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KC Chiefs would face the Raiders in the playoffs if the season ended today

By Leigh Oleszczak

Nov 22, 2020; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Damon Arnette (20) breaks up a pass intended for Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill (10) during the second half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 22, 2020; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Damon Arnette (20) breaks up a pass intended for Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill (10) during the second half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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The NFL playoffs shifted a lot as a result of the Week 11 games and one of the big shifts now would include the KC Chiefs playing the Raiders in the opening round.

For the past few weeks, the AFC side of the playoffs had mostly remained the same. The Kansas City Chiefs sat in the No. 2 spot and their Wild Card opponent was the Dolphins, who have surprised a lot of people this year.

While the Chiefs remained in the No. 2 spot after their last-minute win over the Raiders, they’d now be playing the Raiders for a third time if the NFL playoffs started this weekend. With the Steelers winning again, the Chiefs continue to look up at Pittsburgh and it’s frustrating since only one team gets a bye week in the playoffs from now on.

Here are the AFC standings after Week 11.

  1. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-0) – BYE
  2. Kansas City Chiefs (9-1)
  3. Buffalo Bills (7-3)
  4. Indianapolis Colts (7-3)
  5. Tennessee Titans (7-3)
  6. Cleveland Browns (7-3)
  7. Las Vegas Raiders (6-4)

In the hunt: Baltimore Ravens (6-4), Miami Dolphins (6-4)

Well it’s annoying, but the Steelers continue their path to an undefeated season. They play the Ravens on Thanksgiving and that’s a huge game for both teams, as the Ravens aren’t even in the playoffs as of now. What a huge step backward for a team that went 14-2, earned the No. 1 seed, and had the MVP of the league on their team a season ago.

As I mentioned earlier, the KC Chiefs would host the Raiders if the season ended today, which is a matchup I want no part of. Vegas proved they can hang with the Chiefs and nearly swept them this year as a result. I don’t want to have to go through the Raiders in order to advance in the playoffs.

The other matchups would be Buffalo hosting Cleveland and the Colts welcoming in their AFC South foe Tennessee. The Titans’ win over Baltimore as well as the Dolphins losing to Denver really helped shake up the AFC standings.

The AFC side wasn’t the only thing shaken up after Week 11 though, as the NFC had a big shift themselves. Here’s how the NFC playoffs look as of now:

  1. New Orleans Saints (8-2) – BYE
  2. Los Angeles Rams (7-3)
  3. Green Bay Packers (7-3)
  4. Philadelphia Eagles (3-6-1)
  5. Seattle Seahawks (7-3)
  6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-4)
  7. Arizona Cardinals (6-4)

In the hunt: Chicago Bears (5-5)

The Saints jumped into the top spot even with Taysom Hill at quarterback and they now have a two-game lead on the Bucs in the NFC South. The Rams, Packers, and Seahawks are all just a game behind the Saints for the No. 1 seed, however, so New Orleans can’t get too complacent.

Once again, I’m going to point out how pathetic the NFC East is and how that division shouldn’t have anyone in the playoffs, let alone HOSTING a playoff game. But, rules are rules I guess. The Wild Card contenders are honestly probably okay with being in that fifth spot, as they’d get to play whoever comes out of the NFC East in the first round.

The matchups in the NFC would be the Rams hosting the Cardinals, Green Bay at home against the Buccaneers, and the Seahawks getting the honor of playing the winner of the worst division in all of football. The NFC playoff teams are likely set, but the order in which they’re sitting after Week 17 comes to a close is still going to be figured out in these final six weeks of the season.

Kansas City Chiefs fans can say all they want about potentially hosting the Raiders for a third time, but I don’t want that to happen. Hopefully, the Raiders trip up these next few weeks and miss the playoffs altogether because I’d much rather the Chiefs play someone like the Ravens or Dolphins.

Next. Four Things We Learned vs Raiders. dark

How do you feel about the current playoff seedings?

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