Things went alright for the Kansas City Chiefs during their bye week. The two AFC West teams that played on Sunday both lost, giving the Chiefs a 1.5 game lead over their Week 13 opponent — the Oakland Raiders. Kansas City is currently atop of the AFC West standings, but they actually dropped in the AFC playoff seeding.
If the playoffs started tomorrow, here’s what the AFC seeding would look like:
In the playoffs:
- New England Patriots: 10-1
- Baltimore Ravens: 9-2
- Houston Texans: 7-4
- Kansas City Chiefs: 7-4
- Buffalo Bills: 8-3
- Pittsburgh Steelers: 6-5
In the hunt:
- Oakland Raiders: 6-5
- Indianapolis Colts: 6-5
- Tennessee Titans: 6-5
- Cleveland Browns: 5-6
What lies ahead:
The bye week allowed the Houston Texans to catch up in the AFC standings. They’ve now jumped the Chiefs for the No. 3 seed. Really, all that means is that Kansas City would play a different opponent on wild card weekend if the AFC playoffs began today. As the 4th seed, they’d play the highest of the wild card seeds, which is currently the Buffalo Bills at the No. 5 seed.
The Raiders losing in Week 12 really helps the Chiefs’ playoff chances. According to FiveThirtyEight’s predictive model, Kansas City currently has a 95% chance of making the playoffs and a 93% chance of winning the AFC West. If the Chiefs win against the Oakland in Week 13, they’ll likely be staring down their fourth consecutive AFC West title.
The Raiders, of course, are coming off of a very discouraging collapse against the New York Jets in Week 12. Derek Carr was benched late in the game that was a complete debacle. Even with a matchup looming with the AFC-leading New England Patriots, Kansas City can’t overlook their most bitter rival. The focus is all on the Raiders and slamming the door on their playoff hopes in Week 13.
Remaining opponents:
- Week 13 vs. Oakland Raiders: 6-5
- Week 14 @ New England Patriots: 10-1
- Week 15 vs. Denver Broncos: 3-8
- Week 16 @ Chicago Bears: 5-6
- Week 17 vs. Los Angeles Chargers: 4-7
