Why is Dolphins-Chiefs game being played in Germany? How one of NFL’s best 2023 matchups wound up overseas

NFL global video games normally do not finish up with pregame hype just like the Kansas City Chiefs vs. Miami Dolphins, as each groups are a long way above .500 and a few of the best in the AFC. Each enters the matchup at 6-2 as they head into the league’s 2d common season challenge in Germany. 

The Dolphins-Chiefs showdown generally is a preview of the AFC identify game and is one of the best video games at the Week 9 time table, arguably the best, but would possibly not be played on American soil and will probably be played early in the morning. This will probably be simply the 3rd game in the NFL International Series that can characteristic two groups getting into the game with profitable data, and it is simply essentially the most hyped contest. 

Why did Chiefs and Dolphins finish up in Germany as an alternative of the United States? The explanation why have been defined in NBC’s Football Morning in America column this week: 

• Kansas City sought after the game to be in Germany. Every workforce has to play a game at a world web site as soon as each and every 8 years, and the Chiefs sought after their game to be in Germany since they’ve international advertising rights there.
• Divisional video games normally don’t seem to be global video games, so the Chiefs — the house workforce — have been restricted to 6 house warring parties. 
• The Chiefs have a large prime-time slate, with the Eagles, Bills, and Bengals at the time table. All 3 have been deemed late-season video games by means of the league, with CBS getting the 4:25 p.m. doubleheader window in December for Chiefs-Bills and Chiefs-Bengals. Chiefs-Eagles was once the “Monday Night Football” select. 
• With the Chiefs having 9 house video games, six warring parties have been eradicated for a world game according to divisional matchups and 3 have been eradicated for different tv home windows. The Dolphins, Bears, and Lions have been left. The Chiefs requested the NFL to not put the Bears matchup overseas since that will be the handiest time the Bears would play in Kansas City for 8 years. The NFL was once intrigued by means of the Lions for the NFL Kickoff Game ,so the Dolphins have been the remaining opponent left.

The league lucked out with Kansas City and Miami as the primary Germany game this 12 months, regardless that the Chiefs misplaced a house game consequently. With the AFC having simply 8 house video games in 2024 (they’ve 9 in odd-numbered years), the Chiefs were not giving up a house game subsequent 12 months to play overseas. 

One of the league’s best video games in Week 9 is at 9:30 a.m., the one game in that point slot. The league will surely win with TV scores with this matchup, regardless of the time slot.