Four losses plus one victory equaled one fantastic Sunday for the KC Chiefs
Victory Monday has rarely felt this good for the Chiefs in November.
But they are coming off a 27-17 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars at Arrowhead Stadium. After the Chiefs game ended, things went really well for them in four other noteworthy games.
The rest of the AFC West teams (Chargers, Broncos and Raiders) all lost, as did the Buffalo Bills.
That Bills defeat helped the Chiefs take over the top spot in the AFC with a 7-2 record. The Dolphins are now second with a 7-3 record. The Bills, 6-3, dropped to sixth in the AFC playoff field.
On Friday, the New York Times’ playoff simulator showed the Chiefs had a 22% chance of being the top seed in the AFC playoff field. The Chiefs now have a 34% chance of getting the No. 1 seed after Sunday’s games.
Playoff Status shows the Chiefs have a 47% chance of being the top seed. And they have a two-game lead on the second-place Chargers in the AFC West.
Here is a closer look at Sunday’s games that helped the Chiefs.
Bills lose to Vikings
The Bills held a 17-point lead and had the Vikings on the ropes in the third quarter, but Minnesota punched back, thanks in part to this incredible catch from Justin Jefferson.
Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen fumbled in the end zone in the final minute of the game and the Vikings recovered for a touchdown. Allen then led the Bills to a game-tying field-goal.
In overtime, the Vikings kicked a field goal and won it when Allen threw an interception in the end zone. That capped off a 33-30 Minnesota victory and a frustrating day for Allen, who had been questionable to start because of an injury.
“Losing sucks,” Allen said, per the Bills website. “Sucks this way even worse. Horrendous second half. I have to be better. I’ve got to be better.”
The Bills’ website noted that six of Allen’s eight turnovers since Week 5 have come in the red zone (five interceptions and a lost fumble), including three in the end zone.
Chargers lose to 49ers
LA had a 10-point lead midway through the second quarter and led by six at halftime in San Francisco. But the Chargers were held scoreless in the second half and lost 22-16 to the 49ers.
That means the Chiefs have a two-game lead over the Chargers, 5-4, in the AFC West and hold the tiebreaker. The Chiefs can extend that advantage on “Sunday Night Football” when they visit the Chargers at SoFi Stadium.
The Chargers got points on four of their first six drives Sunday (a touchdown and three field goals) but failed to score on their final five drives.
“Guys have to step up and make plays,” running back Austin Ekeler told the Associated Press. “It comes down to us playmakers. We have to play hard, but we also have to make plays. We can’t just do the minimum. And today, we weren’t even able to do that, especially in the second half.”
Broncos lose to Titans
Denver raced to a 10-point lead in Nashville but mustered just seven first downs in the second half, including three on the Broncos’ final drive. That allowed the Titans to rally for a 17-10 victory that dropped the Broncos’ record to 3-6.
“The reality is, we’ve got to find ways to win these games,” quarterback Russell Wilson told reporters, per the team’s website. “It’s been five, six games or so that have been one-score games. I’ve got to find a way for us to get two more touchdowns, we’ve got to find a way to get two more touchdowns a game.”
Wilson completed half his pass attempts (21 of 42) Sunday with 286 passing yards, one touchdown and an interception on the Broncos’ final drive.
Raiders lose to Colts
Two weeks ago, Jeff Saturday was just another ex-NFL player tweeting about the game. In fact, he had unkind things to say about the Raiders.
On Sunday, he was coaching the Colts to a 25-20 comeback win at Las Vegas. That loss dropped the Raiders’ record to 2-7. After making the playoffs a year ago and trading for receiver Davante Adams in the offseason, big things were expected for the Raiders.
Instead, they are only ahead of the Texans in the AFC. After Sunday’s loss, Raiders quarterback Derek Carr tearfully addressed reporters.
This story was originally published November 14, 2022 at 9:35 AM.
