Chiefs vs. Dolphins, Week 9 preview

Die Chiefs treffen in Deutschland auf die Dolphins! Our notes and picks for the week.

Charles Goldman

Key game details

Location: Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt, Germany
Date: Sunday, Nov. 5
Time: 8:30 a.m. CT
Network/streaming: NFL Network & KSHB-TV
Radio: 106.5 The Wolf, Chiefs mobile app
Broadcasters: Rich Eisen, Jason McCourty, Dan Orlovsky, Sara Walsh and Stacey Dales
Referee: Clay Martin
Betting line via DraftKings: Chiefs -2 (-110), ML -130
Weather: Approx. 54°, cloudy, 10-20 mph winds, chance of rain 80%

Chiefs:

Dolphins:

Notable Chiefs storylines for Week 9

Tyreek Hill vs. Chiefs

This is a game that everyone has had circled from the moment that the Chiefs’ opponents for 2023 were finalized. Tyreek Hill has been rather sour with his former team since he was traded to the Dolphins. How will Kansas City go about defending him in Week 9? It sounds as if he’ll see a healthy dose of L’Jarius Sneed, who was the only player to ever practice against No. 10 when he was with the Chiefs. How exactly will Hill perform in this game, though? I’ll be curious to see if he can keep his emotions in check.

Bouncing back after a tough loss

Matt Nagy said that Monday couldn’t get here soon enough because Patrick Mahomes was ready to get back to work immediately after the loss to the Broncos. I get the sense that this team has a really big chip on their shoulder after that loss and they’re eager to play a good clean game in Week 9. It’s easier said than done, but the level of focus seems high, even with the international travel and all of that jazz. If the offense can manage to stop shooting themselves in the foot, that’d be a good start to getting back on the right track.

Linebacker and running back injuries for Kansas City

The Chiefs are dealing with some attrition at positions on the offensive and defensive side of the ball. With LB Nick Bolton still on IR and LB Willie Gay Jr. dealing with a tailbone injury, the Chiefs brought back LB Darius Harris to reinforce the depth on that side of the ball. On the flip side, RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire was ruled out on Thursday and didn’t travel with the team to Germany. Then, RB Jerick McKinnon is dealing with a groin injury. Which players will be able to step up and help make up for the losses and uncertainty at these two positions?

Chiefs-Broncos best bets

To recap last week, Wes hit on Charles Omenihu at over 0.25 sacks and Rashee Rice over 41.5 receiving yards. He also hit on the Russell Wilson passing yards under, which seemed like a given after the first matchup between the two teams. Where he lost was the Broncos team under 19.5 points bet, but you know what they say, every dog has their day. 

Chiefs Moneyline (-130)

I know that a lot of people are shell-shocked from the loss to the Denver Broncos, but it’s really, really hard to beat a team 17 times in a row. Only two teams in NFL history have ever accomplished that feat. On the flip side, you can get a pissed-off Patrick Mahomes for less than a field goal in this game. Do it and don’t look back. 

Tyreek Hill ANYTIME TD scorer (-125)

There is no stopping Tyreek Hill. The Chiefs know that better than perhaps anyone other than the Dolphins. You have to tackle well and hope to limit the damage, but at some point, you know that he’s going to get behind the defense and have a chance to score. He’ll have some extra motivation this week going against a Kansas City team that traded him away. 

Travis Kelce OVER 78.5 yards (-115) 

I don’t care what Hill has told his teammates about defending the Chiefs. The Dolphins are tied for the third-most receptions allowed to tight ends this season and the sixth-most yards allowed to the position. Both times they’ve faced some elite tight end groups (Patriots and Giants), they’ve allowed tight ends over 78.5 yards (85 and 93, respectively). Their last two games came pretty close, too, with 77 and 72 yards allowed to tight ends. 

Chiefs-Broncos matchup history

The Dolphins actually lead the all-time series over the Chiefs 16-15. The first game the two teams played was back in November of 1966, with Kansas City defeating Miami by a score of 34-16. K.C. can bring things back to even with a win in Week 9.

The last time the Chiefs and Dolphins played…

December 13, 2020 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida. The Chiefs won 33-27 in Week 14 of the 2020 NFL season. Kansas City needed the win in order to clinch the AFC West division title that year. It was an ugly game for the Chiefs, but fans are no stranger to that.

The best Chiefs-Dolphins game ever was…

December 25, 1971 at Municipal Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs met the Dolphins in an AFC divisional-round playoff game, and little did they know what they had in store for them. The game was a grueling back-and-forth affair that would go to double overtime and go on for a whopping 82 minutes and 40 seconds, which held the record for the longest game in NFL history for quite some time. The Dolphins won that game, 27-24, giving Hall of Famers like Willie Lanier and Bobby Bell an early playoff exit.