The Road to a Chiefs Super Bowl 3-Peat: Potential Playoff Opponents Revealed

The AFC’s No. 1 seed is on the line for the Kansas City Chiefs when they take on the Pittsburgh Steelers on Christmas.

Having already clinched a 10th straight playoff berth and a ninth straight AFC West title, the Chiefs only have the top seed in the conference to play for in the regular season. They can clinch it by winning one of their last two games of the season, both of which are on the road.

If Kansas City can capture the AFC’s No. 1 seed, it will receive a bye through the first round of the playoffs. The Chiefs will then have a chance to rest before the divisional round, where they’ll play the lowest remaining seed after wild-card weekend.

Here’s how the Chiefs’ playoff picture and scenarios look through Week 17:

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Chiefs playoff odds

The Chiefs clinched their playoff spot with their Week 13 win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Black Friday. One week later, their victory against the Los Angeles Chargers secured Kansas City’s ninth straight AFC West title.

All that remains for the Chiefs to clinch is the No. 1 seed in the AFC, which they can do with one win in either of their last two games.

BetMGM has odds for which team will hold the AFC’s top seed in the 2024-25 playoffs. The Chiefs are the heavy favorites at -650.

Chiefs remaining schedule

The Chiefs have two more regular-season games this year, both on the road.

First up is their Week 17 Christmas clash with the Pittsburgh Steelers. It’s the first game of the day on Wednesday, kicking off at Acrisure Stadium at 1 p.m. ET.

Kansas City’s season finale comes against the Broncos in Denver in a Week 18 face-off. It could mean a lot for both teams if the Chiefs are still looking to clinch the No. 1 seed and the Broncos are still seeking their first playoff berth since 2015.

Below is a full look at Kansas City’s schedule:

  • Week 17: at Pittsburgh Steelers (10-5)
  • Week 18: at Denver Broncos (9-6)

Chiefs potential playoff matchups

If the Chiefs secure the top seed in the conference, they will receive a bye through the wild-card round of the playoffs. Since the NFL playoff bracket is dynamic, Kansas City’s first playoff game would be in the divisional round against the lowest remaining seed after wild-card weekend.

In other words, the Chiefs would play the No. 4 seed if there were no upsets in the first round or the lowest-seeded wild-card team otherwise. With the No. 1 seed, Kansas City would avoid the Buffalo Bills and whichever team holds the other top-three seed until the AFC championship game.

If the Chiefs lose their final two games, they could drop to the No. 2 seed. That would force them to play a wild-card round matchup with the AFC’s No. 7 seed, which, as of the end of Week 16 games, could be any one of the following teams: Bengals, Broncos, Chargers, Colts, Dolphins, Ravens or Steelers.

AFC West standings

The Chiefs clinched the division title with their Week 14 win against the Chargers. The two teams behind Kansas City – Los Angeles and Denver – are fighting for wild-card spots in the final two weeks of the season.

Here’s how the AFC West standings look entering Week 17:

  1. Kansas City Chiefs (14-1)
  2. Los Angeles Chargers (9-6)
  3. Denver Broncos (9-6)
  4. Las Vegas Raiders (3-12)

The Chargers hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Broncos after winning both divisional matchups this season. The Raiders are out of the playoff picture.

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NFL playoff picture Week 17

AFC

  1. Kansas City Chiefs (14-1, AFC West winners)*
  2. Buffalo Bills (12-3, AFC East winners)*
  3. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-5, AFC North leaders)*
  4. Houston Texans (9-6, AFC South winners)*
  5. Baltimore Ravens (10-5, wild card No. 1)*
  6. Los Angeles Chargers (9-6, wild card No. 2)
  7. Denver Broncos (9-6, wild card No. 3)

In the hunt: Indianapolis Colts (7-8), Miami Dolphins (7-8), Cincinnati Bengals (7-8).

NFC

  1. Detroit Lions (13-2, NFC North leaders)*
  2. Philadelphia Eagles (12-3, NFC East leaders)*
  3. Los Angeles Rams (9-6, NFC West leaders)
  4. Atlanta Falcons (8-7, NFC South leaders)
  5. Minnesota Vikings (13-2, wild card No. 1)*
  6. Green Bay Packers (10-4, wild card No. 2)
  7. Washington Commanders (10-5, wild card No. 3)

In the hunt: Seattle Seahawks (8-7), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-7)

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