AFC playoff picture: Where do Kansas City Chiefs currently sit? originally appeared on The Sporting News.
Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.The Kansas City Chiefs find themselves in an unfamiliar spot, as they’re on the outside looking in for the playoffs and things just got more bleak in Week 14.The Chiefs entered the week sitting in third place in the AFC West and in the No. 10 spot in the conference playoff picture.Of course, the four division winners and the teams with the three best records after them make the playoffs, which means there are a total of seven postseason spots.The Chiefs stay in the No. 10 spot in the conference playoff picture with their loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday night, and their division hopes are now gone.Here’s a look at where the Chiefs sit and in the AFC West and conference playoff picture following the loss to the Texans on Sunday night.AFC West standingsRankTeamRecord1Denver Broncos11-22Los Angeles Chargers8-43Kansas City Chiefs6-74Las Vegas Raiders2-11With the Broncos’ win and the Chiefs’ loss, Kansas City officially no longer has a chance to win the AFC West, which will end the team’s nine-year streak.Now, the only path to the playoffs for the Chiefs is the wild card.AFC playoff pictureRankTeamRecord1Denver Broncos11-22New England Patriots11-23Jacksonville Jaguars9-44Pittsburgh Steelers7-65Buffalo Bills9-46Los Angeles Chargers8-47Houston Texans8-58Indianapolis Colts8-59Baltimore Ravens6-710Kansas City Chiefs6-711Miami Dolphins6-712Cincinnati Bengals4-913New York Jets3-1014Cleveland Browns3-1015Las Vegas Raiders2-1116Tennessee Titans2-11According to the NBC broadcast on Sunday night, the Chiefs are now down to a 16% chance to make the playoffs.The Chiefs entered this week in the No. 10 spot and will remain there thanks to tie-breakers.Because the Chiefs, Ravens and Dolphins all have the same record, the tie-breaker is conference record and that’s why the Ravens are ahead of both the Dolphins and Chiefs.The Chiefs now have to win out and will also need help from the teams in front of them via losses. There’s no doubt things are looking very bleak for the reigning AFC champions.Meanwhile, the Texans move ahead of the Colts to the No. 7 spot in the AFC playoff picture thanks to the head-to-head tie-breaker.More NFL NewsGeorge Pickens responds to Richard Sherman’s criticism with NSFW rantHas Kyler Murray played his last game with the Arizona Cardinals?ESPN insider: Bears could cut ties with $50 million playmaker in 2026ESPN insider not ruling out shocking Sam Darnold decision by SeahawksCowboys’ Jerry Jones in denial over George Pickens’ Week 14 effort issues