Despite looking rough at times, the Kansas City Chiefs have generated a 14-1 record and are positioned to make another Super Bowl run. They have a two-game lead on the Buffalo Bills for the No. 1 seed, but with three weeks remaining in the regular season, there’s still a lot of football left to play.
Let’s use Pro Football Network’s Playoff Predictor to look at Kansas City’s playoff scenarios and how the Chiefs can secure the AFC’s No. 1 seed.
Kansas City Chiefs Playoff Scenarios | Week 16 Update
With the Chiefs beating the Texans, the only thing that happens immediately is that the Steelers are eliminated from contention for the No. 1 seed. The Chiefs have a four-game lead, while the Steelers would only have three games remaining. The Steelers would have also been eliminated if the Chiefs and Texans tied.
However, the Chiefs did not clinch the No. 1 seed with a win because the Bills are still just two games down on them and have three games to play. The Bills only need to finish level with the Chiefs, as Buffalo has a head-to-head tiebreaker from their Week 11 victory.
With the Bills keeping the race alive into Week 17, the Chiefs will have two opportunities to clinch themselves and two opportunities to clinch with the Bills making mistakes.
If the Chiefs avoid losing either of their last two games, they will be sitting at home watching Wild Card Weekend rather than playing in it. Similarly, if the Bills fail to win either of their remaining two games, then the Chiefs would have the top seed.
If the Chiefs were to lose both of their remaining two games after Week 16 and the Bills were to win them both, then the Bills would have the No. 1 seed in the AFC. Buffalo has that head-to-head victory in their pocket, so if both teams finished 14-3, the Bills would claim the first seed.
Head over to PFN’s free NFL Playoff Predictor to test various scenarios and see how they change the playoff picture and the current NFL postseason bracket.
AFC Playoff Race | Week 18
1. Kansas City Chiefs (15-1)
2. Buffalo Bills (13-3)
3. Baltimore Ravens (12-5)
4. Houston Texans (9-7)
5. Los Angeles Chargers (10-6)
6. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7)
7. Denver Broncos (9-7)
In The Hunt
9. Cincinnati Bengals (9-8)
8. Miami Dolphins (8-8)
Eliminated From Playoffs
10. Indianapolis Colts (7-9)
11. New York Jets (4-12)
12. Las Vegas Raiders (4-12)
13. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-12)
14. Tennessee Titans (3-13)
15. New England Patriots (3-13)
16. Cleveland Browns (3-14)
