Chiefs vs Dolphins: What to know for NFL Wild Card round at Arrowhead
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Kansas City Chiefs will host the Miami Dolphins in the Wild Card round of the 2023-24 NFL Playoffs on Saturday.
As a 3-seed in the AFC, the Chiefs are the lowest they have been since Patrick Mahomes took over at quarterback. With an 11-6 record, it's also the most losses that the Chiefs have suffered since Mahomes has been a starter.
This is the only home playoff game they're guaranteed, but the Chiefs could have another if the 2-seed Bills suffer a loss in the Wild Card round to the Steelers.
This will be Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill’s first game back at Arrowhead Stadium since he was traded to Miami almost two years ago.
The Chiefs beat the Dolphins 21-14 in Germany in Week 9 and held Hill to eight catches for 62 yards and no touchdowns. Neither team tallied over 300 yards in the game.
If you’re headed to Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday, here’s what you need to know:
Pregame timeline
The Chiefs vs Dolphins playoff showdown kicks off at 7:10 p.m. Saturday.
- 2:30 p.m.: Parking Gates Open
- 3 p.m.: Ford Tailgate District Opens
- 4:30 p.m.: CommunityAmerica Club Level Gates Open
- 5 p.m.: All GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium Gates Open
- 6:10 p.m.: Team Warm-Ups Begin
- 6:59 p.m.: Dolphins Team Introduction
- 7:01 p.m.: Chiefs Team Introduction
- 7:04 p.m.: National Anthem
- 7:08 p.m.: Coin Toss
- 7:10 p.m.: Kickoff
Tickets
If you’re still looking for tickets, there are plenty still available. You can buy Chiefs tickets online or on a third-party site like Tickets for Less or SeatGeek.
Verified tickets on Ticketmaster are starting at about $60 for the upper level, but some resellers are asking as low as $50. Meanwhile, prime seats in the two lower levels are $120-plus and can be over $1,500.
All Chiefs games are mobile ticketing only. The team encourages fans to add their tickets to their mobile wallets to make getting through the gate easier.
Gameday Forecast
If you’re headed to the Kansas City Chiefs game vs. the Miami Dolphins on Saturday, you’re in for an absolutely frigid, but possibly historical, day.
If the latest forecast holds, it could be one of the coldest Chiefs games in franchise history.
The FOX4 Weather Team is expecting a high temperature of 9 degrees, quite chilly for tailgating in Arrowhead Stadium parking lots where it will actually feel like -10 degrees.
By kickoff at 7 p.m. Saturday, FOX4 meteorologists are forecasting it will be 6 degrees — with a wind chill of -12.
If that forecasted kickoff temperature holds, it would be the Chiefs’ new coldest playoff game in franchise history.
Staying Warm
FOX4 meteorologists are forecasting it will be in the single digits with a wind chill below zero.
The team will have warming stations available inside and outside Arrowhead Stadium. Here is where you can find them:
Outside: Near parking gates 3/4, 5 and 6; inside parking lots B, C, D, F and G; at the northwest corner of the Ford Tailgate District in parking lot M.
Inside: One at the bottom of each of the four Field Level spirals; near the Jim Bean (north) and Crown Royal (south) bars on the Upper Level; near the Red Zones on the east and west sides of the Upper Level.
Fans can carry in blankets, without zippers or compartments, but fans must drape it over their shoulder while going through security.
Chiefs fans can also bring cardboard no larger than 3-feet-by-5-feet to stand on, creating a barrier between the cold concrete.
Parking and Traffic
Parking lots open at 2:30 p.m. ahead of Saturday night's kickoff.
Fans going to Arrowhead also need to remember that all parking passes must be purchased in advance online. Payments won’t be accepted at the parking gates.
Regular parking passes are $50 this season. If you bring a bus or RV, you’ll be required to purchase a different pass that costs $130. You’ll be able to access your parking pass on the Chiefs mobile app.
Fans planning to use ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft should plan to get dropped off and picked up at the Missouri Welcome Center located between Gates 1 and 2 on Blue Ridge Cutoff.
Stadium Gates and Entry
All stadium gates open at 5 p.m. Saturday, about two hours before kickoff.
Arrowhead Stadium has a Clear Bag Policy, which means fans are only allowed to bring a clear plastic bag, a one-gallon clear zip-seal bag or a small clutch bag into the stadium. Backpacks, fanny packs, purses and more are not allowed.
Cashless
The Chiefs do not accept cash at Arrowhead Stadium. All concession stands and retail stores are completely cashless.
Acceptable forms of payment include credit/debit cards, Apple Pay, Chiefs Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay. In-stadium hawkers and vendors are credit card only.