The Starting 11: Chiefs-Giants Preview

Notes, stats and storylines in advance of Kansas City Chiefs' Week 3 matchup.

Nov 1, 2021; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Frank Clark (55) strips the ball from New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones (8) during the second half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Lamar Hunt and Wellington Mara were enemies in the 1960s. Hunt, Raiders owner Al Davis and the upstart American Football League were a threat to the established NFL brand, forcing secret drafts, fighting for television dollars and causing old-school coaches to embrace plays like the long bomb.

Shaking hands in a league merger and creating something the Hunt family suggested to Pete Rozelle the new league call the Super Bowl, the AFL merged with the NFL.

Jan. 11, 1970; New Orleans, LA, USA; FILE PHOTO; Kansas City Chiefs head coach Hank Stram rides the shoulders of his players at the end of the Chiefs victory over the Minnesota Vikings at Super Bowl IV at Tulane Stadium. The Chiefs won the game, 23-9. Mandatory Credit: Rod Hanna-Imagn Images | Rod Hanna-Imagn Images

Cornerstone teams from those respective leagues meet in primetime on Sunday Night Football (7:20 p.m. CT, NBC/KSHB-TV, Channel 41, 96.5 The Fan) at MetLife Stadium. The two franchises have combined for 14 league championships and eight Super Bowl victories.

And both teams are desperate for a win, having taking different roads to 0-2.

Here’s the Starting 11 for the Chiefs in Week 3…

1-Hi, I’m Patrick; nice to meet you.

According to Tony Holzman-Escareno, Patrick Mahomes has played with 11 starting left tackles since taking over as full-time Chiefs starter in 2018. In Monday night’s 20-19 win at Houston, Tampa Bay’s Baker Mayfield – the only starting quarterback with more over that period -- saw his 12th left tackle since 2018, Graham Barton.

Patrick Mahomes has had 11 different starting left tackles since becoming the Chiefs’ starter in 2018 (including playoffs).

The only player with more over that span is Baker Mayfield (12) who has played on 4 different teams.

— Tony Holzman-Escareno (@FrontOfficeNFL) September 16, 2025

Things have hopefully changed for Kansas City, though. Last season through two games, Kingsley Suamataia at left tackle had allowed two sacks and committed three holding penalties. This season through two games, rookie Josh Simmons has allowed zero sacks with zero holding calls.

2-Number of the Week (14)

• The Chiefs haven’t opened a season 0-3 in 14 years, since 2011.

• Only the Philadelphia Eagles (1999), New England Patriots (2000), Dallas Cowboys (2001), Seattle Seahawks (2002), Green Bay Packers (2005) and Buffalo Bills (2010) have longer stretches without opening 0-3. The Rams’ last 0-3 season also was 2011.

Sep 14, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) passes the ball against the Philadelphia Eagles during the third quarter of the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

3-Playing from behind

The Chiefs have spent just two minutes and 44 seconds with a lead over their last three games, since kicking off Super Bowl 59. That entire stretch came on Sunday against the Eagles. Patrick Mahomes’ 13-yard touchdown run gave Kansas City’s its first 2025 lead, 10-7, but Jake Elliott tied the game on a field goal that ended the first half.

4-Spotlight – individual matchup

Chiefs All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie will line up opposite Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers. Last season, Nabers registered 109 receptions, the most ever by an NFL rookie wide receiver, for 1,204 yards. This season, Nabers leads the NFL with 238 receiving yards.

Sep 14, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie (22) tackles Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith (6) after a reception during the fourth quarter of the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

5-Spotlight – team matchup

If the Chiefs are going to resurrect their rushing offense, this is the week. The Giants’ defense ranks dead last against the run through two weeks, surrendering 177.5 yards per game. New York also is 31st in yards per carry (5.92). Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco has 100-or-more rushing yards in three of his past four Sunday Night Football games.

