‘Go Bills.’ Chiefs may join you in tuning in for Saturday’s Bills-Patriots game
The Kansas City Chiefs have secured a postseason berth by winning the AFC West for a fourth straight season. All that’s left to determine with two regular-season games remaining is playoff seeding.
The Chiefs are 10-4, so catching the 12-2 Baltimore Ravens could be a stretch — the Ravens can clinch the AFC’s top seed outright with a win this weekend. But keeping pressure on the New England Patriots (11-3) for the No. 2 seed remains very much in play for the Chiefs.
In fact, when the Patriots host the Buffalo Bills (10-4) Saturday afternoon, some of the Chiefs themselves will be watching as they prepare for Sunday night’s game in Chicago against the Bears.
“I know I’ll probably watch it,” Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu said. “Obviously, I know there are some implications with the seeding or whatnot.
“But I think at the end of the day, we’ll probably play one of those two teams in the playoffs. So, even from that, I feel like we still have to just get some eyes on it.”
Linebacker Anthony Hitchens agreed.
“We’re all football guys,” Hitchens said. “We’ll watch it.”
The Chiefs have the inside track to the AFC’s No. 3 seed and currently hold a one-game lead over the AFC South-division leading Houston Texans (9-5). If that seeding holds, the Chiefs would host the sixth seed in the first round of the postseason at Arrowhead Stadium.
But there is wiggle room in the final two games of the season for the Chiefs to move up.
The Patriots can clinch the AFC East with a win over the Bills and secure the No. 2 seed if the Chiefs lose Sunday night.
But if the Patriots lose in Week 16 and the Chiefs defeat the Bears, the Chiefs and Patriots would share identical 11-4 records. The Chiefs would own the tie-breaker based on their 23-13 win over the Patriots in Week 14.
That scenario would provide plenty of drama for both teams heading into Week 17, but the Chiefs know there are consequences if they lose focus Sunday night in a game they are favored to win.
“It does play a large part in our season, but at the same time if they lose and we lose, then it doesn’t really matter,” Hitchens said. “So, we’ve got to take care of business.”
Rookie running back Darwin Thompson agreed.
“We got to take care of business on our end and make sure we finish out strong with the two games we’ve got left,” Thompson said. “I mean, it would be a plus if the Patriots lose, but it’s not something we’ll look too much into.”
Some Chiefs players weren’t shy about identifying the team they are rooting for Saturday.
“Bills, of course,” linebacker Damien Wilson said. “Anything that benefits us.”
Hitches added: “Go Bills. But like I said, at the end of the day, we have to take care of business.”
Wide receiver Sammy Watkins, who spent three seasons in Buffalo, also wants his former team to secure a win over the Patriots.
But like his current teammates, Watkins is keeping his eye on the bigger prize, with the mindset that everything else will work itself out.
“I’m going to watch the game and check it out,” Watkins said. “Hopefully, the Bills win, but we can’t really worry about what’s going on.
“I think we play our game and the universe works it out, and we get the seed that we need to get so we can chill in the first round.”
