With all the division champs settled in the AFC heading into Week 17 action, all that was left to decide for the Chargers, Ravens, Colts and Patriots was their seeding.
The Jets and the Broncos entered the day in the driver's seat for wild card spots, providing they won. New York accomplished that goal with a 23-3 win over the Raiders, but Denver fell short with an overtime loss at home against the 49ers by a score of 26-23.
And after a perfect series of events played out for the Kansas City Chiefs, they were awarded the No. 6 seed in the AFC playoffs.
Doug Tucker of the Associated Press called the Chiefs' playoff hopes "far fetched" in an article published today as he outlined the unlikely scenario that had to unfold. The Chiefs had to beat the Jaguars, the Steelers had to knock out the Bengals, New England had to beat red-hot Tennessee, and Denver had to lose to the then 6-9 San Francisco 49ers.
New England's ability to knock off the Titans wasn't all that far-fetched. And while the Chiefs had their hands full with the Jaguars, they survived with a 35-30 win as Larry Johnson rushed for 138 yards and 3 touchdowns.
But then it took two overtime wins -- one by Pittsburgh and the other by the 49ers -- to put the Chiefs into the playoffs.
Is it safe to say that no one in Kansas City has any fingernails left after today?
 | | Colts WR Marvin Harrison (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) |
The Colts held off the Miami Dolphins with a 27-22 home victory that clinched the No. 3 seed. With both the Chargers and Ravens winning their respective games, they earned the first-round bye and a chance to host a divisional playoff game against the winners from the wild card weekend.
The Colts will host the Chiefs on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. (ET) on NBC while the Patriots will host the Jets on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. on CBS.
Kansas City will undoubtedly be excited about the prospects of their matchup against the Colts. Chiefs running back Larry Johnson rushed for over 100 yards in 11 games this year, averaged 4.3 yards per carry, and amassed 1,789 yards on the ground. Meanwhile, the Colts have the league's lowest ranked rush defense.
Indianapolis could counter that attack with an aerial assault compliments of the NFL's top-ranked quarterback, Peyton Manning, against a Chiefs defense that is mediocre against the pass.
It'll be a battle featuring a land assault versus an air raid when the Chiefs and the Colts meet in Indianapolis next Saturday. Clear your calendar now for a game that is bound to be one of the more exciting matchups of the NFL's wild card weekend.
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