This season has been nothing short of a roller coaster for the Kansas City Chiefs. I know it, and you know it. Hell, your great aunt who has never watched football in her life probably knows it. They have squeaked out wins by the skin of their teeth on multiple occasions. Let’s take a look at some of the Chiefs wins so far this season.
The Kansas City Chiefs and close calls
- Week 1: Baltimore misses a game-tying (or winning, if they go for two like it appeared they were going to) touchdown by mere inches
- Week 2: A pass interference on 4th & 16 allows the Chiefs to drive down and kick a game-winning field goal as time expires
- Week 3: The Chiefs make stops on 3rd and 4th & 1 from their own 13-yard line to seal the game against the Falcons
- Week 8: The Chiefs go 70 yards for a touchdown on the opening drive of overtime to beat the Buccaneers
- Week 9: The Chiefs block a game-winning field goal on the last play of the game to beat the Broncos
- Week 11: The Chiefs go 57 yards in less than two minutes and kick a game-winning field goal to beat the Panthers
- Week 12: The Chiefs recover a botched snap by the Raiders, who were in range to kick a game-winning field goal
- Week 13: The Chiefs milk the final 4:35 off the clock and kick a game-winning field goal to beat the Chargers
In case you didn’t count, that is eight games that have come down to the final possession. That is eight of the Chiefs’ 12 wins that could have easily been losses. Some people call it luck – okay, a lot of people call it luck (or cheating, or collusion, or whatever the reason is these days). While there is certainly some luck involved (the Raiders fumble and winning the overtime coin toss), a lot of it is the winning DNA in the Chiefs that allows them to succeed time and time again in close games.
However, that’s not the point of this article.
A gift that keeps on giving
The Chiefs have a chance to bring a very merry Christmas to themselves and the entire Kansas City fanbase. If the Chiefs are able to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers on Christmas Day, they will clinch the top seed in the AFC. That is a huge advantage, as it would give the Chiefs a first-round bye and home field advantage for the Divisional and Conference Championship rounds.
It would also allow the Chiefs to rest in Week 18, if they choose to do so. That would give them two weeks to recover and prepare for their first playoff game. Given the injury report for the Chiefs over the past handful of weeks, that could be a huge benefit for them.
Star defensive tackle Chris Jones was added to the injury report with a calf strain. Starting right tackle Jawaan Taylor is dealing with a knee issue, joining the presumable starting left tackle D.J. Humphries, who tweaked his hamstring in his first game with the team and hasn’t played since. Starting safety Chamarri Conner missed the Texans game with a concussion, and Harrison Butker still appears to be recovering after recently returning from the IR.
Of course, the most significant name on the injury report is Patrick Mahomes, who played through a high ankle sprain against the Texans.
Not only are those players dealing with injuries, the whole team hasn’t had a week off since their Week 6 bye back in early October. For veterans like Travis Kelce, Kareem Hunt, and DeAndre Hopkins, a couple weeks of rest could make the offense more dangerous than it has been for most of the season. On defense, players like Justin Reid, Drue Tranquill, and Mike Danna could certainly benefit from some recovery time.
On top of the rest factor, Week 18 could prove to be an important bit of playing time for some players if the Chiefs were to rest their starters. Carson Wentz has plenty of experience, but he has only thrown two passes during the regular season this year. Even in the preseason, he had just 14 pass attempts in the two games he played in.
If Mahomes (knock on wood) were to miss time in the playoffs, Wentz having a full game to knock the rust off could be the difference between the Chiefs living to see another day and falling short of NFL history.
The advantages of the No. 1 seed
Being the No. 1 seed is a massive advantage for any team. However, the Chiefs have taken particular advantage of that distinction over the past handful of years.
Kansas City has been the AFC’s top seed in four of the past six seasons. Those four seasons ended with two Super Bowl wins, a third Super Bowl appearance, and an AFC Championship Game appearance. That means only once in those four seasons did the Chiefs not take full advantage of being the top seed. With the injuries they are dealing with, getting the top seed may be more important than it has ever been for the Chiefs. Plus, what a special Christmas that would be for Chiefs fans.
