Ranking the Chiefs' Four Potential Divisional Round Matchups

The Kansas City Chiefs have four teams they could potentially play in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs. Which teams should Chiefs fans be rooting for during wild-card weekend?

Dec 25, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson (3) and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) greet each other after their game at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The Kansas City Chiefs earned the AFC's No. 1 seed and the bye that comes along with it, so Kansas City can rest easy during wild-card weekend. Interestingly enough, the Chiefs have faced every team that made the field in the AFC playoffs, including two divisional rivals they have already faced twice this season.

The Denver Broncos earned the No. 7 seed by defeating the Chiefs and their backup players in Week 18, while the Los Angeles Chargers moved up to the No. 5 seed with a win over the Las Vegas Raiders. The Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens would not come into the picture until the AFC championship game if they were to win their wild-card weekend games since they are the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds in the conference. If Buffalo and Baltimore both win, they'll play each other in Buffalo next weekend.

The No. 4 seed Houston Texans and the No. 6 seed Pittsburgh Steelers are two teams who the Chiefs beat in the last month of the season, and they round out the AFC playoff picture. The Chiefs will play the lowest seed remaining after the wild-card round. While every team that makes the playoffs is a strong and worthy opponent, here’s how I would stack up the Chiefs' potential visitors in the divisional round, ranking Kansas City's matchups from most to least favorable.

1. Pittsburgh Steelers

The Chiefs recently dominated the Steelers on Christmas Day and would be much more rested and refreshed with the healthiest roster they’ve had in a long time if they were to play the Steelers in the divisional round. In order for the Steelers to play the Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, they would need to get by their own divisional rival in a road game in Baltimore.

The Steelers beat the Ravens in their first matchup, 18-16 in Pittsburgh, but fell in the rematch in Baltimore, 34-17. That game was tied 17-17 late in the third quarter before the Ravens pulled away in the fourth. In a division rivalry game, anything can happen. I wouldn’t be shocked if the Steelers beat the Ravens, and the Chiefs match up better with Pittsburgh than the other teams in the AFC playoff field. 

2. Houston Texans

The AFC South had been a foregone conclusion for quite a while. The Texans were never really challenged by anyone in their weak division, and despite many injuries throughout the season, they won the division with ease. The Chiefs and Texans had a good first-half battle in Kansas City less than a month ago, but the Chiefs were able to break away in the second half.

Dynamic wide receiver Tank Dell suffered a season-ending injury in Kansas City, and Houston will need to rely on their running game with Joe Mixon if they are going to advance in the playoffs. Wide receiver Nico Collins gives quarterback C.J. Stroud a nice receiving option and tight end Dalton Schultz gave the Chiefs some trouble in their first meeting. Houston will need to get by the Chargers in order to play in Kansas City again, and that will be a tough test for the Texans, who are underdogs at home.

3. Denver Broncos

Yes, the Broncos are the seven-seed in the AFC, but they can pose some problems for the Chiefs. They were a blocked field goal away from winning their matchup in Kansas City and then dominated in a game against the Chiefs' backups in Week 18.

Divisional games can always be wonky, and the Broncos would be hungry to get their first win at Arrowhead in nearly 10 years. The Broncos will need to upset the Bills to get a shot at the Chiefs, and they opened as heavy underdogs in Buffalo. It's unlikely that the Chiefs will see Denver again in the playoffs, but you never know what will happen come playoff time.

4. Los Angeles Chargers

This seems like the most likely matchup for the Chiefs for the divisional round, and it is also the scariest matchup for Kansas City. The Chargers opened as three-point favorites over the Texans, even as the lower seed and road team.

The Chargers have been a solid squad all year and have been really clicking on offense over the past three games, scoring 34 points in two of those games and 40 in the other. The Chargers may be peaking at the right time. This is a team that always plays the Chiefs closely, and while the Chiefs typically come out on top, it is usually an uncomfortable experience for Chiefs fans to sit through. 

No matter who the Chiefs play in the divisional round, they will be favored and should win. They will have received plenty of rest and should be fired up and ready to go for the potential to be the first team in NFL history to win three consecutive Super Bowls. The focus and energy should lead to a divisional round win and set up another AFC championship classic in Kansas City.

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