Denver Broncos

Chiefs muddy the waters and lose control of their own fate

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 8:08 p.m. ET

Fansided, Stacy D. Smith/FanSided via Arrowhead Addict

“It could all be so simple, but you’d rather make it hard. Loving you is like a battle, and we both end up with scars…”

The Kansas City Chiefs are wed to the struggle. There’s something inherently off-putting to them about controlling their own destiny. It could be informed by our old-fashioned
clichés about meritocracy. We love an American success story wrought with heartache. There’s something romantic about snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. Adversity builds character, right?

After a gut-wrenching 19-17 loss to the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, Kansas City’s gotten its wish. The Chiefs fell to the No. 5 seed in the AFC playoff picture and now need the division-leading Oakland Raiders to falter to reclaim a chance at a first-round bye in the postseason. Contrary to the prevailing narrative on social media, that’s not entirely out of the question. Oakland faces the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday and they close up the season, on the road, at Denver.

It’s possible that they drop one of those games. With so much on the line, teams do occasionally slip and succumb to the late-season pressure. It happened yesterday at One Arrowhead Drive. That said, this clearly isn’t the ideal vantage point.

Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

The ability to decide your own fate in the National Football League is a precious commodity — it’s essentially currency. On the rare occasion that a team is in position to do so, it’s imperative they take advantage of the opportunity. There’s still a personal responsibility component to this equation. The Chiefs are charged with winning their final two regular season games. If they can do that, they’ll have an outside shot of watching the wildcard round from the comfort of their own homes, but that will be determined by how well the Raiders take care of their own business in Weeks 16 and 17.

Now, one can debate the merits of a first-round bye in the postseason. For some, it’s the shortest path to representing your conference in the Super Bowl. The math is simple — it’s one less game you have to play to get there. It also comes with the benefit of additional rest, which for injured players could be supremely beneficial. Then there’s the hard data. Of the past 10 Super Bowl winners, five of them didn’t start their postseason run until the divisional round. The other five were forced to play three games to earn a championship berth.

It’s entirely arbitrary whether or not having a week off in the playoffs truly greases the wheels of a championship run. If I’m being honest, NFL players are creatures of habit. Momentum is tough to quantify at this level, but it does appear to play a role in the outcome of the annual tournament. Teams that get hot at the right time often fare well in January. Tom Coughlin and the New York Giants understand this as well as anyone. Their championship runs in 2007 and 2011 began in the wildcard round.

Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Make no mistake, the Kansas City Chiefs missed a big opportunity on Sunday. Losing their spot as one of the top two seeds in the AFC is about more than the number of games they’ll have to play. The venue for those games also matters. Despite the loss, the Chiefs still own one of the best home field advantages in football.

As unbeatable as the New England Patriots appear, it’s not unreasonable to think the Steelers could go into Foxboro and steal a game from them. Let’s assume the Chiefs eventually secure the No. 2 seed. In a scenario where the lowest seed wins in the wildcard round and goes on to beat the top seed in the divisional round, that would give the Chiefs a pair of home games in the playoffs. Does anyone think that wouldn’t be preferable to what would likely be three road games?

It’s easy to dismiss the way the Chiefs lost on Sunday. On some level, it’s deeply troubling that they can’t seem to put a full four quarters of quality offensive football together. It’s maddening that they continue to try winning games without calling upon their best skill players on that side of the ball. Kansas City’s offensive woes aren’t an aberration and that’s unsettling when one looks at the big picture for this team.

That said, it could very well propel the Chiefs now that their backs are against the wall. They seem comfortable in this position. Hopefully, their luck hasn’t run out and they get another gift from the universe heading into the last two weeks of the regular season.

How are you feeling about the Chiefs’ chances to make a run in the postseason following Sunday’s loss? Is Oakland winning the division now a foregone conclusion? Are the Colts and Broncos capable of causing the Raiders to stumble down the stretch? Do you think the Chiefs qualifying for a postseason bye is a prerequisite for a championship run? Use the comment section below to weigh in. As always, we appreciate your readership and support.

Until next time, Addicts!