00:00Okay, so one of the most important schedule releases
00:03was likely the Kansas City Chiefs,
00:06as we are expecting Patrick Mahomes to be their week one starter.
00:13But you try and figure out, hey,
00:15is there any chance they think they could keep their heads above water
00:18if he misses a game or two?
00:22Plus, how is he going to look in his first game back
00:28since the torn ACL?
00:31Interestingly enough, they did, Casey, you could argue, Joe,
00:35a kindness by having them play on Monday night.
00:39It's the longest possible, you know, gap.
00:44Like, just for example, okay, just to make this very clear,
00:47Kansas City do play in Seattle this year,
00:51meaning they could have played five full days earlier
00:57on the 9th, on that Wednesday,
01:01in the season opener where New England is playing.
01:04Okay, so you could, like,
01:08I'm not saying he got an extra week, Joe, right?
01:11Because most people will play on Sunday,
01:13but playing on the 14th is a great thing for Kansas City.
01:17Playing Denver and that defense is maybe another story.
01:24What do you make of that opening game in Arrowhead
01:27where the Chiefs are slight favorites?
01:29Well, I mean, it's a divisional game,
01:32and I think the hope, you know, for the networks in the league
01:34is that Pat Mahomes is under center week number one
01:37against Bo Nix, right?
01:39I mean, that's what everybody wants to see.
01:41But I think the bigger picture is, again,
01:44we're talking about a season-long, you know, injury
01:47where an ACL is no joke, Kevin.
01:49You know, he has to turn,
01:51and we know Pat loves to run as well.
01:52So even if he has a brace on that knee,
01:56is he going to be 100%?
01:57And if he takes one bad hit, you know,
02:00his season could be done and over,
02:03and that's the risk.
02:04I think, again, if I'm Kansas City,
02:07and I understand it's a divisional opponent,
02:09I understand it's Sean Payton and it's Bo Nix,
02:12a team that potentially thinks
02:14it could win an AFC championship,
02:16but you have to look your organization realistically
02:20in the face and say,
02:21if Pat does get injured week one,
02:23our whole season is down the drain.
02:25Can we win games with Justin Fields?
02:27Yes.
02:28Can we win an AFC championship with Justin Fields?
02:31That remains to be seen,
02:32and that's a huge question mark, right?
02:34Better to preserve him for maybe one or two weeks.
02:39Have him come back in week three.
02:40If the team is one and one,
02:42what do you lose out of that?
02:44But you gain time,
02:45and you gain the ability for Pat Mahomes to be 100%.
02:49That is the biggest concern for the Kansas City Chiefs,
02:52not being on their center week number one
02:55in a prime time game.
02:56Nobody really cares about that.
02:58Yeah, I think it is interesting.
03:00That'll be, again, I know it's not by a lot,
03:01but it'll be a short week for him,
03:03his second game of the season.
03:05I think what stands out to me, Joe,
03:07is there's going to be a lot of pressure on this team
03:09to win games early.
03:10There is a five-game stretch.
03:15Now, health always can change things.
03:18Or, you know, Kansas City, Joe, at Buffalo,
03:22at the Rams, at the Bengals,
03:25home against the Patriots,
03:26home against the 49ers.
03:29I mean, that is three, four of the top Super Bowl favorites.
03:36You know, you're running up into there,
03:39along with then, you know, Joe Burrow
03:40and that Cincinnati team,
03:42who's always been a tough out for Kansas City.
03:46This team has to win early.
03:48I think just kind of reading the schedule here, right?
03:53They are, but Joe, they are set up to do just that.
03:56Let's be very clear about it.
03:58They play Denver.
03:59They are booked as favorites.
04:01They play the Colts.
04:02Probably no Daniel Jones in that game.
04:03They'll be booked as favorites.
04:05At Miami, supposed to be bad.
04:07At Vegas, supposed to be bad.
04:09And then a bye week,
04:10where you're at home against the Chargers.
04:12They will be favorites
04:13in each of their first five football games, Joe.
04:16Are they going to be 5-0?
04:17I'm not sure.
04:18But, hey, if you're 4...
04:19If Kansas City starts 4-1,
04:22no matter what the back of the schedule looks like,
04:26it's impossible to imagine a healthy Mahomes,
04:29Andy Reid as the head coach,
04:31won't make the postseason
04:32if they start the year 4-1, Joe.
04:33No, you're absolutely right.
04:35And, again, there's multiple games
04:37that they can win on that schedule,
04:38I believe, with Justin Fields in the early part.
04:42Again, I think they can beat the Colts
04:43in week number two with Justin Fields.
04:46I mean, especially if the defense is revamped
04:48like we believe they can be
04:50and take another step
04:51going up against whoever is under center
04:54week number one or week number two
04:56for the Indianapolis Colts.
04:58Again, we're talking big picture.
05:00This team has aspirations to compete
05:03for an AFC championship and a Super Bowl.
05:05We don't care about winning the month of September
05:07because it's meaningless.
05:09You don't want to lose your franchise quarterback,
05:11the best modern-day quarterback
05:13that we've seen in the NFL
05:14that has three Super Bowls under his belt
05:17coming off a major injury.
05:18It's just that risk-reward
05:20is not there for the Chiefs.
05:22You have to look big picture.
05:23And, again, Justin Fields, love him or hate him,
05:26is still a competent backup with Kenneth Walker
05:28to win you games in September
05:31to give you a nice landing
05:33to potentially have Pat Mahomes under center
05:35even in the month of October.
05:37So even if you drop that opening game
05:39to the Denver Broncos,
05:41if you win the game against the Colts
05:42and win the other two
05:44or they're three and one
05:45heading into the bye week,
05:47what's so bad about that?
05:48I think that's more beneficial
05:50for this team early on
05:53than rushing Pat Mahomes back
05:55and hoping he's 100%.
05:56That's it.
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