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The Kansas City Chiefs are dominating the NFL once again in 2022. At 11-3, they have the best record in the AFC, only losing out to the Buffalo Bills on head-to-head tiebreaker. The Chiefs clinched their seventh straight AFC West title with an overtime win over the Houston Texans on Sunday, and they can now prepare for the playoffs. Today, we'll look at the Chiefs' dream playoff scenario regarding seeding and matchups.
Chiefs Dream Playoff Scenario
Seeding
First off, for this to be a “dream” scenario, Kansas City has to get the AFC's top seed. Arrowhead Stadium is arguably the loudest venue in the NFL, and the Chiefs have excelled there in the Patrick Mahomes era. Getting home-field advantage once again would greatly aid their quest for another Lombardi Trophy.
The first part of this scenario is simple: Kansas City must win out. With games against the Seahawks, Broncos and Raiders remaining, that shouldn't be too hard. Seattle has faded down the stretch, and the Chiefs have dominated the AFC West under Mahomes, so let's give them those three wins.
The other part is trickier because it is out of Kansas City's control, with Buffalo needing to lose at least one more game. The Bills have games against Bears, Bengals and Patriots remaining, and only one of those games is really losable. If they want the conference's top seed, the Chiefs will begrudgingly root for the Bengals when they host the Bills on Jan. 2.
There are other scenarios up for grabs, but as long as the Chiefs get the top seed, they couldn't care less about the rest of the bracket. With that settled, let's dive into the Chiefs' best potential playoff matchups.
AFC Divisional Round: Kansas City Chiefs vs. Baltimore Ravens
In this scenario, the Chiefs get to sit back and enjoy a week off while the rest of the AFC battles on Wild Card Weekend. The Bengals and Bills both win at home to set up a rematch of Week 17, also in Cincinnati. Meanwhile, the Ravens defeat the AFC South champions, whether that be the Jaguars or Titans, on the road.
The matchup between Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson makes this game must-watch material. The two quarterbacks have met four times before, with Mahomes and the Chiefs winning three of them. However, Jackson and the Ravens won the most recent matchup 36-35 in Baltimore last September.
That said, Jackson has to play for Baltimore to even stand a chance in this game. The star quarterback has missed the last two games with an injury, and the Ravens' offense has looked downright anemic without him. He could return against the Atlanta Falcons on Christmas Eve, but the question then becomes how effective can he be.
From @NFLGameDay Kickoff: QB Snoop Huntley starts today for the #Ravens, but Lamar Jackson (PCL sprain) should be back soon. The team is hopeful he'll be back at practice this week and play Christmas Eve against the #Falcons. pic.twitter.com/AVgAzQgvrP
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 17, 2022
Even if Jackson plays, though, Kansas City should win this game. Mahomes and the Chiefs' offense will be too much to handle, and their underrated defense can keep Baltimore at bay. With this win, the Chiefs would then host their fifth straight AFC Championship Game.
AFC Championship Game: Kansas City Chiefs vs. Buffalo Bills
This game is the rematch everyone has been waiting for. These two teams have grown to hate each other in the Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen era, especially after last year's epic Divisional Round matchup. Whether they're playing in Buffalo or Kansas City, no one will want to miss this game.
The Bills already defeated the Chiefs 24-20 at Arrowhead back in Week 6. Allen was on fire, going 27-of-40 for 329 yards and three touchdowns, including the game-winner to Dawson Knox. Meanwhile, Mahomes uncharacteristically threw two costly interceptions.
However, there are a few factors going in Kansas City's favor this time. First, Buffalo will not have star pass rusher Von Miller, who recorded two sacks in the previous meeting. This game would also take place at night, which would only further energize an electric Arrowhead Stadium crowd.
It would be a close game, but the third time still would not be the charm for Allen and the Bills. Kansas City earns a narrow victory and advances to its third Super Bowl in four years.
Super Bowl LVII: Kansas City Chiefs vs. Philadelphia Eagles
While Mahomes made the previous matchups so intriguing, this time it's Andy Reid. He coached the Eagles for over a decade, and facing his former team on the biggest stage would make for an extremely compelling story. Reid has faced the Eagles three times as Kansas City's head coach and won all of them, but nothing would compare to a Super Bowl matchup.
This matchup would also likely feature the top two MVP candidates this season. Mahomes has been dominating the league for years, but Jalen Hurts is enjoying a breakout season for the ages (let's hope his injury is truly not serious). Both defenses would have their hands full trying to contain these quarterbacks.
This would be both team's greatest test yet and would be the best Super Bowl in years. In the end, though, the Chiefs prevail to win their second Super Bowl in four years. Reid gets the last laugh over his old team and cements himself among the game's greatest coaches.
