The Kansas City Chiefs have lost the AFC’s top seed

The #1 seed in the AFC got wrapped up this past weekend. Yes, I said it. It’s not very often that playoff seeding is determined before the season is even halfway over. But that’s what happened in week 6. The Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills played each other in a rematch of the greatest AFC Divisional Round game ever, and the Bills came out on top.

If there are ever ‘good losses’ this is one of them. But good losses only count in College Football, and the NFL doesn’t care what the Associated Press thinks. This is the NFL, and as Bill Parcells once said, “Your record is what you say you are.” Not only does it say what you are, but it also says what seed you get in the playoffs.

With that, the Chiefs have undoubtedly lost the #1 seed in the playoffs before the bye. It’s an unfortunate turn of events that may mean Patrick Mahomes plays his *checks notes* first ever road playoff game.

It’s only Week 6, but the Kansas City Chiefs have lost their shot at the #1 seed in the AFC playoffs. There is no way they can overcome the Buffalo Bills.

Now I know it’s early, but does anyone really think that the Bills are going to lose at least two more games, and the Chiefs are going to go undefeated the rest of the way? It seems incredibly unlikely. It’s true that the Bills might get beat again by the Dolphins, but outside of that, it seems like a pipedream.

Once upon a time I would have thought the Green Bay Packers might give them trouble next week, but have you seen how Aaron Rodgers and the cheese heads are playing? They lost to the New York Jets. But maybe that’s a precursor of what is to come and the Jets, like the Dolphins, find a way to upset their divisional foes. I’m not holding my breath, but maybe.

The only other team I realistically see having a chance at beating Buffalo is the Cincinnati Bengals. Maybe Joe Burrow will have ice in his veins and upset Josh Allen in week 16 suddenly upending the AFC seeding. And maybe I’m also overlooking the suddenly (maybe?) good Patriots and their rookie QB. Could the Bills get Zappe’d by their longtime nemesis?

Who I am kidding, the #1 seed is most likely settled, because it doesn’t matter how many times the Bills lose if the Chiefs can’t keep winning. And I want them to win, I really do. But does anyone really think they’ll only suffer one or two more losses? 13-4 ain’t cutting it for the #1 seed in the AFC this year. Gone are the days of Tom Brady coasting his way to AFC Championship Game after AFC Championship game thanks to a weak division, and an even weaker conference.

Realistically, if the Chiefs can handle the 49ers this weekend and head into the bye with a 5-2 record, they’ll have made it through the early season gauntlet pretty well. They’ll immediately be tested after the bye with the Titans. After that though, the season does get easier. Outside of the Chargers and Raiders, pretty much every game is winnable. We said that about the Colts too.

Call me a pessimist, a fair-weather fan, or whatever you want. I’m just being a realist. Barring a two-fold miracle, the Chiefs lost the #1 seed this past weekend. It’s unfortunate, but it’s true.