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Time to start planning your football season, Kansas City Chiefs fans. The 2013 NFL schedule is out. Here is who the KC Chiefs will play in the 2013 season:
Week 1. @ Jacksonville Jaguars (Sept. 8, 12 p.m., CBS)
Week 2. Dallas Cowboys (Sept. 15, 12 p.m., Fox)
Week 3. @ Philadelphia Eagles (Sept. 19, 7:25 p.m., NFLN)
Week 4. New York Giants (Sept. 29, 12 p.m., Fox)
Week 5. @ Tennessee Titans (Oct. 6, 12 p.m., CBS)
Week 6. Oakland Raiders (Oct 13, 12 p.m., CBS)
Week 7. Houston Texans (Oct 20, 12 p.m., CBS)
Week 8. Cleveland Browns (Oct. 27, 12 p.m., CBS)
Week 9. @ Buffalo Bills (Nov. 3, 12 p.m., CBS)
Week 10. BYE
Week 11. @ Denver Broncos (Nov. 17, 3:05 p.m., CBS)
Week 12. San Diego Chargers (Nov. 24, 12 p.m., CBS)
Week 13. Denver Broncos (Dec. 1, 12 p.m., CBS)
Week 14. @ Washington Redskins (Dec. 8, 12 p.m., CBS)
Week 15. @ Oakland Raiders (Dec. 15, 3:05 p.m., CBS)
Week 16. Indianapolis Colts (Dec. 22, 12 p.m., CBS)
Week 17. @ San Diego Chargers (Dec. 29, 3:25 p.m., CBS)
Primetime games: 1 (Thursday night, vs Eagles, Week 3)
Strength of schedule: .473 (5th easiest)
The NFL schedule is formulaic so we know most of the schedule for future years. The Chiefs play one NFC Division each year, which accounts for four games a year. This year that is the NFC East. Then there are the six AFC West games each year, which include the Raiders, Chargers and Broncos. The Chiefs also play a rotating AFC division each year -- this year that's the AFC South, which includes the Texans, Colts, Jaguars and Titans. From there they play the two teams in each of the remaining AFC divisions that finished in the same spot in the standings as they did in the previous year -- that's the Browns (AFC North) and Bills (AFC East) this year.
The Chiefs are hosting the Giants and Cowboys and going on the road against the Eagles and Redskins this year despite the fact that's the same set up as it was in 2009. Because of some tweaks when they reset the schedule, that home/away set-up will remain the same this year as it was four years ago.
If the formula remains the same, the Chiefs future opponents should be:
2014: AFC East, NFC West, AFC South and AFC North divisional finish, AFC West
2015: AFC North, NFC North, AFC East and AFC South divisional finish, AFC West
2016: AFC South, NFC South, AFC East and AFC North divisional finish, AFC West
Chiefs 2013 preseason schedule:
Week 1 (Friday, Aug. 9, 7 p.m. CBS): at Saints
Week 2 (Friday, Aug. 16, 7 p.m. CBS): 49ers
Week 3 (Saturday, Aug. 24, 6:30 p.m. CBS): at Steelers
Week 4 (Thursday, Aug. 29, 7 p.m. CBS): Packers