From No. 1 to No. 4, the possibilities are endless for Kansas City.
The Chiefs are in the playoffs for the seventh consecutive season thanks to their fifth consecutive divisional crown. However, his journey to the playoffs is just beginning, and his playoff qualification has yet to be resolved.
While their place in the playoffs has been secured, the Chiefs can land anywhere from the No. 1 seed to the No. 4 seed, depending on the results of this weekend’s games. Most importantly, KC takes care of business against the Broncos. The rest is out of your control.
This is how it shakes:
How the Chiefs can get the No. 1 seed in the AFC
It is quite simple. The Chiefs can re-secure the No. 1 seed in the AFC with:
- A win against the Broncos And a defeat of the Titans against the Texans;
- A draw against the Broncos Y a Titans loss to the Texans.
So really, it’s hard to see a place where the Chiefs finish top seed in the AFC this weekend.
But, if there’s any hope for the Chiefs and the No. 1 seed in the AFC, it’s this: The Texans currently have a win over the Titans in the 2021 season. Houston beat the Titans in Nashville in Week 11, winning 22 -13. Now, the Titans travel to Houston in Week 18.
The Titans have also had a tendency to downplay their opponents this year, losing to the Texans, the Jets 4-12 and the Steelers.
Christmas may have come and gone, but the Chiefs may still have hope that a miracle will remain in the bag.
How the Chiefs can get the No. 2 seed in the AFC
Kansas City could miss out on the No. 1 seed, but they can still clinch the No. 2 seed with the following:
- A win over the Broncos OR;
- A loss to the Broncos Y defeats of the Bills, Patriots and Bengals.
The benefits of the No. 2 seed are significantly less attractive with the NFL expanding the playoffs to include an additional team in each conference. The No. 1 and No. 2 seeds used to have the advantage of having a first-round bye, but now, the No. 2 seed must play the No. 7 seed during wild-card weekend.
Other Chiefs AFC Planting Scenarios
Kansas City can go from No. 1 seed to No. 3 or No. 4 seed with certain results during Week 18:
- If the Chiefs lose and the Bengals lose and the Bills win, the Chiefs will be the No. 3 seed.
- If the Chiefs lose and the Bengals and Bills win, the Chiefs will be the fourth seed.
These results are somewhat independent of what happens in the Patriots-Dolphins matchup.