The Chiefs didn’t always make it look easy in the regular season, but a 15-2 record is a 15-2 record. Winning 15 games is more than just good luck, and it earned Kansas City the AFC’s all-important first-round bye.
When the Chiefs start their playoff run at Arrowhead Stadium, it will have been more than three weeks since Patrick Mahomes last stepped on the field. Mahomes sat out Week 18 after locking up the No. 1 seed on Christmas, so Kansas City will have to work to make sure rust isn’t a factor in the divisional round.
Fortunately for the Chiefs, they won’t see Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson in their playoff opener.
Here’s a look at who the Chiefs could face in the divisional round.
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Who do the Chiefs play next?
The Chiefs will face the AFC’s lowest remaining seed in the divisional round. There are two teams who could go to Kansas City. Let’s break them all down.
No. 4 Houston Texans
The Texans downed the Chargers, 32-12 on Saturday night and will face Kansas City in the AFC Divisional if the Bills beat the Broncos on Sunday. Houston had a tough finish to the season, going 4-5 over the final nine games including a loss at Arrowhead Stadium. It was a loss in more ways than one, as the Texans also lost WR Tank Dell to a gruesome season-ending knee injury. Houston would be a considerable underdog in Kansas City, but DeMeco Ryans side impressed against the Bolts, plucking four Justin Herbert passes out of the sky and tallying 19 pressures. A similar-level performance could fetch a similar result, albeit the Chiefs represent a real step-up in competition.
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No. 7 Denver Broncos
An upset of the Bills would be enough for the Broncos to secure a date with the Chiefs in the divisional round. Denver is the AFC’s lowest seed in the playoffs and isn’t favored to win in Buffalo, but the combination of rookie QB Bo Nix, a pesky defense and a team that feels like it has nothing to lose can’t be ruled out so quickly. The Broncos lost on a blocked field goal when they faced Mahomes in November but earned a 38-0 win in Week 18 with Carson Wentz under center for Kansas City.
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