The Denver Broncos were idle during Thanksgiving, but more good news will accompany everything that happened during the Week 12 bye week in Week 13. The Kansas City Chiefs lost to the Dallas Cowboys. So, the Chiefs are now 6-6 with five games left in the regular season. The Broncos, meanwhile, are 9-2 and a half game out of first place in the AFC Conference. That said, the Chiefs’ playoff odds have taken a nosedive. More on that below.
What Chiefs’ Loss Means for Broncos
Before Week 13, the Chiefs‘ playoff odds were at 44.2%. After Week 13, though, the Chiefs’ playoff odds have nosedived to 27.1%. The Chiefs are the Big Show in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal match. Every upcoming opponent wants the Chiefs out of the playoffs.
That said, the Chiefs are now three and a half games out of first place in the AFC West, while a game and a half behind the No. 7 seed Buffalo Bills. In addition, the Chiefs are now a half-game behind the No. 8 seed Houston Texans and the No. 9 seed Pittsburgh Steelers. In other words, the Chiefs were one of three teams that needed help to creep into one of the top seven slots of the AFC Conference and just lost in Week 13.
Coincidentally, for the Chiefs, Kansas City plays the Texans in Week 14. For all intents and purposes, it’s a playoff game for the Chiefs. Even if the Texans lose in Week 13, the winner of the Chiefs-Texans holds a crucial head-to-head tiebreaker in case there’s a logjam for the No. 7 seed. In fact, all three wildcard teams are 7-4. The Chiefs’ Week 13 loss is huge for the AFC teams in the hunt.
The Chiefs end the season playing the Texans, the Los Angeles Chargers, the Tennessee Titans, the Broncos, and the Las Vegas Raiders. Hot take: Chiefs have to win out to make the playoffs. That would put them at 11-6. Just an inkling that a 10-win team will miss out on the playoffs in the AFC Conference this season. The same thing happened to the 2024 Seattle Seahawks.
In the meantime, every Chiefs opponent will do their best Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal match impersonation. The Broncos, No. 1 in PFSN’s Defense Impact Score, meanwhile, are in control of their destiny. Two straight wins make Denver the No. 1 seed in the AFC Conference regardless of what the New England Patriots — or any team — does.
