The Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins are set to face off in a highly anticipated AFC showdown at Hard Rock Stadium in Week 3 of the 2026 NFL regular season.
Kansas City will enter today's contest with a 2-0 record after securing primetime victories over the Denver Broncos and Indianapolis Colts. Miami is still searching for its first win of the year and will have plenty of motivation to end the Chiefs' hot streak in front of a home crowd.
Take a look at Chiefs Wire's staff predictions for Kansas City's Week 3 matchup against the Dolphins:
Ed Easton Jr.'s prediction
A potentially dangerous game for the Chiefs as they play their first road game of the season in Week 3 against a winless Dolphins team holding their home opener. An upset doesn't look likely on paper, but
energy and focus could be the catalyst on Sunday.
The offense will need to maintain the excellent balance from the first two games, with Kenneth Walker III consistently challenging the Dolphins' defense. Patrick Mahomes should be able to exploit secondary mismatches and get the receivers involved often in scoring situations. Travis Kelce will likely draw more defensive attention, limiting his effectiveness.
Defensively, the Chiefs need a dominant bounce-back game to erase the bad taste of their Week 2 performance. The rookie class could use the game to make plays and cement their roles moving forward. The focus will be on Miami's star running back, De'Von Achane, who is key to the Dolphins' offense.
Final score: Chiefs 35, Dolphins 10
Samuel Teets' prediction
The Dolphins have one of the youngest and least-talented rosters in the NFL. The only way Miami could upset the Chiefs is by completely shutting down the running game. The Dolphins possess a skilled but unheralded defensive front anchored by Zach Sieler. Last week, the unit allowed fewer than four yards per carry to San Francisco’s Kaelon Black and Christian McCaffrey.
Miami might slow down Kenneth Walker’s All-Pro pace, but it seems unlikely the Dolphins have enough depth and firepower to contain him for a whole game. The Chiefs also have a tougher interior offensive line than San Francisco and should provide a more physical challenge for Miami.
After a quiet Week 1, Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Kansas City’s receivers ran wild in Week 2. Expect more of the same against a depleted Miami secondary relying heavily on rookies and former Day 3 draft picks.
Final score: Chiefs 34, Dolphins 17
Jon Ediger's prediction
On paper, Kansas City should have no problem winning this game. The Chiefs have advantages over Miami at nearly every position and are riding high after primetime wins over the Denver Broncos and Indianapolis Colts.
But I suspect that the Dolphins will have a trick up their sleeve for Kansas City this afternoon. Something tells me that the Chiefs will come out a bit flat against Miami and that Patrick Mahomes will have to make a comeback effort in the second half if he intends to lead Kansas City to victory.
Expect Steve Spagnuolo's defense to struggle a bit early in the game but eventually find its footing against Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis as the matchup progresses.
In the end, I think Mahomes will do what it takes to advance the Chiefs' record to 3-0.
Final score: Chiefs 23, Dolphins 21
John Dillon's prediction
This has all the makings of a trap game for a red-hot Chiefs squad that seems destined to lose a winnable game at some point early this season. Kansas City completely outclasses Miami at pretty much every position, but Andy Reid shouldn't let his foot off the gas against the Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium.
If Miami manages to contain the Chiefs' ground game and forces Patrick Mahomes to put Kansas City on his back, this game could turn sour quickly for the two-time MVP.
While I won't be so bold as to predict a Chiefs loss, I expect this game to be much closer than it should be and for late-game heroics to play a factor in Kansas City's advancement to 3-0.
Final score: Chiefs 27, Dolphins 25
This article originally appeared on Chiefs Wire: Predictions for Kansas City Chiefs vs. Miami Dolphins in Week 3
