Jan. 29, 2023: Patrick Mahomes raises the Lamar Hunt Trophy while Travis Kelce celebrates after the Kansas City Chiefs' 23-20 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC championship game at Arrowhead Stadium.

Being the NFL’s latest dynasty has its ups and downs. The upside is that you’re the best team in the league and have been for some time. The downside is that everyone is gunning for you, and a good chunk of your games will be in prime time for everyone to see, as they are considered must-see matchups.

When you look at Kansas City’s schedule, there are two portions that look daunting, all because of how the games are positioned. Within the first five weeks of the season, the Chiefs have three prime-time games, all on different days. They begin the season with the season opener on Thursday Night Football against their AFC Championship Game opponent from last season, the Baltimore Ravens. Then, two weeks later, it’s off to Atlanta to face the Falcons, where Patrick Mahomes will make his first regular-season appearance inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday Night Football. Then it’s onto October play, where they’ll face the New Orleans Saints on Monday Night Football.

But what’s scary is what’s in between some of those games. Though they’ll have extra rest, the Chiefs have to go from facing last year’s MVP Lamar Jackson and the Ravens in Week 1 to then facing Joe Burrow and the Bengals in Week 2. Then after taking on the new-look Falcons with Kirk Cousins under center the following week, it’s off to challenge the Jim Harbaugh-led Chargers with Justin Herbert under center before ending their first set of prime-time games against New Orleans the following week.

Having the Ravens and Bengals at home in the first two weeks is helpful, but traveling to opposite sides of the country — Atlanta and Los Angeles — on back-to-back weeks the next two is concerning. And a large part of that is due to the quarterback play they’ll be facing all in that first month.