Here’s where things stand in race for the AFC’s top seed following Sunday’s NFL games
And then there were two.
The Chiefs didn’t look particularly impressive Sunday (again), but they got the win (again), beating the Browns 21-7 in Cleveland. That kept the Chiefs on track to get the top seed in the AFC playoffs and the first-round bye that comes with it.
In the Sunday afternoon NFL games, the Chiefs got good news and bad news.
The Buffalo Bills outlasted the Lions 48-42 in Detroit, while the Steelers were beaten by the Eagles 27-13 in Philadelphia. Pittsburgh is still alive for the No. 1 seed, but the Steelers will need the Chiefs to lose all of their remaining games ... and the Bills to stumble, too.
That means with three weeks left in the regular season, the Chiefs and Bills are the top contenders for the top seed, although Pittsburgh is still alive.
Here’s a closer look at the race with chances for the No. 1 seed from PlayoffStatus.com:
Chiefs
Record: 13-1
Chance of being No. 1 seed: 81%
Remaining schedule: vs. Texans (Dec. 21), at Steelers (Dec. 25), at Broncos (Jan. 4 or 5).
Reason for hope: The Chiefs are in the driver’s seat and can afford to lose at least one game.
Reason for concern: Although it wasn’t a one-score victory Sunday, the offense continues to struggle and quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ ankle injury should give fans pause.
Buffalo Bills
Record: 11-3
Chance of being No. 1 seed: 19%
Remaining schedule: vs. Patriots (Dec. 22), vs. Jets (Dec. 29), at Patriots (Jan. 4 or 5).
Reason for hope: Because they’re in the AFC East, the Bills have the easiest remaining schedule among the contenders. And they won’t be playing on short rest before Week 18. Also: Buffalo holds the tiebreaker on the Chiefs.
Reason for concern: While the Bills’ offense has been phenomenal, Buffalo’s defense has been shredded in consecutive weeks.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Record: 10-4
Chance of being No. 1 seed: 1%
Remaining schedule: at Ravens (Dec. 21), vs. Chiefs (Dec. 25), vs. Bengals (Jan. 4 or 5).
Reason for hope: Pittsburgh ends the season with two straight home games.
Reason for concern: Among these three contenders, the Steelers face the toughest stretch to finish the season, and they have to leap over both the Chiefs and Bills.
This story was originally published December 15, 2024 at 7:19 PM.
