The Kansas City Chiefs Prepare for a Triple-Header in an Eleven-Day Span
When the NFL schedule was released in May, something caught the attention of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes right away.
He spotted that his team was scheduled to play on three consecutive unusual days: Sunday, Dec. 15; Saturday, Dec. 21; and Wednesday, Dec. 25.
“It’s not a pleasant feeling,” Mahomes said. “You dislike playing numerous games in such a short period of time. It's tough on your body, but then again, it's your occupation. You're a professional. You need to show up and do your job.”
Besides playing against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, the subsequent Saturday against the Houston Texans, and a Wednesday Christmas game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, it means the Chiefs, who began the season on a Thursday and faced the Las Vegas Raiders on Black Friday, will have played a game on every day except Tuesday this season.
“We have games spraying all over the place,” Chiefs head coach Andy Reid stated. “It’s a unique situation. You just have to manage it. It is what it is. So, you make the best of it.”
Reid mentioned that playing three games within just 11 days makes studying the opponents more challenging.
However, this condensed schedule is a strain on both the mind and the body.
Regarding the bodily strain, Mahomes explained that he tailored his workouts throughout the year to prepare for this upcoming stretch. He also praised the coaching staff for recognizing when the team needs to rest.
“We practice as hard as any other team, but they know how to scale it back when we need it,” Mahomes said. “Coach Reid has a fantastic plan heading into it. I'll stick to that.”
Jones, the Chiefs' top defensive player, also expressed his dislike of playing on various days of the week.
“I rather just play on Sunday,” he stated. “I love my rest. I have a recovery routine throughout the week that my body gets accustomed to. You have to speed up everything. It’s challenging.”
Jones also regretted that the Chiefs, who hadn't had an early bye week since Mahomes became the starter in 2018, had such an early off week (in Week Six) this year.
But they could potentially get another break.
If the 12-1 Chiefs beat the Browns on Sunday, win against the Texans the following week, and the Buffalo Bills lose on Sunday against the Detroit Lions, one of the best teams in the NFL, the Chiefs would have secured the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs, potentially allowing them to rest their starters against the Steelers.
That would be the best-case scenario.
Regardless, the Chiefs are in for a challenging late-season schedule due to their unusual schedule.
“It’s a gauntlet,” said right guard Trey Smith, who is playing in a contract year. “At the end of the day, we’ll ride out any challenge, and we’re ready to play no matter what the situation, circumstance, or time is.”
The Cleveland Browns will face the Kansas City Chiefs on an unusual Sunday game, a challenge that Mahomes and the Chiefs are not fond of due to the condensed schedule. After this, they will play the Houston Texans on the following Saturday, before wrapping up the unusual stretch with a Christmas game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on a Wednesday. Despite the challenging schedule, Chris Jones, the Chiefs' top defensive player, prefers playing on Sundays and has a strict recovery routine he has to adjust when playing on different days.
