Two games into the 2025 NFL season, and the New York Giants have a better record than the Kansas City Chiefs, just like everyone expected. Wait, what? Yes, this is reality: Russell Wilson is clinging to the top quarterback job in East Rutherford, New Jersey, after a 450-yard shootout against the Dallas Cowboys, while Patrick Mahomes doesn’t even have 450 yards on the season as the Chiefs limp toward what they hope is their first victory.
How, exactly, did we get here? Well, for one, it’s not quite fair to crown the Giants just yet: Despite Wilson’s surprise big-play showing against Dallas, the G-Men still managed to squander an NFC East upset thanks to a last-minute Wilson pick and some porous defense. Concern in Kansas City is real, however, with Mahomes practically tasked with doing everything himself on an offense littered with aging and/or injured skill weapons.
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One game doesn’t make or break a season. But after starting 0-2 for the first time of the Mahomes era and the first time since 2014, when Reid was still fresh on the scene as the Chiefs’ coach, the reigning AFC champions are under pressure to show up on the road when they meet the Giants on “Sunday Night Football.” It’s a must-see matchup under the prime-time lights, and we’ve got you covered here with everything you need to know.
Where to watch Chiefs vs. Giants
Date: Sunday, Sept. 21 | Time: 8:20 p.m. ET
Location: MetLife Stadium — East Rutherford, New Jersey
TV: NBC | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
Follow: CBS Sports App
Odds: Chiefs -6; O/U 45.5 (via DraftKings Sportsbook)
Key questions
Can the Chiefs finally establish some offensive rhythm? Kansas City made it all the way to the Super Bowl at the close of last season, but it’s been a long time since Andy Reid’s offense actually looked like a juggernaut. That’s partially because Patrick Mahomes’ offensive line is still in a state of transition. He’s also got basically no run support and an aging, injury-prone cast of pass catchers. All that said, he’s shown some juice as a scrambler. And the Giants might be just the secondary he needs to see to get things moving down the field after they surrendered 40 points to Dallas.
How will Steve Spagnuolo defend Malik Nabers? Not even double coverage is a guarantee to slow the Giants’ No. 1 wideout, who all but singlehandedly kept New York in a shootout against the Cowboys in Week 2, finishing with nine catches for 167 yards and two scores. The Chiefs just got done keeping a tight lid on the Philadelphia Eagles’ passing attack, but that’s probably more a testament to the way the Birds play football, leaning heavily on the grind-it-out run game. Nabers alone has the electricity to test K.C.’s back end, and if Wilson remains on the money with his deep shots, look out.
Can anyone step up in the Chiefs’ backfield? As we mentioned earlier, Mahomes has been trying to do everything, leading the club in rushing (123 yards) through two games. Both Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt, meanwhile, are averaging fewer than 4 yards per carry. If ever there were a time for the running backs to hold up their end of the bargain, it might be Sunday when faced with the Giants’ interior, which, despite boasting Dexter Lawrence, ranks dead last in run defense. If Kansas City can actually move the chains on the ground, it’ll go a long way toward restoring the rest of their attack.
X factor to watch
While speedsters like Xavier Worthy and Marquise Brown have taken turns nursing injuries in the Chiefs’ pass-catching corps, Mahomes has quickly built at least some rapport with Thornton, the ex-New England Patriots prospect who originally came aboard via the practice squad last November. He ranks third behind only Brown and Travis Kelce in targets (9) and yards (100) as a legitimate field-stretcher, averaging a whopping 25 yards per reception. He should have additional opportunities to go deep against New York.
Chiefs vs. Giants prediction, pick
Which Giants team is the real one: the Week 1 squad that had almost no offensive life against the Washington Commanders, or the Week 2 underdog that kept launching the rock against the Cowboys? The truth, as usual, probably lies somewhere in the middle. This still paints a middling picture, considering New York was supposed to have a stingy defense thanks to a bolstered front seven.
