The two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs broke their franchise record for regular-season wins by finishing 15-2. That performance earned the Chiefs the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoff bracket and a first-round bye in the wild-card weekend.
The Chiefs reached this point even with quarterback Patrick Mahomes experiencing a down year by his standards. The two-time NFL MVP set career lows in yards per game (245.5) and touchdowns (26 in 16 games played), but the Chiefs’ defense picked up the slack. Kansas City finished as a top-five scoring defense once again this season and was especially strong against the run. The defense allowed 30 or more points twice: Week 11 against the Buffalo Bills and Week 18 against the Denver Broncos, when the team rested their starters.
With two weeks off for their starters over Week 18 and the wild card round, the Chiefs will be the most rested team in the NFL for the divisional round. Here’s who they will be playing in the divisional round.
Who will the Chiefs play next week?
As the No. 1 seed in the bracket, Kansas City will play the lowest remaining seed in the AFC playoffs. With the wild card results, the Chiefs will play AFC South champion and No. 4 seed Houston Texans.
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The Texans hosted a playoff game for the second year in a row in the wild card round against Los Angeles. Houston won 32-12 over the visiting Chargers to reach the divisional round of the AFC playoffs.
These teams met late in the regular season with Kansas City winning 27-19 in Week 16.
AFC playoff bracket
Wild card round
Houston Texans 32-12 Los Angeles Chargers
Baltimore Ravens 28-14 Pittsburgh Steelers
Buffalo Bills 31-7 Denver Broncos
Divisional round
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Houston Texans
Buffalo Bills vs. Baltimore Ravens
Conference championship
Kansas City Chiefs/Houston Texans vs. Buffalo Bills/Baltimore Ravens
NFC playoff bracket
1. Detroit Lions (15-2) BYE
2. Philadelphia Eagles (14-3) vs. 7. Green Bay Packers (11-6)
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-7) vs. 6. Washington Commanders (12-5)
4. Los Angeles Rams (10-7) vs. 5. Minnesota Vikings (14-3)
The NFC playoff games will be played Sunday and Monday, but the Eagles vs. Packers game is the first of the bunch. The conference’s playoff scenarios will become clear after that contest.