Are the Chiefs out of the playoffs? Explaining Kansas City’s postseason picture in Week 17 originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Kansas City Chiefs have struggled this season, despite the built-in expectations coming into the year. Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid have been nearly unstoppable since teaming up, but this year, their season has not unfolded as expected.
In the NFL, constant improvement is essential; failing to do so means falling behind. The league’s past dynasties have made the Chiefs’ dominance feel temporary.
The entire season was full of uncharacteristic mistakes that the Chiefs usually did not make. Whether it was close losses, dropped passes, or missed field goals, this year was out of the ordinary for the standard Kansas City fans come to expect. When it seemed like things couldn’t get worse for Kansas City, Patrick Mahomes suffered a torn ACL in Week 15.
With all this being said, what is next for the Chiefs?
Here’s everything you need to know about the Kansas City Chiefs’ postseason chances heading into Week 17.
Are the Chiefs out of the playoffs?
The Chiefs still had a shot at the playoffs until Week 15. Kansas City needed a win, but couldn’t beat the Los Angeles Chargers. Losing the game effectively ended any hope Kansas City had of making the postseason.
AFC playoff picture
After falling to the Chargers in Week 15, the Chiefs lost their chances at the postseason.
Heading into Week 17, Kansas City comes in as the No. 10 seed in the AFC conference, with no way to move into the wild card. The first four seeds are the division leaders.
| Rank | Team | Record |
| 1 | Denver Broncos | 12-3 |
| 2 | New England Patriots | 12-3 |
| 3 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 11-4 |
| 4 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 9-6 |
| 5 | Los Angeles Chargers | 11-4 |
| 6 | Buffalo Bills | 11-4 |
| 7 | Houston Texans | 10-5 |
| 8 | Indianapolis Colts | 8-7 |
| 9 | Baltimore Ravens | 7-8 |
| 10 | Kansas City Chiefs | 6-9 |
| 11 | Miami Dolphins | 6-9 |
| 12 | Cincinnati Bengals | 5-10 |
| 13 | New York Jets | 3-12 |
| 14 | Tennessee Titans | 3-12 |
| 15 | Cleveland Browns | 3-12 |
| 16 | Las Vegas Raiders | 2-13 |
AFC West standings
| Team | Record |
| Denver Broncos | 12-3 |
| Los Angeles Chargers | 11-4 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 6-9 |
| Las Vegas Raiders | 2-13 |
The Chiefs will finish the season in third place in the AFC West.
Chiefs remaining schedule
The Chiefs’ remaining game in Week 18 is a road trip to Las Vegas. They will face the Raiders in the final week of the regular season.
Here is a look at Kansas City’s remaining game.
