Recent off their Week 16 video games final Saturday, each the Kansas City Chiefs and the Pitsburgh Steelers are again in motion on Christmas Day.
And this vacation conflict between two of the highest groups within the AFC has big playoff implications for either side.
Here’s what it at stake for each the Chiefs and the Steelers once they meet in Pittsburgh on Christmas Day.
Issues are pretty easy for the 14-1 Kansas Metropolis Chiefs.
With a win Wednesday over the Steelers (or perhaps a tie), the Chiefs would clinch the highest spot within the AFC for the playoffs. Which means each a first-round bye, in addition to home-field benefit all through the postseason. Whereas final yr the Chiefs confirmed they might go on the street to win within the playoffs, having each sport within the pleasant confines of GEHA Discipline at Arrowhead Stadium is an enormous benefit.
In addition to per week off to relaxation and put together.
Nonetheless, even with a loss to the Steelers the Chiefs can nonetheless clinch the No. 1 seed within the AFC in Week 17. A Chiefs loss would nonetheless see Kansas Metropolis clinch the highest seed if the Buffalo Bills lose or tie towards the New York Jets on Sunday.
Steelers playoff image
Issues are a bit of extra difficult for the Steelers. Whereas Pittsburgh entered Week 16 with an opportunity to clinch an AFC North title, their loss to the Ravens not solely noticed Baltimore clinch a playoff spot of their very own, however saved the Ravens alive within the AFC North race.
Each groups have matching 10-5 data, which implies the division can’t be clinched in Week 17 by both Baltimore or Pittsburgh. Ought to they each win out, they’d end with matching 12-5 data, and the Steelers would win the division due to tiebreakers. They break up their season sequence, they’re tied within the division, and in frequent video games, and the subsequent tiebreaker is convention report.
On this situation Pittsburgh finishes the yr with a 9-3 report in AFC play, whereas the Ravens end at 8-4.
Whereas the Steelers at present have that tiebreaker benefit, additionally they have the more durable schedule. They end with the Chiefs in Week 17, and the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 18. As for Baltimore, they play the Houston Texans on Christmas Day, and the Cleveland Browns of their season finale.
Tiebreaker implications
Pittsburgh can not catch the Chiefs for the highest spot within the AFC, so there aren’t any tiebreaker implications on this sport between the 2 groups.
The key tiebreaker implication comes within the AFC North as outlined above. In the meanwhile the Steelers have a greater AFC report than the Ravens, however that might change if the Steelers lose to the Chiefs, and the Ravens beat the Texans.
