It’s time for the Arrowhead Pride staff to put their opinions to the test. Before the Kansas City Chiefs travel to face the Miami Dolphins, our writers predicted the final score and result.
The Chiefs return to Hard Rock Stadium — where they won Super Bowl LIV in February of 2020 — as 10.5-point road favorites according to FanDuel Sportsbook. This line reflects the Kansas City offense’s potent start to their 2-0 campaign paired with the Dolphins losing their first two contests by a combined score
of 62-26.
This will be the first meeting between the teams since the Chiefs came out on top of a bitterly cold AFC Wild Card matchup in Kansas City in January of 2024.
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Jared Sapp (@TrumanChief)
Many will expect a Kansas City blowout this week against possibly the league’s worst team. The Chiefs team we have seen through two weeks easily could put over 50 points on the Dolphins. But I don’t expect Kansas City to pursue that.
On what will be a hot afternoon in South Florida, Chiefs will likely prioritize a moving clock to shorten the game ahead of what suddenly shapes up as a very important meeting with the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 4. I’m predicting a comfortable Chiefs win in a game that will never be in doubt. But I don’t think there will be enough possessions for Patrick Mahomes and company to go truly crazy. I can see a garbage time Dolphins score making the game look more respectable than it truly was.
Chiefs 27, Dolphins 16
Caleb James (@CJScoobs)
The Chief should never overlook an opponent, but this week they need to be thinking big picture against a struggling Miami team that looks more concerned with draft status in April than winning games right now.
The Dolphins rank dead last in sacks allowed with 9 given up on the season, and rank dead last in sacks with zero through two games.
After being blown out in back-to-back weeks by the Raiders and 49ers, they do not appear to be a team capable of making the playoffs, and one that is looking to transition under first-year head coach Jeff Hafley.
If the Chiefs are wise, they will look to put their foot on the gas early and try to get their younger players reps while building in rest for key players like Chris Jones, Travis Kelce, and Kenneth Walker ahead of a critical AFC West showdown against the Raiders next week.
Chiefs 35, Dolphins 13
Mark Gunnels (@MarkAGunnels)
I just don’t think Miami has enough to hang with Kansas City for four quarters. The Chiefs are going to control this game on the ground with Kenneth Walker, which is only going to make life easier for Mahomes and open everything else up. Defensively, I trust KC to make Miami one-dimensional and force them into mistakes. I got the Chiefs winning this one pretty comfortably.
Chiefs 38, Dolphins 10
Maurice Elston (@MrMauriceElston)
On paper, this should be a blowout. The Chiefs are 2-0, the Dolphins are 0-2, and Kansas City is the better team across the board. The biggest danger is letting Miami hang around. The Chiefs have a habit of playing down to their competition when they could put their foot on the gas. Hopefully, Eric Bieniemy’s fire and emphasis on discipline help them avoid that trap.
Miami’s clearest path to making this competitive runs through De’Von Achane. If the Chiefs slow him down, I don’t see the Dolphins keeping pace. Kansas City should be able to take control early and rest its starters in the fourth quarter.
Chiefs 30, Dolphins 13.
Matt Stagner (@stagdsp)
Two teams cross paths on Sunday with very different trajectories. The 0-2 Miami Dolphins look to be in a rebuild year. There are some pieces in place that remind fans of what they could have been– a dangerous team built on speed. But the current struggles seem to go back to the trenches, where they don’t have a great pass rush or offensive line. The Chiefs are two games into the Kenneth Walker/Emmett Johnson era on offense, and they’re unlikely to slow down this week. Watch how fast Spagnuolo’s defense looks with Delane back on the field. The Chiefs should win comfortably, and their ability to not let teams like this hang around is an important step.
Chiefs 38, Dolphins 17
Dakota Watson (@D_Watson56)
I don’t foresee a trap game for the Chiefs this Sunday. While the score may be closer than most fans think it should be, it will only be because Andy Reid doesn’t like to embarrass other teams with a blowout.
I think the Chiefs’ offense will remain balanced. I expect to see more Emmett Johnson in the rotation as they try to reduce the wear and tear on Kenneth Walker early in the season. The defense will feast with at least two takeaways.
Chiefs 30, Dolphins 14
Rocky Magana (@RockyMagana)
Listen, let’s be real. The Miami Dolphins are the worst team in the NFL, and it’s not close. Their only player on offense who is worth his salt is De’Von Achane, and teams are just stacking the box to shut him down. Malik Willis is not an NFL starter, and on defense, they’ve recorded zero sacks so far this season. If you’re looking for a silver lining for this Miami team, it’s that, for a bad team, they have protected the football and are +1 in the turnover department. Still, this is the NFL, and if you don’t show up, you’re going to lose.
That being said, I think we’re still early enough in the season that the Chiefs still have a bad taste in their mouths. If you wanted to get Emmett Johnson some touches under his belt, this is the game to do it and give Kenneth Walker a chance to rest his legs. At the end of the day, the Chiefs should control this game and win by at least two scores.
Chiefs 30, Dolphins 9
Nate Christensen
Miami has been a rough team through two weeks, which is by design. Their dead cap is more than what they’re paying their roster this season. They don’t have much talent on either side of the ball. This should be an easy game for the Chiefs and hopefully an opportunity to get some other guys in the game and get reps.
Chiefs 30, Dolphins 10
Ron Kopp Jr. (@RonOnChiefs)
This game really should look like a matchup between a veteran, contending team and arguably the worst roster in the NFL. The Dolphins are made up almost entirely of rookies on the defensive side of the ball. That should be music to the ears of quarterback Patrick Mahomes and an offense that seems to be clicking on all cylinders.
I’m expecting Kansas City to continue producing explosive plays and build an early lead. With the defense playing in the lead, we’ll see the pass rush and pass coverage pop once again.
Chiefs 31, Dolphins 13
2026 Standings
The AP panel widely predicted a more comfortable Week 2 for Kansas City than the eventual 33-30 overtime victory. All nine staffers on the panel did correctly predict the Chiefs would win. Matt Stagner (35-19), Mark Gunnels (31-17) and Dakota Watson (28-17) each turned in predictions with 26 points of error.
*To calculate a prediction’s points of error, the differences between the prediction and the actual score in point spread, home team score and away team score are added together. For example, a prediction calls for a 17-10 Chiefs win. They end up winning 16-10, so there were two points of error: the point spread was off by one point, the Kansas City score missed by one point and the opponent’s score was predicted correctly. But if the Chiefs lose the game 17-10, there were 28 points of error in the prediction: the point spread was off by 14 (the difference between +7 and -7) and both scores missed by 7.