[US, Mexico & Canada customers only] Sep 5, 2025; Sao Paulo, BRAZIL; Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco (10) runs against Los Angeles Chargers safety Alohi Gilman (32) in the first half during a NFL game at Corinthians Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jean Carniel/Reuters via Imagn Images | Jean Carniel/Reuters via Imagn Images

6-Streak speak

Over his last five games away from Kansas City, Mahomes has been interception-free in four of them. The Super Bowl (two interceptions) was the only game in that stretch in which he threw an interception. His last interception in an enemy stadium was Nov. 17 in the 30-21 loss at Buffalo. Terrel Bernard picked off his last pass of the night. Entering this week, Mahomes hasn’t thrown an interception over 152 straight attempts in road games, including the Brazil opener.

7-Did you know?

• Brian Daboll was the Chiefs’ offensive coordinator in 2012 under head coach Romeo Crennel. In the 2012 draft, Kansas City general manager Scott Pioli -- after taking future Pro Bowler Dontari Poe with his first-round choice and offensive tackle Jeff Allen in the second round – entered Round 3 with the No. 74 overall selection. Rather than taking Wisconsin quarterback Russell Wilson, Pioli and Crennel selected another offensive tackle, Donald Stephenson. Seattle pounced on Wilson with the next choice.

• Matt Cassel, Brady Quinn and the Chiefs finished the year 2-14. Andy Reid and John Dorsey took over the following season and took a tight end named Travis Kelce. Meanwhile, Wilson earned the Seahawks’ starting job out of training camp and led the team to the playoffs as a rookie.

Dec 30, 2012, Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) rushes against the St. Louis Rams during the fourth quarter at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

8-Under-the-radar storyline

• Mahomes returns to New York this week, a significant city in his life. The Chiefs’ quarterback turned 30 on Wednesday and has already won three Super Bowls. But his first world-championship experience wasn’t in football. It was in baseball during the 2000 “Subway” World Series between his dad’s Mets and the Yankees.

• While the Yankees wound up winning, four games to one, 5-year-old Mahomes in his oversized Mets jersey, big glove and bat, made the most of the experience. And before Super Bowl 59, Sam McDowell of the Kansas City Star detailed that Fall Classic from the Mahomes family perspective.

Oct 25, 2000; New York, NY, USA; Mets players looks dejected in dugout during 9th inning, from left: Todd Zeille, Benny Agbayani, Pat Mahomes, Mike Piazza. Mandatory Credit: Thomas E. Franklin/The Record-USA TODAY NETWORK | The Record-USA TODAY NETWORK

9-Trend time

• The home team has won four of the past five games in the Chiefs-Giants series, including the last meeting, a 20-17 Kansas City win on Nov. 1, 2021. In that Arrowhead Stadium game, Mahomes passed for 275 yards and a touchdown.

• Overall on Sunday Night Football, Mahomes is 8-1 over his last nine starts.

Nov 1, 2021; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) throws a pass ahead of New York Giants nose tackle Austin Johnson (98) during the first half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

10-Rookie Road

Despite their status as first-round selections out of the Big Ten, rookies Josh Simmons and Abdul Carter have faced each other just once. It was Oct. 21, 2023, in Columbus, where No. 3 Ohio State beat No. 7 Penn State, 20-12. Simmons started at left tackle, holding Carter without a sack. … A little more than a year later, Nov. 2, 2024, the No. 4 Buckeyes were without Simmons when they won at No. 3 Penn State, 20-13. Carter had two sacks in that game, three weeks after a torn patellar tendon ended Simmons’ college career.

Oct 21, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Devin Brown (33) runs toward the goal line and Penn State Nittany Lions linebacker Abdul Carter (11) during the second half of the NCAA football game at Ohio Stadium. Brown was stopped short and injured on the play. Ohio State won 20-12. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

11-And last but not least

Mahomes is one of two NFL players this season with both touchdown runs and passes in each of his team’s first two games. The other? Former Giants starter and first-round pick Daniel Jones

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