AFC playoff picture: Chiefs earn first-round bye with Patriots loss

If you believe in God, then you likely believe God is also a Kansas City Chiefs fan with the way the planets aligned for them to earn a first-round bye on Sunday.

The odds were stacked against the Kansas City Chiefs heading into Sunday afternoon. Fortunately, the planets aligned just right so that, despite those odds, the Chiefs still ended the day with an all-important first-round bye in the NFL playoffs as the surprise No. 2 seed in the AFC.

On Sunday, the Chiefs needed to not only put away a tough opponent in their divisional rivals, the L.A. Chargers. They also needed the New England Patriots to complete their fall from grace and lose to the lowly Miami Dolphins—yes, those same Dolphins that have been so clearly tanking (yet not tanking) all season long. Somehow both of those happened in a span of three hours and now the Chiefs have earned the right to rest for a week and watch everyone in the AFC but the Baltimore Ravens duke it out for the rights to advance.

The Chiefs will host at least one home game and play the winner of the Patriots game in the Wild Card round. As it stands, the Patriots are likely to play the Tennessee Titans but it could also be the Pittsburgh Steelers or Oakland Raiders at this point. Facing the Pats as the most likely option looks much better at Arrowhead than, once again, hoping to work some magic in Foxborough.

Credit the Chiefs for doing their part down the stretch by stringing together six consecutive wins after starting the year at 6-4. The Chiefs not only won their fourth straight division title in the process, but they’ve watched the team become a well-rounded machine all the while. The defense has looked incredible down the stretch and even special teams looks livelier than ever, as illustrated by Mecole Hardman‘s 104-yard touchdown return on Sunday against the Chargers.