The Chiefs just completed the must-win part of the schedule with great success. A 2-0 record in AFC West home showdowns against the Oakland Raiders and Los Angeles Chargers had to be achieved to retain control of the division.
So it is, but work remains on the task of winning a second straight division championship, which would be a first for the 58-year-old franchise.
"Nothing's been done," Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. "We haven't solidified anything."
But they took a big step in reaching the playoffs with Saturday's 30-13 triumph over the Chargers.
The outcome broke a tie with Los Angeles and improved the Chiefs' record to 8-6. It's not where the team thought it would be after a 5-0 start. The Chiefs dropped six of seven and put themselves in a precarious position. But they now have a 95 percent chance of winning the division according to FiveThirtyEight.com.
"During that stretch it felt like it was one thing off," Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce said. "Since then we've just manned up."
A Chiefs victory over the Dolphins on Sunday at Arrowhead or at Denver on Dec. 31 clinches the division. The Chiefs hold tiebreaker advantages over the Chargers and Raiders, who stood 6-7 entering Sunday night's game against the Cowboys, meaning they'll emerge from a tie with either team.
"We control our destiny," Chiefs defensive end Chris Jones said. "We've got to keep it up.
But Sunday's outcome, following the previous week's, has reversed the Chiefs' momentum.
"It feels good to be back in this position," said Chiefs safety Ron Parker, who had one of the team's three interceptions of Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers. "Everybody leapt off the bandwagon the past couple of weeks. ... I think we did a good job as a team staying together.
"It was easy to just fall apart, but the last two weeks we tried to get this thing back rolling."
The AFC may lack drama when it comes to division races over the final two weeks. The Patriots (East) and Steelers (North) have clinched division titles. The Jaguars, who have clinched a playoff spot for the first time in a decade, own a two-game lead over the Titans in the South.
New England's thrilling 27-24 triumph over Pittsburgh on Sunday left both teams with 11-3 records and gave the Patriots a leg up in the race for the top seed and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
The AFC wild-card race tightened up with Sunday's results. The Titans, Bills and Ravens own 8-6 records, and Tennessee and Buffalo would be the wild-card teams if the season ended today.
The playoff matchups would have the Titans at the Chiefs and the Bills at the Jaguars.
But with home games remaining against the Colts and Bengals, the Ravens might have the easiest path of the wild-card contenders. The Bills end the season with games at New England and Miami.
The Titans' final two games are at home, against the Rams and Jaguars.
In the NFC, the Eagles and Vikings have clinched division titles. The Rams' victory over the Seahawks on Sunday kept them in first place in the NFC West and the Saints stayed on top of a tight NFC South with Sunday's victory over the Jets.
The Panthers and Falcons lead the NFC wild-card race.
