There are eight divisions in the NFL and seven of those divisions have either two teams tied for first place or one team just a game out of first place. The one division that has a two-game leader? That's right, the AFC West and the Kansas City Chiefs. KC holds a two-game lead over the San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders with games against each of them to go.
The AFC playoff picture is starting to take shape. You can read my break down of who I feel is the top four teams in the AFC and then the Chiefs, but Sam Mellinger of the KC Star nailed it this morning: The Chiefs missing out on the playoffs now would be a choke-job.
In the AFC East, you're likely going to see the New England Patriots and New York Jets make the playoffs. In the AFC North, the winner of the division will make the playoffs -- it's looking like the Pittsburgh Steelers now -- and the wildcard -- Baltimore Ravens? -- has a very good shot to do the same. In the AFC South, the division winner will likely be the only one that makes the playoffs -- Jacksonville Jaguars (7-5) or Indianapolis Colts (6-6).
That leaves the AFC West and the Chiefs. Basically, Kansas City has to win the division to get in because not winning the division would mean two more losses and that would likely keep them behind the Jets or Patriots and Steelers or Ravens for a wildcard spot.
OK, so the one everyone wants to know: If the playoffs started today, the Chiefs would be the No. 3 seed in the AFC and they would host the No. 6 seed -- Ravens.
Of course so much can change between now and Week 17 when the Chiefs meet the Raiders. But it would be fitting that the first playoff game in Todd Haley's first playoff game in KC would come against the team in which he made his head coaching debut.