Chiefs will officially start the 2025 NFL season in a way they never have before, and it could prove to be a major advantage

This marks the Chiefs' first international game since they defeated the Miami Dolphins in Frankfurt, Germany, during the 2023 NFL season and the fourth international game the team has played. 

Some believe this game disadvantages Kansas City, given how well they've performed in So-Fi Stadium in recent years. Others feel that having a division game abroad dilutes a product that could significantly impact playoff seeding. Those are valid concerns, but there's also a major reason for optimism. This game could actually turn out to be a scheduling advantage for Kansas City (h/t to the all-knowing @ZachLaymansNFL for what's to come). . . 

The Chiefs are undefeated in international games

Kansas City knows how to handle business when it travels abroad to play a game. During their first overseas game back in 2015, the Chiefs routed the Lions 45-10. That was only the start for Andy Reid's crew. 

They've already beaten the Chargers abroad, with a 24-17 win over Los Angeles in 2019 in Mexico City. Their most recent overseas win came in 2023 when they faced the Miami Dolphins in Frankfurt, Germany. They were supposed to have another international game in Mexico City against the Rams in 2018, but it was moved to Los Angeles due to poor field conditions. That game ended up as a loss, but also one of the highest-scoring games in NFL history. 

Flip to the bad guys, and the word lose is much more prominent. The Chargers have a .334 record when playing a game abroad, with a 37-32 loss to the New Orleans Saints in London in 2008, a win against the Tennessee Titans in London in 2019, and an aforementioned loss to the Chiefs in Mexico City back in 2019. Yes, this is an entirely different Los Angeles team, but history does tend to repeat itself in the NFL.

While the sample size might seem relatively small, the NFL has played fewer than 100 international games. Both teams are in the average range of distribution for international games played. 

If the Chiefs can escape with a win and then have a period of long rest ahead of their home opener, they could jump out to a 2-0 start to begin the 2025 NFL season. I'd think that possibility alone is worth the headache of playing a divisional game on the road to kick off the year.