KC Chiefs will host Jaguars in Divisional Round of NFL playoffs
By Matt Conner
The Kansas City Chiefs are set to host the Jacksonville Jaguars next weekend in the Divisional Round of the 2022-23 NFL postseason.
To be honest, the NFL’s Wild Card round wasn’t really all that wild, but there was plenty of football to enjoy over the last few days in a weekend that clearly separated the contenders from the pretenders. For the most part, the favorites showed why they were favored, and that means the Kansas City Chiefs will be hosting the Jacksonville Jaguars as they come off the bye as the top seed in the AFC.
There’s technically still one game left to play on Monday but the participants are from the NFC which means the AFC field is already set.
For at least one game, the Chiefs will enjoy playing host in another NFL postseason—something Kansas Citians have gotten quite used to seeing ever since Patrick Mahomes took over as quarterback. The Chiefs have hosted four AFC Championship games in a row, although this year might be on a “neutral site”—at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta—given the NFL’s decision to alter things for the sake of the Buffalo Bills in the wake of Damar Hamlin’s hospitalization in Week 17.
The Chiefs should feel good about their chances next week after having already beaten the Jaguars earlier this season. The Chiefs were up multiple scores for the majority of the game and they even committed three turnovers that afternoon, which meant they won with plenty of margin to spare in a 27-17 win before their bye week. Health-wise, the Chiefs will also be rested up and players who’ve been dealing with injuries for weeks will have had a good chance to recover before playing deep into the postseason.
The Jags became the first team in NFL history to have the first pick in the draft one season (when they chose pass rusher Travon Walker in the 2022 NFL Draft) only to win a playoff game the next with their win over the L.A. Chargers in the Wild Card round.