With Week 14 in the books, the Kansas City Chiefs have claimed the top seed in the AFC.
At the end of Week 14, the Kansas City Chiefs now control their own destiny as they have control of the AFC’s top spot following a win along with another loss by the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Chiefs have also clinched the AFC West division title for the 5th straight year.
They were able to accomplish this feat by beating the Miami Dolphins, though the game was a close one. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes had his worst performance of the season, as well as his career, but still managed to get the job done. He finished the day with 24/34 passes completed for 393 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions.
Mahomes interceptions and other missteps by the Chiefs allowed the Dolphins to take a 10-0 lead early in the game. But then the Chiefs went on a 30-0 run to take the lead from the Dolphins and looked to be cruising toward another easy victory. However, the Dolphins fought back in the fourth quarter and almost came back to beat the Chiefs. The game ultimately ended with the Chiefs winning 33-27.
The Chiefs now get ready to face the New Orleans Saints next week as the playoff picture continues to heat up. They will now control their destiny for the rest of the season as they control the AFC’s top playoff seed and a first round bye.
The current playoff picture for the AFC looks like this:
- Kansas City Chiefs 12-1-0
- Pittsburgh Steelers 11-2-0
- Buffalo Bills 10-3-0
- Tennessee Titans 9-4-0
- Cleveland Browns 9-4-0
- Indianapolis Colts 9-4-0
- Miami Dolphins 8-5-0
The Baltimore Ravens are just behind the Dolphins at 8-5, hoping to make the playoffs if the Dolphins slip up. The Las Vegas Raiders are still in the playoff hunt, but continue to slip further and further away as they continue to play poorly.
The playoff picture in the NFC looks like this:
- Green Bay Packers 10-3-0
- New Orleans Saints 10-3-0
- Los Angeles Rams 9-4-0
- Washington Football Team 6-7-0
- Seattle Seahawks 9-4-0
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers 8-5-0
- Arizona Cardinals 7-6-0
Teams close behind the Cardinals in the hunt include the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears who have 6-7 records. The Atlanta Falcons and the Carolina Panthers have officially been eliminated from playoff contention this season.
Here’s a look at the full NFL standings:
x – denotes teams that have clinched a playoff berth
z – denotes teams that have clinched their division
AFC East
- Buffalo Bills 10-3-0
- Miami Dolphins 8-5-0
- New England Patriots 6-7-0
- New York Jets 0-13-0
AFC West
- Kansas City Chiefs 12-1-0 (z)
- Las Vegas Raiders 7-6-0
- Denver Broncos 5-8-0
- Los Angeles Chargers 4-9-0
AFC North
- Pittsburgh Steelers 11-2-0 (x)
- Cleveland Browns 9-4-0
- Baltimore Ravens 8-5-0
- Cincinatti Bengals 2-10-1
AFC South
- Tennessee Titans 9-4-0
- Indianapolis Colts 9-4-0
- Houston Texans 4-9-0
- Jacksonville Jaguars 1-12-0
NFC East
- Washington Football Team 6-7-0
- New York Giants 5-8-0
- Philadelphia Eagles 4-8-1
- Dallas Cowboys 4-9-0
NFC West
- Las Angeles Rams 9-4-0
- Seattle Seahawks 9-4-0
- Arizona Cardinals 7-6-0
- San Francisco 49ers 5-8-0
NFC North
- Green Bay Packers 10-3-0 (z)
- Minnesota Vikings 6-7-0
- Chicago Bears 6-7-0
- Detroit Lions 5-8-0
NFC South
- New Orleans Saints 10-3-0 (x)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers 8-5-0
- Atlanta Falcons 4-9-0
- Carolina Panthers 4-9-0