Could there be a better gift to unwrap on Christmas Day than a first-round bye?
Kansas City Chiefs fans are sure to be enjoying their holidays, as their team clinched the AFC’s top seed and a first-round playoff bye after taking down the Pittsburgh Steelers 29-10 on Wednesday.
The Chiefs have been on a tear this season as they look to complete a Super Bowl three-peat. With only one loss to their name and only one game to go, against the Denver Broncos in Week 18, they not only locked up their best season in the Patrick Mahomes era but their best-ever win percentage in franchise history.
They did so on the back of a vintage Mahomes outing, who hasn’t been his usual superstar MVP-calibre self this season. He finished Christmas Day’s outing completing 29 of 38 passes for 320 yards and three touchdowns.
His all-time favourite target, tight end Travis Kelce, also had himself a day. Not only did he finish with eight receptions for 84 yards and a touchdown, he also notched his 1,000th career reception — joining Tony Gonzalez and Jason Witten as the only tight ends to reach the four-digit mark — and scored his 77th career touchdown, passing Gonzalez for most in Chiefs franchise history.
On the other end, the Steelers lost their third game in a row as their lead atop the AFC North now comes into question. Russell Wilson, despite a solid game on the stat sheet, threw an interception in the red zone in the first half that shifted momentum in favour of the Chiefs.
Pittsburgh moves to 10-6 and will watch as the Baltimore Ravens take on the Houston Texans in Christmas Day’s later game. They’re set to take on the Cincinnati Bengals, who are gunning for a final wild-card spot, in Week 18.
The Chiefs, meanwhile, will get a chance to rest their starters in Week 18 for the outing against the Broncos, as their positioning is now locked up.