In the upcoming 2024 NFL Season, the Kansas City Chiefs will be on the hunt to become history makers, becoming the first team in history to lift an unprecedented threepeat of Lombardi Trophies. They have reached the Super Bowl four times in the last five years, winning three of them. Their first triumph came at the end of the 2019 season, and they have since claimed the championship in the last two seasons back-to-back.
The first of those consecutive triumphs came at Super Bowl LVIII. Facing the Philadelphia Eagles in the Big Game at State Farm Stadium in Arizona was no easy feat, and Patrick Mahomes and Co. found that out. They trailed the NFC Championships by then points at halftime however, came roaring back in the second stanza with the mercurial Mahomes firing on all cylinders. They would eventually claim the title with a field goal with the last play of the game, and they would leave it even later to walk out victorious the following year
Back in February, they met the San Francisco 49ers looking to become the first back-to-back champions since Tom Brady and his New England Patriots almost two decades prior. And they were ultimately successful in their quest. The contest went to overtime and deep into the extra period, Mahomes managed to bag a last-gasp touchdown to secure the title.
This year they will be aiming to become the first team to win three straight Super Bowls, and the bookies fancy their chances. The latest NFL betting odds for the next season make them a +425 favorite for yet another Lombardi. But who will be their toughest tests en route to another potential crown?
Week 1: Vs. Baltimore Ravens
Last term, the Chiefs faced and defeated the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship game, punching their ticket to the Super Bowl in the process. And they won’t have to wait long to get reacquainted. The pair face off in the kickoff game in 2024, with last season’s MVP Lamar Jackson looking to secure redemption for last season’s heartbreaking defeat. Many had expected his side to emerge victorious last term, especially because they were the conference’s top seeds and were playing on home turf.
Ultimately it wasn’t to be, but now they will be aiming to get the Chiefs attempted title defense off to the worst possible start, The key to victory for the hosts will be containing Jackson, whose dual-threat capability can dismantle defenses. Kansas City’s defensive coordinator, Steve Spagnuolo, will need to devise a game plan that limits the quarterbacks’ running lanes while keeping tight coverage downfield. He managed to do it in the playoffs, and he will need to do it again if his side is to get off to the perfect start.
Week 2: Vs. Cincinnati Bengals
The start doesn’t get any easier for the reigning champions as they welcome the Cincinnati Bengals to Arrowhead in week two. In the last few years, perhaps no time has had the Chiefs number quite like Cincy. n contests where superstar quarterback Joe Burrow has lined up against Mahomes, it has been the former that has secured the most victories leading the mythical series by three games to one and kicking off a new rivalry in the process.
in the 2021 and 2022 seasons, the pair met in back-to-back AFC Championship games. the Bengals won the first despite being ranked outsiders, before going on to lose the Super Bowl to the LA Rams in a heartbreaking fashion. The Chiefs gained redemption the following year, and they wouldn’t slip up in the Big Game like their rivals did, ultimately beating the Eagles to secure the Lombardi.
Last term, the Bengals weren’t quite up to their lofty standards after losing their former Heisman winner under center with an elbow injury. That saw them miss the playoffs altogether, but this term he is back, and he will have the opportunity to show just how good he is as he leads his side into the lion’s den in Missouri. Many feel that Burrow is the only man who can stop Mahomes from reaching yet another Super Bowl, and he has the perfect opportunity to lay down a marker for the season on week two.
Week 7: @ San Francisco 49ers
Much like the Ravens in Week 1, the 49ers are also a team that will have a chance at redemption. They welcome the Chiefs to Levi’s Stadium on Week 7, and they will be aiming to pick up a victory over Andy Reid’s men to soften the blow of losing to them in the Super Bowl last season. Kyle Shanahan’s Niners rely on a potent ground attack spearheaded by Christian McCaffrey and a stifling defense, led by Nick Bosa and Fred Warner.
The Chiefs’ offensive line will be evaluated by San Francisco’s relentless pass rush, while Mahomes’ ability to extend plays and find his array of weapons, including wide receivers Juju Smith-Schuster and Skyy Moore, will be paramount. Meanwhile, their defensive front will need to be disciplined against the 49ers’ creative running schemes featuring Christian McCaffrey, all while ensuring that they are monitoring quarterback Brock Purdyt at all times.
