clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

AFC playoff picture: Broncos vs. Bengals will affect the Chiefs

An early open thread for the big game...

The Kansas City Chiefs are 10-5 on the season and have clinched a playoff spot. They're will playing for more with one week left in the season.

The Chiefs can still win the AFC West depending on how they finish along with the Broncos, who are 10-4 on the season. The Chiefs will likely need to win next week against the Raiders to have a shot at the division. And they will need a loss from the Broncos either on Monday night against the Bengals or in Week 17 against the Chargers. Considering the quality of the opponent, Monday Night Football is the best chance to see the Broncos lose. They will host the Bengals tonight.

In other words...

There's also the scenario where the Chiefs lose AND the Broncos lose both of their remaining games. That would also give the Chiefs the AFC West title.

The bottomline is that the 10-5 Chiefs need to finish with the same record as the 10-4 Broncos because the Chiefs own the key tiebreakers. The Chiefs will either be a Wild Card as the No. 5 or No. 6 seed and go on the road on Wild Card weekend or be the No. 3 or 4 seed and host a home playoff game.

You can see the full AFC playoff picture here.

NEW: Join Arrowhead Pride Premier

If you love Arrowhead Pride, you won’t want to miss Pete Sweeney in your inbox each week as he delivers deep analysis and insights on the Chiefs' path to the Super Bowl.