For the first time in two years, the Kansas City Chiefs are going back to the playoffs. The Chiefs beat the Cleveland Browns to move to 10-5 on the season. This clinches their first playoff spot since the 2013-14 season when they went 11-5 and went out in the first round with the heartbreaking loss to the Colts.
The Steelers loss to the Ravens along with the Chiefs win clinched the playoff spot for the Chiefs today.
If the playoffs started today the fifth seeded Chiefs would visit the Texans in Houston. That's a favorable matchup where the Chiefs might be favored to win.
More: Watch Andy Reid dab on 'em!
However, the Chiefs can still win the AFC West. KC needs to see the 10-4 Broncos lose to the Bengals on Monday Night Football while the Chiefs either need to win Week 17 vs. the Raiders or see the Broncos lose again. Bottom line, a Chiefs and Broncos tie in the standings likely means the Chiefs win the tiebreaker and the division.
So should you be rooting for the Chiefs to be the No. 5 seed and face the Texans? Or the No. 3 seed where they would host a home playoff game? I say root for the AFC West title and the home playoff game. The Chiefs team is about more than just one playoff win; they want to make a Super Bowl run.
There's also this:
Ravens-Steelers is a final, which means that for the first time ever, the Chiefs and Royals are playoff teams in the same year. 2015 rocks.
— Rany Jazayerli (@jazayerli) December 27, 2015
This is the AFC playoff picture before the Bengals-Broncos game on Monday Night.
AFC playoff picture
(Overall record, AFC record)
1. New England Patriots (12-3, 9-2)
2. Cincinnati Bengals (11-3, 8-2)
3. Denver Broncos (10-4, 6-4)
4. Houston Texans (8-7, 6-5)
5. Kansas City Chiefs (10-5, 9-2)
6. New York Jets (10-5, 7-4)
In the hunt
7. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-6, 6-6)