The Chiefs didn’t play in their bye week but they still ended up being a big winner
The Chiefs didn’t play Sunday, but KC fans had plenty of reason to cheer.
Five games on Sunday ended with a field goal at the final gun and three of those helped the Chiefs.
Thanks to losses by other AFC teams, the Chiefs saw their position in the conference and division races improve on Sunday.
Here is a closer look at how Sunday’s games benefited the Chiefs, who have a 7-2 record.
Lions 41, Chargers 38
Detroit won a shootout at SoFi Stadium on Riley Patterson’s 41-yard field goal on the game’s final play.
Los Angeles’ record dropped to 4-5, meaning the Chiefs are the only team over .500 in the AFC West. With eight games left in the season, the Chiefs have a 2 1/2-game lead in the division over the second-place Raiders, who are 5-5.
The New York Times shows the Chiefs have a 95% chance of winning the West, while PlayoffStatus.com puts it at 91%.
Browns 33, Ravens 31
Baltimore scored two touchdowns in the first five minutes of their home game and led 24-9 with less than three minutes to play in the third quarter. But Cleveland outscored the Ravens 24-7 the rest of the way, and Dustin Hopkins’ 40-yard field goal won it as time expired.
Baltimore’s record dropped to 7-3 and they are now a half-game behind the Chiefs for the best record in the AFC. Had the Ravens won, they would have moved ahead of the Chiefs in the race for the AFC’s top spot.
The New York Times’ projections show the Chiefs have a 59% chance of getting the AFC’s top seed, while Playoff Status’ projection has it at 51%.
49ers 34, Jaguars 3
No last-second field goal was needed in this game in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars turned the ball over four times and were outgained 437 yards to 221.
Jacksonville’s record fell to 6-3, and they are a full game behind the Chiefs in the AFC playoff field. The Chiefs also hold a tiebreaker based on their victory over the Jaguars in September.
Texans 30, Bengals 27
The Bengals scored 10 points in a span of 1:45 to tie their game with the Texans with 93 seconds to play in Cincinnati.
But C.J. Stroud drove Houston 55 yards in six plays, and Matt Ammendola’s 38-yard field goal won it as time expired.
The Bengals’ record fell to 5-4 and they remained last in the AFC North. Cincinnati, which has faced the Chiefs in the last two AFC Championship Games, fell out of a playoff spot in the league.
