https://www.arrowheadpride.com/2019/...seed-are-alive
With the exciting victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs stayed on top of the division on a day where all their rivals won. They also benefited from a huge morale boost, with all three phases of the team proving they can play at a high level and beat a playoff team -- despite heavy injuries.
But the most important victory for their season didn't happen for another seven hours.
1500 miles away, Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens did their best "Emperor has no clothes" impersonation, defeating the New England Patriots on national television and dropping the previously unbeaten Patriots to a meager 8-1.
Neither event gives the Chiefs a boost in the playoff rankings right now; if the season ended today, the Chiefs would hold the number four postseason seed. But these two victories open up some hopes that would have been all but snuffed out if either hadn't taken place.
In fact, there's good reason for Chiefs fans to be optimistic about the team's odds of claiming a postseason bye. For a team as banged up as the Chiefs have been this season, an extra bye week would be heaven sent -- and could mean the difference between a Super Bowl and another playoff exit.
There are two general reasons to be optimistic about the way the rest of the season could play out -- aside from this one.
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Other than this one
First is the rest of the Chiefs schedule.
While it's not a cupcake schedule -- like the Patriots have enjoyed for the first half of the season -- compared to the games Chiefs have already played, it looks much easier. While the Chiefs had to play five teams with winning records during the first nine games of the season, they only have one such game -- against New England -- in the last seven. With the Patriots now looking more vulnerable, that looks like a very winnable game. Two more home games come against teams the Chiefs have already defeated (by double digits) on the road: the Oakland Raiders and Denver Broncos.
In order to challenge for either of the top two seeds, the Chiefs will likely need to go 7-0 or 6-1. But with Mahomes, Fisher and Clark coming back soon, there's no reason to think the task is insurmountable.
The second reason to be optimistic is the schedules of the other front runners.
While there are some teams that are obviously looking to challenge the current leaders, it's hard to see anyone dethroning the Texans, Chiefs, Patriots or Ravens in their divisions. Buffalo or Indianapolis might challenge the Patriots or Texans, but to do so, they'd almost certainly have to drag down the division's front runner. So we'll look at them, too.
Unlike the Chiefs, all of these teams have several games left against very good teams.
The Patriots have five games against potential playoff teams. Eagles, Cowboys, Bills, Chiefs, Texans
The Ravens have four such games. Rams, 49ers, Texans, Bills
The Texans have three games. Ravens, Colts, Patriots
The Bills have three games. Cowboys, Ravens, Patriots
The Colts have three games. Panthers, Saints, Texans
In fact, as long as the Chiefs keep winning, they have the third seed sewn up, because the team that loses the Ravens-Texans game will drop behind the Chiefs -- the Texans because of their record and the Ravens due to the tiebreaker.
Even better: if the Texans beat the Patriots, then the Chiefs can control their destiny for the second seed, being above the loser from the Ravens/Texans game and also holding the tiebreaker over the Patriots for the number two seed -- that is, if they can beat New England.
From there, it would take a little help to move into the first seed. But any slips by any of these other teams (outside of the five games against each other) will serve to open the door even further -- perhaps allowing the Chiefs to waltz in and claim the AFC's regular-season crown.
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