There are four scenarios that would eliminate Chiefs from playoff race this weekend
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Chiefs must win to stay alive; a loss plus specific rival wins ends hopes.
- Four elimination scenarios; one depends on Steelers/Bengals and Strength of Victory.
- Final fate may wait until Monday Night; Strength of Victory tiebreaker could decide.
It seems unfathomable, but the Chiefs’ last meaningful game of the 2025 season could come Sunday.
Depending on the outcome of the Chiefs-Chargers game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium and other contests, Kansas City could be eliminated from playoff contention this weekend.
The Chiefs need a lot to go their way to make the playoffs, but that starts with winning their final four games of the regular season.
Sunday’s matchup against the Chargers is the biggest of the season because it’s their next game. But it’s also huge because a loss would be a double-whammy for the Chiefs because LA is one of the teams they are chasing.
Joe Ferreira, a playoff scenario expert, shared how the Chiefs could be eliminated from the postseason this weekend. There are four possible scenarios that Ferreira shared on X:
- Chiefs lose, and Jaguars, Bills and Colts all win
- Chiefs lose, and Jaguars, Bills and Texans all win
- Chiefs lose, and Bills, Colts and Texans all win
- Chiefs lose, and Bills win and either Colts or Texans win, and a combination of Steelers or Bengals wins and the Jaguars clinch the Strength of Victory tiebreaker over the Chiefs
Scenario No. 4 is quite involved, right?
The Steelers play on “Monday Night Football,” so it’s possible we won’t know the Chiefs’ fate until after that game.
The Strength of Victory tiebreaker is the fourth used by the NFL to determine wild card teams if three or more teams have the same record. Here are the top four (as long as two of the teams aren’t from the same division):
- Head-to-head sweep or being swept
- Record in conference games
- Record in common games (minimum of four)
- Strength of Victory in all games
