AFC playoff picture: Where do Kansas City Chiefs currently sit?

Mike Moraitis

AFC playoff picture: Where do Kansas City Chiefs currently sit? image

© Kevin Jairaj

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 standings

RankTeamRecord
1Denver Broncos11-2
2Los Angeles Chargers8-4
3Kansas City Chiefs6-7
4Las Vegas Raiders2-11

With 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 picture

RankTeamRecord
1Denver Broncos11-2
2New England Patriots11-2
3Jacksonville Jaguars9-4
4Pittsburgh Steelers7-6
5Buffalo Bills9-4
6Los Angeles Chargers8-4
7Houston Texans8-5
8Indianapolis Colts8-5
9Baltimore Ravens6-7
10Kansas City Chiefs6-7
11Miami Dolphins6-7
12Cincinnati Bengals4-9
13New York Jets3-10
14Cleveland Browns3-10
15Las Vegas Raiders2-11
16Tennessee Titans2-11

According 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.

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Senior Editor