Game update: With their victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Christmas Day, the Kansas City Chiefs have locked up the top seed in the AFC. Not only do the Chiefs have the lone first-round bye in the AFC, but the conference playoffs run through GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
How the Chiefs clinched the No. 1 seed in the AFC on Christmas Day
The Kansas City Chiefs locked down the top seed in the AFC with their win over the Steelers
Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images
Mark Schofield is a former college quarterback and attorney covering the NFL and F1.
The Kansas City Chiefs are coming off arguably their best performance of the season, last Saturday’s 27-19 win over the Houston Texans.
While Sunday’s win by the Buffalo Bills over the New England Patriots denied the Chiefs a shot at clinching the top seed in the AFC — and the lone first-round bye in the NFL Playoffs — the Chiefs can give themselves quite the Christmas gift this Wednesday against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Or the Bills could give them that same gift over the weekend.
Here is how Kansas City can clinch the No. 1 seed in the AFC in Week 17.
Chiefs No. 1 seed clinching scenarios
Simply put, a win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Christmas Day clinches the top seed in the conference, as well as the first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. The Chiefs are teed up.
However, Kansas City can still clinch the top spot in the conference in Week 17 with a loss to Pittsburgh on Wednesday. A Bills loss or tie against the New York Jets on Sunday would be enough for Kansas City to clinch the top spot in the AFC.
AFC standings entering Week 17
1. y-Kansas City Chiefs (14-1)
2. y-Buffalo Bills (12-3)
3. x-Pittsburgh Steelers (10-5, 7-3 AFC)
4. y-Houston Texans (9-6)
5. x-Baltimore Ravens (10-5, 6-4 AFC)
6. Los Angeles Chargers (9-6, wins over DEN)*
7. Denver Broncos (9-6, losses to LA)*
8. Indianapolis Colts (7-8, 6-5 AFC, win over MIA)*
9. Miami Dolphins (7-8, 5-5 AFC, loss to IND)*
10. Cincinnati Bengals (7-8, 4-6 AFC)*
11. New York Jets (4-11) — eliminated
12. Cleveland Browns (3-12, 3-7 AFC. win over JAX) — eliminated
13. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-12, win over TEN, 3-7 AFC, loss to CLE) — eliminated
14. Tennessee Titans (3-12, 3-7 AFC) — eliminated
15. Las Vegas Raiders (3-12, 3-8) — eliminated
16. New England Patriots (3-12, 2-8) — eliminated
Teams with an asterisk (*) have been eliminated from divisional contention
Teams with an (x) have clinched a playoff spot
Teams with a (y) have clinched their division
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