door for their RG position, but hat’s a resolved problem in 2021. Baltimore improved their depth and experience on defense at several positions as well. I see them as an improved team for the 2021 season. The Ravens will have at least 4 Prime Time appearances. They also face one of the toughest schedules in the NFL because of their recent success. However, last year they had one of the easiest schedules in the league so it is going to be a prove it season for them. Their defense improved significantly at DE and CB. What I would really like to see is Cornell Powell turn Shaun Wade upside-down in this game. Hopefully, Powell will have the opportunity and I see him as a factor sooner rather than later for KC. I am just as hopeful that Jackson continues to use his legs rather than throw the ball, because I see the Chiefs containing him if he does. Having more targets has got to help. Result: Chiefs Win. -David

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No matter when the Chiefs play the Chargers this season, they’re going to be a handful. I like their roster a lot and with 4 players in the top 100 of the draft, including OT, Rashawn Slater at #13, (47) CB Asante Samuel Jr., at #47,  WR, Josh Palmer, at #77 and TE, Tre’ McKitty, at #97, they appear stocked for the long haul and ready to give second year QB, Justin Herbert weapons to help. With Austin Ekeler at RB, Keenan Allen and Mike Williams at WR, and Jared Cook at TE, they already have enough weapons to give K.C. a run for the money,. However, no one has Patrick Mahomes expect the Chiefs, so all is well. Chiefs Win. -Laddie

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Doug Pederson now departed, the Eagles team needed to rebuild after falling apart in 2020, so they will not present a threat to Kansas City. On the Defensive side of things, they added Jalen Mills, Patriots F/A Safety, Edge rusher Vinny Curry, LB Duke Riley from the Dolphins and other players that are placeholders during a team rebuild. On offense, they added two F/A WR’s in DeSean Jackson (Rams) and Marquise Goodwin (Bears). In the draft, they had 8 picks. Round 1 they drafted a top WR, DeVonta Smith, followed in Round 2 by Landon Dickerson. However, the remaining choices are more developmental, with mostly players for defense. In the 5^th round they got RB Kenneth Gainwell (Memphis), OLB Patrick Johnson (Tulane) and S JaCoby Stevens (LSU), and it’s not enough, but it is a start. They traded away their starting QB, Carson Wentz, but his departure is not a loss. To replace Wentz, the Eagles have dual threat QB Jalen Hurts, drafted last year. It remains to be seen if he is a franchise QB or not. General manager Howie Roseman said on an NFL radio show, that he hoped Hurts could, “grab the job and run with it.” It won’t be enough in 2021 for the Eagles to be a threat to the upper tier teams of the NFL. Result: Chiefs WIn. -David

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However, Stefon Diggs will continue to be the dominant WR he is in the league so the Chiefs must have a plan for him specifically. Buffalo took two DEs with their first two picks in the draft: Gregory Rousseau and Carlos Basham Jr.. While Basham could be better than Rousseau, I doubt either will make a big enough difference in this game. The Bills still need a running game so, the Chiefs should be able to limit their offense by making them one-dimensional. This should be a fun game to watch. Chiefs Win.-Laddie

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The worst mistake the WFT team made this offseason was to let Alex Smith go. Old, but newly inserted QB, Ryan Fitzpatrick has had his moments in the sun, but he won’t have many, if any, against the Chiefs defense. The one thing the WFT does have is a very good defense and their first round pick of LB Jamin Davis should help them get even stronger. They also picked up Samuel Cosmi, who I had slated for the Chiefs when they had pick #31 before the Orlando Brown trade. With Brown now wearing red and gold, it will be a critical game to see how Brown handles  the WFT’s DEs, Chase Young or Montez Sweat. If Lucas Niang is the Chiefs RT by the time they play, remember, it was Chase Young who said Niang is the most difficult Tackle his went up against during his college days. The WFT could make it a close game if they can somehow figure out how to defend the Patrick Mahomes led offense the way the Bucs did in Super Bowl LV… But then again, every team will be trying that this year, and no one will be able to since they have a new and much improved OL. Chiefs Win in a close one. -Laddie

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The Titans lost a slew of players to either Free Agency or they were released outright. One of those was no loss at all in Jadeveon Clowney. However, they also lost, Safety Kenny Vaccaro, CBs Adore Jackson, Malcom Butler, and DB Desmond King. They turned around in the draft and took a chance on CB Caleb Farley. Farley may turn out to be the steal of the draft. With Ryan Tannehill at QB they appear destined for mediocrity, even with all-world RB Derrick Henry still in full bloom. With some much turnover, it’s hard to see HC Mike Vrabel putting Humpty Dumpty back together quickly enough to contend for a playoff berth, much less a win over K.C., even if the game is in Nashville. Chiefs Win. -Laddie.

