Around the AFC West: Chiefs loaded with marquee games

The defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs open the NFL season Sept. 7 on “Thursday Night Football” against the upstart Detroit Lions in Kansas City, Missouri.

The matchup marks the first in prime time for a team in the AFC West, which figures again to be among the more compelling divisions in the NFL.

Here are other marquee matchups for the Raiders’ rivals within their division:

Chiefs

Led by reigning NFL and Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes and perennial Pro Bowl tight end Travis Kelce, Kansas City is among the most marketable teams in the NFL.

As a result, the Chiefs meet the New York Jets on “Sunday Night Football” on Oct. 1, pitting Mahomes against fellow superstar quarterback Aaron Rodgers at MetLife Stadium. A road matchup against the reigning NFC North champion Minnesota Vikings follows on Oct. 8, followed by a Thursday night matchup against the rival Denver Broncos on Oct. 12 in Kansas City.

Kansas City will play in Germany on Nov. 5 against the Miami Dolphins, for whom former Chiefs star wide receiver Tyreek Hill was a first-team All-Pro last season.

“Monday Night Football” will feature a Super Bowl rematch against the Philadelphia Eagles on Nov. 20 — giving Kansas City two Monday night games in the second half of the season. The other is Dec. 18 against the New England Patriots.

The Chiefs will also venture to Lambeau Field on Dec. 3 to play the Green Bay Packers on “Sunday Night Football.” Other marquee opponents include the Buffalo Bills (Dec. 10) and Cincinnati Bengals (Dec. 31), who are quarterbacked by Josh Allen and Joe Burrow, respectively.

Chargers

Los Angeles debuts in prime time Oct. 16 against the Dallas Cowboys on “Monday Night Football.” The Chargers will venture two weeks later to Chicago, where they will play the Bears on “Sunday Night Football,” before meeting Rodgers and the Jets in New York on Nov. 6 on “MNF.”

A Nov. 26 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens pits quarterbacks Justin Herbert and Lamar Jackson against each other on “Sunday Night Football” in Los Angeles.

The Chargers also host the Bills on Dec. 23, a Saturday night game.

Broncos

The Broncos find themselves in prime time four times, beginning with the trip to Kansas City for “Thursday Night Football.” They will meet the Bills in Buffalo on Nov. 11 on “Monday Night Football” and the Minnesota Vikings on “Sunday Night Football” six days later.

Their final standalone game is against the New England Patriots on Christmas Eve, a Sunday night.

Contact Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on Twitter.