Patrick Mahomes' Chiefs set to have one of the toughest starts in NFL history

Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs may have a tougher time making it to the AFC championship game this coming season. For one, they lost their number one wide receiver in Tyreek Hill. Secondly, the other teams in their division are absolutely stacked after a wild free agency. And last but not least, the start of their 2022 schedule is brutal.

In a recent tweet, Adam Schefter, NFL insider and reporter for ESPN, shared the Chiefs' first nine-game matchups via Elias Sports. The Chiefs will, indeed, face some heavy hitters.

"Chiefs are the first team in NFL history to start the season with eight straight games against teams that had a winning record in the previous season." per @EliasSports

.The Chiefs start the season against an Arizona Cardinals team that went 11-6 last season. Although the team will be without number one wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins after a six-game suspension due to PEDs, they have added Hollywood Brown to the mix.

The Chiefs will also face the Las Vegas Raiders and the Los Angeles Chargers, two divisional rivals who have taken steps to improve their rosters to compete with Mahomes and company. Notable additions include Davante Adams to the Raiders and Kahlil Mack to the Chargers.

The Indianapolis Colts just missed the playoffs last year after imploding in the last two games of the season. This year, they upgraded at quarterback with the addition of former Atlanta Falcons veteran Matt Ryan and strengthened their secondary by acquiring Super Bowl-winning cornerback Stephon Gilmore.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers always bring the heat. Tom Brady and company look to make another run at a Super Bowl before Brady retires for good and slides into his role as a FOX commentator. Mahomes can, at least, take comfort in the fact that the Bucs defense have lost some major pieces in the offseason.

Can Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs find success in a much-improved AFC West?

The Tennessee Titans will have running back Derrick Henry back in the lineup, but they’ve lost star wide receiver A.J. Brown. Still, the AFC South opponent will, no doubt, give the Chiefs trouble in week 9.

Perhaps, the biggest challenge comes in week 6 when Mahomes faces off against Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills. After a thrilling AFC divisional game shootout that ended with the flip of a coin, the rivalry between these two young quarterbacks revs up and is quickly reaching Brady/Manning status.

This season will be the biggest test of Patrick Mahomes’ young career. The AFC will be a wild race to the finish, but the Chiefs are hopeful they will be the last team standing.