NFL Kansas City Chiefs

NFL Playoff Picture Week 16: Kansas City Chiefs’ Scenarios

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By @aaroncharleskc

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The Kansas City Chiefs are in control of their own playoff destiny, but it’s not going to be a walk in the park. Kansas City will need to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers on the road and the San Diego Chargers at home to earn a Wild Card spot with no help.

There are a few scenarios that have the Chiefs making the postseason with a loss to either Pittsburgh or San Diego. All are highly unlikely, but Chiefs fans may remember the 2006 season in which a win over the Jacksonville Jaguars and a lot of unlikely help were needed. Somehow, everything that needed to happen actually happened then, but it may be a little tougher this time around.

Here’s one scenario the Chiefs would need if they lose in Week 16 to Pittsburgh. The Buffalo Bills would need to lose on the road to either New England or the Oakland Raiders. The Baltimore Ravens would need to lose to both the Houston Texans away and the Cleveland Browns at home. In week 17, Houston would have to lose at home to Jacksonville, plus the Kansas City would have to win over San Diego.

There are a few scenarios like this, but the important things to know are the records and tiebreakers of the Wild Card contenders. The Bengals are 9-4-1, and the Chiefs can’t catch them with another loss. The Browns, Miami Dolphins and Texans are all 7-7. Kansas City (8-6) has the tiebreaker on the Dolphins and Browns, but not the Texans.  The Chiefs have the tiebreakers over the 9-5 Ravens and 8-6 Bills.

Tiebreakers for the 9-5 Steelers and 8-6 Chargers have yet to be settled. A Chiefs win over either team will give them the tiebreaker, and Kansas City could still get it over San Diego with a loss, but more has played out.

Basically, if Kansas City goes 9-7, they need to pray that all the right teams fall to 9-7 or 8-8. It’s a lot to hope for, but crazier things have happened. Winning out would give them an exponentially more favorable playoff scenario, so the Chiefs might just want to do that.

Aaron Charles is a Kansas City Chiefs writer for www.rantsports.com. Follow him on twitter @aaroncharleskc or add him to your network on Google

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