Chiefs muddy the waters and lose control of their own fate

The ability to decide your own fate in the National Football League is a precious commodity — it’s essentially currency. On the rare occasion that a team is in position to do so, it’s imperative they take advantage of the opportunity. There’s still a personal responsibility component to this equation. The Chiefs are charged with winning their final two regular season games. If they can do that, they’ll have an outside shot of watching the wildcard round from the comfort of their own homes, but that will be determined by how well the Raiders take care of their own business in Weeks 16 and 17.

Now, one can debate the merits of a first-round bye in the postseason. For some, it’s the shortest path to representing your conference in the Super Bowl. The math is simple — it’s one less game you have to play to get there. It also comes with the benefit of additional rest, which for injured players could be supremely beneficial. Then there’s the hard data. Of the past 10 Super Bowl winners, five of them didn’t start their postseason run until the divisional round. The other five were forced to play three games to earn a championship berth.

It’s entirely arbitrary whether or not having a week off in the playoffs truly greases the wheels of a championship run. If I’m being honest, NFL players are creatures of habit. Momentum is tough to quantify at this level, but it does appear to play a role in the outcome of the annual tournament. Teams that get hot at the right time often fare well in January. Tom Coughlin and the New York Giants understand this as well as anyone. Their championship runs in 2007 and 2011 began in the wildcard round.