Chiefs crushed the Raiders, then got help in the playoff race Sunday from other teams
Sunday was just about an ideal day for the Chiefs.
Not only did they hammer the division rival Raiders, but the Chiefs got help in the playoff race from other teams. The results from three other Sunday games (and one Thursday) were beneficial to the Chiefs.
The only thing that kept it from being a perfect day for the Chiefs was the Chargers defeating the Giants at SoFi Stadium.
Here is a closer look at how the Chiefs, who have a 9-4 record, got help from others.
Ravens lose to Browns
By virtue of their 36-35 victory over the Chiefs in September, the Ravens hold a tiebreaker on Kansas City should the teams finish the season with an identical record.
Heading into Sunday, the Ravens were seeded third in the AFC playoff field, while the Chiefs were the No. 4 team.
But Baltimore lost 24-22 at Cleveland, and their record dropped to 8-5. The Ravens are still in first place in the AFC North, but they now have the fourth-best record in the AFC.
Bottom line: The Chiefs moved up in the seeding to third, one spot ahead of Baltimore.
Bills beaten by Bucs
Buffalo made a spirited comeback in Tampa, Florida, but ultimately lost 33-27 to the Buccaneers in overtime.
The Bills had a 4-1 record after thumping the Chiefs 38-20 in October and were in control of the AFC East. But they have since lost five of their last eight games, and are two games behind the Patriots in the division.
With a 7-6 record, Buffalo is holding onto the seventh and final seed in the playoff field by a thread.
Bottom line: The Bills still hold a potential tiebreaker on the Chiefs, but Kansas City now has a two-game lead over Buffalo with four to play.
Bengals downed by 49ers
Cincinnati scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns to force overtime against San Francisco, then kicked a field goal in the extra period to take a lead. But the 49ers scored a touchdown and won 26-23 in Cincinnati.
The Bengals, 7-6, would have taken the AFC North lead with a victory, but they’re now ninth in the conference standings, and would miss the playoffs if the season ended today.
Cincinnati has won two fewer games than the Chiefs, but the teams play on Jan. 2, and depending on how things go Thursday, KC could be battling the Bengals for a wild-card spot/positioning.
Bottom line: This gives the Chiefs some breathing room over Cincinnati in a crowded AFC playoff field.
Vikings hold off Steelers
Minnesota very nearly coughed up a 29-0 lead at home on “Thursday Night Football” but ended up defeating the Steelers 36-28.
This wasn’t a huge boon to the Chiefs, but Pittsburgh’s record fell to 6-6-1 with the loss. That means the Chiefs have to win just one of their final four games to end up with a better record than the Steelers this season.
Bottom line: This is one less team for the Chiefs to contend with in the AFC playoff field.
This story was originally published December 13, 2021 at 9:24 AM.
