The Chiefs can clinch a playoff spot — and more — on Sunday. These are the scenarios.
When the final gun sounds Sunday night, the Chiefs may have clinched a playoff spot. Or, if things went really well on Sunday, the Chiefs may have wrapped up their fifth straight AFC West title.
Those are the two potential playoff scenarios involving the Chiefs in Week 13.
Here’s how things stand in the AFC West: The Chiefs, 10-1, hold a four-game lead on the Las Vegas Raiders, 6-5.
A win against the Broncos on Sunday night, coupled with a Raiders loss at the New York Jets, would clinch the division title for the Chiefs.
A Vegas defeat does seem unlikely, given the Jets’ 0-11 record, right? Even more unlikely would be if the Raiders’ game ends in a tie. But in that scenario, the Chiefs would win the West by beating the Broncos.
Should the Raiders win their game, which kicks off at noon, the NFL said the Chiefs can clinch a playoff spot by beating Denver. That would be a sixth straight postseason appearance for KC.
If the Chiefs fail to win Sunday, there are six other scenarios in which they can secure a playoff berth, via the NFL:
- Raiders loss and Ravens loss and Colts loss OR
- Chiefs tie and Colts loss and Ravens loss or tie OR
- Chiefs tie and Raiders tie and Ravens loss and Colts tie OR
- Chiefs tie and Raiders tie and Dolphins loss and Colts loss or tie OR
- Chiefs tie and Raiders tie and Dolphins loss and Ravens loss or tie OR
- Chiefs tie and Dolphins loss and Ravens loss or tie and Colts tie
Whew, that’s a lot of ties.
The Colts play the Texans in Houston at noon on Sunday. That’s also when the Dolphins are host to the Bengals. The Ravens face the Cowboys in Baltimore on Tuesday night.
This story was originally published December 6, 2020 at 7:35 AM.
