UPDATE: The Chiefs 2016 preseason schedule is out.
The Kansas City Chiefs 2015 regular season is over so we now know the Chiefs 2016 opponents. It sure does seem easier than this year's schedule. Instead of playing the AFC North, the Chiefs will be playing the AFC South next year. Instead of playing the NFC North, they will play the NFC South. The AFC North and NFC North were better divisions than those other two this year, save the 14-1 Panthers in the NFC South.
The Chiefs have NOT confirmed their 2016 opponents so this is not official but, based on the schedule formula, this is what I believe the Chiefs schedule will be next year - if they don't win the AFC West. There is some uncertainty with the future of the Chargers and Raiders and whether a potential move to Los Angeles would mean restructuring the divisions. If it does then this could change.
Home: Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New York Jets
Away: Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Pittsburgh Steelers
If the Chiefs had won the AFC West, they would have been playing the Patriots and Bengals instead of the Jets and Steelers.
This looks like an easier schedule - on paper. The NFL changes so much each year that I can't really say this is an easier schedule with any confidence. I would expect the Falcons and Colts to be better next year than they were this year; the same potentially goes for the Bucs and even the Texans. The Panthers probably won't be a one-loss team next year, though.
The schedule is formulaic. The Chiefs play their divisional games twice which accounts for six games. They play a rotating AFC and NFC division each year -- that's the AFC South and NFC South this year -- which makes up eight more games. They also play the team that finished in the same spot in their division as the Chiefs (second). That would be the Jets from the AFC East and the Steelers from the AFC North. That makes 16 games.