A closer look at the AFC playoff race and scenarios involving the Kansas City Chiefs
The AFC playoff picture became a little clearer on Sunday, but there is a whole lot still to be decided.
This much we know: the Broncos, Browns and Dolphins were eliminated from playoff contention and five teams have clinched a spot in the postseason. The Chiefs, Titans, Bengals, Bills and Patriots are all in.
That leaves five teams fighting for the final two spots: Chargers, Raiders, Colts, Steelers and Ravens.
Here is a closer look at the battle to make the playoffs.
Two games to watch
Although five teams are still alive, two games likely will decide the final two spots. The Colts (9-7) can clinch with a win at Jacksonville (2-14). That would set up a winner-take-all game on “Sunday Night Football.”
The Chargers (9-7) travel to Las Vegas to face the Raiders (9-7) with the winner grabbing the final playoff spot in the AFC.
If Indianapolis loses, it’s possible the Chargers and Raiders both would make the postseason field. But a Colts loss also would open the door for the Ravens (8-8) and Steelers (7-7-1) (Pittsburgh also needs to win Monday’s game against Cleveland).
What it means for the Chiefs
The Chiefs (11-5) could be seeded anywhere from first to fourth depending on what happens this weekend.
The best scenario for KC is this: beat the Broncos and have the Texans upset the Titans (11-5). The Chiefs would be the No. 1 seed. Tennessee holds the tiebreaker on the Chiefs based on the head-to-head meeting, so a Titans loss (or tie) is required for the Chiefs to get a first-round bye.
If the Chiefs lose at Denver, they could still be seeded second if the Bengals, Bills and Patriots all lose or tie. All three teams have a 10-6 record and each has a tiebreaker over the Chiefs.
Cincinnati plays at Cleveland, Buffalo is host to the Jets and the Patriots play at Miami.
So it’s also possible the Chiefs could be seeded second, third or fourth when the playoffs open depending on how the Bengals, Bills and Patriots fare. Buffalo will win the AFC East by beating the Jets, meaning New England would be a wild-card team. The Patriots would win the East with a victory at Miami and a Bills loss.
If the Chiefs win at Denver, they are assured of being no worse than the No. 2 seed. And should the Chiefs be seeded second, they most likely would face one of these teams in the wild-card round: Patriots, Bills, Colts, Steelers, Ravens, Raiders or Chargers.
So in a nutshell, a lot of scenarios remain. If you want to have some fun, ESPN’s Playoff Machine will let you plug in winners in Week 18 and see how it would affect the playoff seeding.
This story was originally published January 3, 2022 at 11:22 AM.
