Getty Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs (10-4) had to get past the Denver Broncos Sunday, and they did so with ease. It was a snowy day at Arrowhead Stadium, and Patrick Mahomes and company had fun in the snow as they handily defeated Drew Lock and the Broncos.
Mahomes and the Chiefs remain in control of the AFC West while extending their winning streak to four games. They will head to Soldier Field to play the 7-7 Chicago Bears next week.
What did the Chiefs win mean for their overall playoff outlook? Here’s a look at the current AFC playoff picture after the first round of afternoon games Sunday. We will update any changes as they occur in the later games Sunday.
Note: All percentages and numbers included below are courtesy of Playoff Status.
Current AFC Playoff Picture For Week 15:
Deshaun Watson and the Houston Texans won a huge divisional game against the Tennessee Titans Sunday. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
The Baltimore Ravens (12-2) have the top seed in the conference, with the New England Patriots sitting in the #2 spot at 11-3. The Chiefs remain the 3rd seed in the AFC with their win today, and the Houston Texans (9-5) are currently in the 4th spot with their win against the Tennessee Titans today.
The two Wild Card slots in the conference are held by the Buffalo Bills (10-4) and the Pittsburgh Steelers (8-6). After beating the Steelers Sunday night, the Bills clinched a playoff spot and sit firm in the #5 slot in the AFC. The Steelers’ loss leaves them tied with the Tennessee Titans record-wise (both teams are 8-6), but the Steelers have the better conference record (Pittsburgh is 6-4, whereas the Titans are 6-5) so they currently hold the #6 spot.
Updated Kansas City Chiefs Playoff Outlook After Win vs Broncos
GettyWhat is the playoff outlook for Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs after their win against the Broncos Sunday? (Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images)
With their win against the Broncos today, the Chiefs still have a 1% shot at the #1 seed in the AFC, but they’re still in a good spot. They have a 25% chance at nabbing the #2 seed, a 57% chance at being the #3 seed in the conference, and a 17% shot at being the #4 seed in the conference.
The question at this point for Kansas City isn’t whether they’ll make the playoffs–they clinched the AFC West last week–the question is whether or not they can sneak into the #2 slot and get a first round bye complete with home field advantage in round two of the playoffs.
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