The Kansas City Chiefs dropped a winnable game against the Tennessee Titans, resulting in a 6-4 record through 10 weeks to start the season. This is a game that fans will likely be looking back on, especially depending on the results from the next few weeks. The loss significantly lessens their chances of securing a first-round bye in the AFC playoffs and opens the door for several teams that are in the hunt.
If the playoffs started tomorrow, here’s what the AFC seeding would look like:
In the playoffs:
- New England Patriots: 8-1
- Baltimore Ravens: 7-2
- Houston Texans: 6-3
- Kansas City Chiefs: 6-4
- Buffalo Bills: 6-3
- Pittsburgh Steelers: 5-4
In the hunt:
- Oakland Raiders: 5-4
- Indianapolis Colts: 5-4
- Tennessee Titans: 5-5
- Jacksonville Jaguars: 4-5
What lies ahead:
The Chiefs will head to Mexico City to face the Chargers for Monday Night Football in Week 11.
As I mentioned earlier, the loss to the Titans significantly lessens the chance to secure a first-round bye week and the No. 2 seed. The Colts, Titans and Texans all hold head-to-head tiebreakers over Kansas City. That means if the Chiefs finish with the same record as any of those AFC South teams they would have priority in seeding. Before we even get to that point, the Ravens would have to fumble a few games heading into the postseason, which seems unlikely.
The Chiefs should look to take care of business against their AFC West opponents in the coming weeks. If they run the table the AFC West is theirs, along with a guaranteed spot in the playoffs. The Week 13 game against the Raiders very well could determine who comes away with the AFC West division this season.
Remaining opponents:
- Week 11 @ Los Angeles Chargers (at Mexico City): 4-6
- BYE
- Week 13 vs. Oakland Raiders: 5-4
- Week 14 @ New England Patriots: 8-1
- Week 15 vs. Denver Broncos: 3-6
- Week 16 @ Chicago Bears: 4-5
- Week 17 vs. Los Angeles Chargers