Chiefs' first loss of seasons sets up blockbuster AFC race with Bills and Steelers

The Kansas City Chiefs finally lost a game on Sunday, as Josh Allen's fourth-quarter touchdown scramble propelled the Buffalo Bills to a 30-21 victory. While the game ended as a two-score game, the Chiefs had a chance to make a 4th down stop that would have given them the ball down just two points with a little over two minutes to go. Instead, the Bills kept their hopes for the top seed in the AFC alive.

The Bills' win paired with the Pittsburgh Steelers' two-point victory over the Baltimore Ravens has made the AFC a three-team race heading into week 12.

The Chiefs still sit on top of the AFC at 9-1, but the Bills are now even with them in the victory column at 9-2. The Steelers also have two losses but are one shy of K.C. and Buffalo in the win column at 8-2. The Ravens now find themselves at 7-4 and an extreme longshot for the top seed in the conference.

The Los Angeles Chargers are outside the top three after improving their record to 7-3 with a win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday night. However, those three losses include head-to-head defeats to both the Chiefs and Steelers (and upcoming games against the Chiefs and Ravens). That means the Chargers will still need some serious help to earn the top seed.

Assuming nothing too unexpected happens, the AFC's top seed is going to go to either the Chiefs, Bills, or Steelers. What do these teams' remaining schedules look like? Let's compare, starting with the Chiefs. The Chiefs still have some silver linings coming out of their first loss of the season, and while they have a couple of tough games remaining, they also have some of the easier games on their schedule still to come.

Chiefs Remaining Schedule

• Week 12 - @ Carolina Panthers (3-7)
• Week 13 - vs Las Vegas Raiders (2-8)
• Week 14 - vs Los Angeles Chargers (7-3)
• Week 15 - @ Cleveland Browns (2-8)
• Week 16 - vs Houston Texans (6-4)
• Week 17 - @ Pittsburgh Steelers (8-2)
• Week 18 - @ Denver Broncos (6-5)

The Chiefs have three games against struggling teams in Carolina, Las Vegas, and Cleveland. Those three teams are a combined 7-23. The Chiefs do have four potentially tough games. The Chargers will likely be a tough divisional matchup and the Texans are still dangerous. The Chiefs biggest remaining game now likely becomes against the Steelers on Christmas Day. It would be great if the Chiefs could wrap the AFC up with a win over Pittsburgh and prevent having to win a potentially tough rematch against the Broncos to lock up the one seed in the last week of the season.

Bills Remaining Schedule

• Week 12 - Bye Week
• Week 13 - vs San Francisco 49ers (5-5)
• Week 14 - @ Los Angeles Rams (5-5)
• Week 15 - @ Detroit Lions (9-1)
• Week 16 - vs New England Patriots (3-8)
• Week 17 - vs New York Jets (3-8)
• Week 18 - @ New England Patriots (3-8)

The Bills get a bye coming off their big win over the Chiefs and then have a couple of interesting NFC West games against the 49ers and Rams. The Bills should be favored in both of those games, but they aren't easy wins. Then they have what may be the best remaining game of the year when they go to Detroit to take on the Lions. The Chiefs need the Lions to win that game to help keep the Bills from closing the gap on them (assuming KC keeps winning). While divisional games are always interesting, the Bills get to close out their season with three straight games against the struggling Patriots and Jets.

Steelers Remaining Schedule

• Week 12 - @ Cleveland Browns (2-8)
• Week 13 - @ Cincinnati Bengals (4-7)
• Week 14 - vs Cleveland Browns (2-8)
• Week 15 - @ Philadelphia Eagles (8-2)
• Week 16 - @ Baltimore Ravens (7-4)
• Week 17 - vs Kansas City Chiefs (9-1)
• Week 18 0 vs Cincinnati Bengals (4-7)

The Steelers have by far the hardest remaining schedule of the three teams. Their only "easy" games are their two games against the Browns and divisional games can still often be tough. They still have both games with the Bengals remaining and they have to go to Baltimore after just edging out the Ravens by 2 in Pittsburgh. That is hard enough, but when you mix in having to go on the road against the 8-2 Eagles and then face the 9-1 Chiefs, you have to imagine the Steelers have at least a couple more losses coming at some point.

The Chiefs can't afford to try and coast down the stretch if they want to keep control of the top seed in the AFC and the bye that comes with it. They absolutely can't afford to drop one of their games against teams with losing records.

The Chiefs need the Bills to drop one or more of their games to NFC teams like the 49ers and Lions. If that happens and the Steelers drop another game and then KC can beat them on Christmas Day, the Chiefs could rest their players against the Broncos. However, the Bills definitely have a chance to keep the pressure on the Chiefs after winning the head-to-head matchup.

So what do you think Chiefs fans? Do you like the Chiefs' chances to keep control of the AFC with their remaining schedule? Do you agree that the Steelers have the least likely odds of pulling out the top seed with their difficult schedule? Do you think the Bills can go on a run and force the Chiefs to win out to keep control of the bye? Do you think the Chargers deserve a place in this conversation too? I'd love to read your thoughts in the comments below.