The AFC West is still up for grabs as we head into the final week of the season. The Kansas City Chiefs need one win over the Raiders and one Broncos loss against San Diego and the Chiefs will be the AFC West champions.
So, the Chiefs are playing to win against Oakland and not resting starters, right?
The answer is ... probably. Andy Reid wasn't completely, 100 percent clear when talking to reporters on Monday if the Chiefs were playing to win against the Raiders because Reid said he didn't know all the scenarios. But it sure sounded like they are.
See the exchange here (via the Chiefs):
Q: So you're trying to win this game on Sunday?
REID: "Yeah, that's what we're trying to do."
Q: You're not going to play it like you played the San Diego game a couple years ago?
REID: "I don't know all of the scenarios."
Q: You could clinch the AFC West.
REID: "Yeah, so we're going to get ourselves ready to play Oakland."
Q: So was that a yes or a no?
REID: "That's a yes as we sit here right now, yes."
This is a delicate balance. The Chiefs want to win, obviously, but they can still rest injured starters, such as Justin Houston or Tamba Hail, while playing to win. Both of those players are banged up and considered day-to-day by the Chiefs. It would be good to get them each an extra week of rest if they need it.
"If you have an opportunity to win the AFC West, I think that's important," Reid said later. "At the same time, it's also good to be in the playoffs, that's an important part of your goals as a National Football League team."
The bottomline for me is that Andy Reid dug the Chiefs out of this hole and I'll trust him to make the right decision here.