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They also boast a very effective running back in Saquon Barkley and I can see WR Kadarius Toney, their 2021 WR pick, as emerging by the time this game is played, but it’s not enough. Result: Chiefs Win. -David.

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Well, it all depends on you know who now doesn’t it? Will he or won’t he? That remains to be seen. If Aaron Rodgers plays in this game, it will be a close one, or maybe even a loss. If not, Patrick Mahomes runs away with it, a lot like the dish ran away with the spoon. I’ll count this one as a Loss (odds are that K.C. will lose two games this year). -Laddie

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… to keep him from becoming a Free Agent so he could come back to K.C. may have been the smartest move they made this offseason, but no one is calling that a smart move. That’s okay, K.C. secured their future Offensive Center in the draft anyway — Creed Humphrey — which was much preferable. The magic, or curse – depending upon how you look at it – of the construction working burying a Chiefs Kingdom flag under newly built Allegiant Stadium will continue to bring the Chiefs good luck there… even though they won’t need it. Chiefs Win going away. -Laddie

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The Boys are back in town… (I really just wanted to write that), but the Cowboys should win their very weak division this season. If they don’t… shame on them. Jerry Jones made his first four draft picks, defensive players (as he should have) and with QB Dak Prescott back at the helm, the Cs will be a very good team… at least that’s the expectation. On the other hand, the Cs haven’t won anything important since the 1994 season and that was… like about 88 years ago… oh wait, that was Michael Irvin’s old number. I’m so confused. Never mind. Well, I guess that pretty much describes the Cowboys… “Never Mind.”  Chiefs Win. -Laddie.

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The BYE Week comes at a great time for the Chiefs and right before they host the Denver Broncos.

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If the Denver Broncos don’t finish last in the division this season it will only be because the Las Vegas Raiders beat them to the bottom. Yes, they got a good one in CB Patrick Surtain II, but they were already loaded at corner and still need a proven QB. Which is who they passed up on, in Justin Fields and Mac Jones, who both should flourish in Chicago and New England respectively. While new GM George Paton may have been attempting to do the opposite that John Elway had done — which was to draft every QB he could get his hands on — it will likely turn out to be Paton’s biggest blunder. The Broncos are in the race to get QB Aaron Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers… if… they decide to trade him, which seems highly unlikely at this point. A winning season for the Broncos seems equally unlikely. With Andy Reid getting an extra week to prepare, this should be a win, even on their home field. -Laddie

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The Raiders just have not improved their situation via the Draft or Free Agency. Not enough to overtake the Chiefs again at Arrowhead. This did not occur. I like what they did in Free Agency by adding to the defensive side of the ball, with quality additions on defense, especially at DE, by signing former Brown, Takkarist McKinley. They also brought in DBs that should really help their secondary. They lost WR Nelson Agoholor, but signed Terrell Williams from Detroit, but that probably ends up as a wash. The difference makers in the draft? Alex Leatherwood, OL( Alabama) which will really help the Raider’s OL. At the back end they signed Jets F/A Safety LaMarcus Joyner and drafted Trevon Moehrig, S (TCU). Obtaining Moehrig, along with Karl Joseph and adding Joyner gives the back-end of the defense strength. Later in the draft they signed Tyree Gillespie, safety from Mizzou to add to the mix. With their 3^rd round pick they selected Malcolm Koontz (DE) from Buffalo. That helps the defense, but Koontz probably isn’t an immediate impact player, not like Leatherwood and Moehrig. What I think they should have done? Draft a franchise QB They were picking at number 17. Surely they considered trading up to get the right QB of their target was going to be taken before pick 17. Didn’t they? I cannot see Derrick Carr as the QBoF. I suppose I should add they are in the rumor mill to trade for Aaron Rodgers with Carr being part of the deal. In my mind they came no where near having a perfect draft, but did improve on the defensive side of the ball. While I understand their picks they were not enough! They pulled a bone head move last year after their surprise win by circling Arrowhead in their buses. It won’t happen in 2021. Mike Mayock’s direction in drafting players appears to have been overruled by Jon Gruden. Head scratcher again. Result: Chiefs Win. -David

