The Kansas City Chiefs' 2018 regular-season schedule was announced Thursday night.
If you haven't seen it yet, take a look at the full schedule here.
Here are 10 things that jump out:
Road Trippin'
The Chiefs will rack up plenty of frequent flyer miles early in the 2018 season—travelling through four time zones and a total distance of 4,862 miles over the first two weeks—starting with the season-opener against the division-rival Los Angeles Chargers at the StubHub Center in Carson, California, on Sunday, September 9 (3:05 p.m. CT, CBS).
Just a week later, the Chiefs will flip to the other side of the country to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, September 16 (12:00 p.m. CT, CBS).
The good news is that it's the only time the Chiefs will play back-to-back road games all year.
Home Opener Has Us Remembering the Greats
The Chiefs' home opener will come against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, September 23 (12:00 p.m. CT, FOX).
Only one other time in franchise history have the Chiefs opened their season at Arrowhead against the 49ers, and it was a pretty memorable game back in 1994.
It was Joe Montana facing his former team, and there were same names to know in that game. In fact, there were six Pro Football Hall of Famers on the field that day—three for each team.
For the Chiefs, it was Montana, Marcus Allen and Derrick Thomas against the 49ers' Steve Young, Jerry Rice and Richard Dent, who played just one year with them during his Hall of Fame career.
This year, it'll be a couple of young guns in quarterbacks' Patrick Mahomes and Jimmy Garoppolo.
After a brief stop at home, the Chiefs are back on the road in Week 4 for the third time in four weeks to begin the season—travelling to take on the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football in the first of five prime time games for the Chiefs this season.
Planes and Prime Time—the 2018 Experience
After going 8-2 over the past two years under the lights, including a 5-1 mark in prime time last year, the Chiefs will once again have a heavy presence on national television in 2018.
In total, the Chiefs will be featured nationally five times in 2018.
Week 4 – Oct. 1, at Denver, 7:15 p.m. CT on Monday Night Football(ESPN)
Week 6 – Oct. 14, at New England, 7:20 p.m. CT on Sunday Night Football(NBC)
Week 11 – Nov. 19, Los Angeles Rams(in Mexico City), 7:15 p.m. CT on Monday Night Football(ESPN)
Week 15 – Dec. 13, Los Angeles Chargers, 7:20 p.m. CT on Thursday Night Football(FOX/NFLN)
Week 16 – Dec. 23, at Seattle, 7:20 p.m. CT on Sunday Night Football(NBC)
It's worth noting that only one of those five games will be played at Arrowhead Stadium, and that's a December 13thmeeting on Thursday Night Football (FOX/NFLN) against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Getting Tested Early
The Chiefs face four teams in 2018 who made the playoffs last year—all of whom also won their division to earn those playoff berths.
Three of those games will take place within the first six weeks of the season, including back-to-back games with the two teams who faced off in the AFC Championship game last year—the Jacksonville Jaguars and New England Patriots.
In Week 5, the Chiefs host the Jaguars on Sunday, October 7 (12:00 p.m. CT, CBS) at Arrowhead Stadium, and then they'll travel a week later to face the Patriots in prime time on Sunday, October 14 (7:20 p.m. CT, NBC) in a rematch of last year's opening game of the NFL season, which the Chiefs won, 42-27.
The other two playoff teams (and division winners) the Chiefs face in 2018 are the Steelers (Sunday, September 16, 12:00 p.m. CT, CBS), and the Los Angeles Rams (November 19, 7:15 p.m. CT, ESPN, *Mexico City).
Vamos Mexico!
The Chiefs and Rams will face off at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on Monday, November 19, at 7:15 p.m. CT on ESPN's Monday Night Football as part of the NFL's International Series.
This will be the sixth time in franchise history that the Chiefs have played internationally, and the first since they went to London to take on the Detroit Lions in 2015, but it'll be their first game in Mexico City.
The Chiefs will be the road team in the game.
Giving Thanks During the Bye Week
The Chiefs' bye week takes place this year in Week 12, which is actually over the Thanksgiving holiday following the game against the Rams in Mexico City.
Arrowhead in Crunch Time
For the third-straight year, the Chiefs will play three of their final four games of the regular season at Arrowhead Stadium.
Going for the Three-Peat!
Last year, the Chiefs successfully defended their division title for the first time in franchise history, and now they'll try to make it three in a row.
Here's a look at how the Chiefs' AFC West division games stack up in 2018:
Week 1 – @ Los Angeles Chargers, Sunday, September 9 (3:05 p.m. CT, CBS)
Week 4 – @ Denver Broncos, Monday, October 1 (7:15 p.m. CT, ESPN)
Week 8 – Denver Broncos, Sunday, October 28 (12:00 p.m. CT, CBS)
Week 13 – @ Oakland Raiders, Sunday, December 2 (3:05 p.m. CT, CBS)
Week 15 – Los Angeles Chargers, Thursday, December 13 (7:20 p.m. CT, FOX/NFLN)
Week 17 – Oakland Raiders, Sunday, December 30 (12:00 p.m. CT, CBS)
The Chiefs have won 16 of their last 18 games against divisional teams.
Strength of Schedule
Based on last year's records, which, obviously don't mean a *whole *lot for 2018, but nonetheless, the Chiefs' opponents in 2018 combined to go 106-102—averaging out to a .510 winning percentage on the year.
Overall, seven of the 13 teams the Chiefs will face this year posted winning records a year ago.
The Deets on Tickets
Tickets will go on sale for Season Ticket Members on Friday, April 20, at 8 a.m. as part of an exclusive one-day promotion of no service fees.
Additionally, in accordance with the team's long-standing policy, the taxpayers of Jackson County, Mo. will have an opportunity to purchase single-game tickets for the 2018 season from an exclusive allotment of preferred inventory in all price points beginning at 8 a.m. on Friday, April 20, through 5 p.m. on Friday, April 27.
Jackson County taxpayers purchasing tickets must come to the Arrowhead Stadium Ticket Office during normal business hours and have one form of identification that includes a photo of the purchaser and a personal 2017 Jackson County, Mo. property tax receipt.
Tickets will be available to the public on Chiefs.com beginning at 10 a.m. on Friday. All single-game and group tickets for Chiefs home games are subject to availability and dynamic pricing. Ticket delivery will be mobile-entry only.