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The Chargers knew they had to improve QB protection for their Franchise QB Justin Herbert who played top notch football for them in 2020. Offensive Lineman Matt Feiler and Oday Aboushi were signed to make a solid group and Herbert’s protection just got better. With their second pick, they selected cornerback Asante Samuel Jr, son of Asante Samuel who was an 11-season Veteran in the NFL at CB, solid NFL pedigree. This was a solid 1-2 punch of adding impact players in the draft. Then they added WR Josh Palmer in round 3 to give Herbert another tool in the shed as another target in the arsenal. All Three of these picks are impact players. Late in the draft they tossed in LB Nick Niemann, brother of KC’s Ben Niemann, plus a couple of other developmental players for the future. The Chargers are a formidable foe for the Chiefs and on their home turf they should be difficult to defeat. The way to view this pair of games home and away is to say the LAC team must prove it and it has not been able to put it together for eons. Result: Chiefs lose in a close upset.-David

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I don’t expect the Steelers to put up much of a fight in their own division in 2021, so the Chiefs should be able to handle them at Home. Najee Harris will eventually be a good RB for them and JuJu Smith-Schuster is good enough for Veach to try and sign him this offseason, but in the end, it’s too much Tyreek HIll, Kelce Kelce, Patrick Mahomes and an invigorated defense, that makes Big Ben look much smaller than he already is. Chiefs Win. -Laddie

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The Bengals are not a true threat to unseat KC in any matchup any time soon. Even though they drafted a top QB in 2020, who marched out and played very good football until he tore up his knee, that injury was late enough in the season, to both the ACL and MCL, calls into doubt whether he will be able to start the 2021 season opening day. Aside from that, the Bengals needed a lot of help and got that in this draft, which was a very strong class. Highlighting their picks, they selected in Round 1, WR Ja’Marr Chase(LSU) who will have immediate import in the aerial game. Protection of the QB came next and they selected OT Jackson Carman of Clemson, who was undervalued. We’ll see, but he projects to be a starter for them in 2021. In Round 4, they chose another OT, D’Ante Smith and in Round 6, Trey Hill. The object was to refurbish and strengthen the OL which had to be job 1 for them. On the defensive side of the line of scrimmage, the Bengals drafted DE Cameron Sample and DT Tyler Shelvin but the big pick was adding DE Joseph Ossai in the 2^nd round. In this retooling season, I do not envision the Bengals as a serious candidate to beat the Chiefs. Down the road and with Burrow at QB? They have a future and could be a tough competitor that could match the prowess of the Chiefs. Not this year. Result: Chiefs WIn. -David

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Unless the Bronco’s pull off the trade miracle of the 2021 offseason, in obtaining Aaron Rodgers from Green Bay? This game is already in the books for me. I have scratched my head for a long while on what the Broncos were doing in acquiring players, Free Agent or via the draft. I am not sure who wins the competition for last place in the AFC West, the Broncos or the Raiders. If I had to guess I would say the Denver bunch. Although newcomer GM Paton has added starters who will have impact along with depth across the roster. Drew Lock, whom I still see as a possible franchise type QB, will lead the offense backed up by their new #2 Teddy Bridgewater. Paton also brought the draft pick RB Javonte Williams aboard with their 2^nd round pick in 2021’s draft. He will team up with feature RB Melvin Gordon III. Adding to the OL mix was OT Royce Franklin who was a later round pick should help. WR Seth William is likely to have impact on Special Teams and then compete for snaps, but in front of him is the Denver stable of WR’s: Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, Tim Patrick, and KJ Hamler, which is a potent group. Barring a trade to obtain Rodgers from Green Bay? This team improved, but not nearly enough to compete for the AFC West crown. Result: Chiefs Wins. -David

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What do you think?

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David Bell and Laddie Morse — ArrowheadOne

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