Following their 16-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 15, the Kansas City Chiefs were officially eliminated from the playoff picture. This was the final blow, ending their dominant reign over the AFC that began following Denver's 2015 Super Bowl run. At 6-9, there is no path for the Chiefs to make the playoffs this season.
The Chiefs' playoff aspirations took their final blow when Patrick Mahomes went down with what is officially a torn ACL. Mahomes was replaced by backup Gardner Minshew, who was atrocious for the Raiders last season, and he promptly threw an interception to seal the victory for the Chargers. The Chiefs would be wise to perhaps consider shutting down other key players as well, as their season is over.
The last time the Chiefs did not make the playoffs, the Broncos were knocked off at home in the second round of the playoffs by an upstart Colts team, led by third year man Andrew Luck. To put this simply, this is a monumental shift in the AFC power dynamics. Specifically for the Broncos, their road through the AFC just got much easier, and the rest of their regular season outlook changed drastically.
The Chiefs' elimination from the playoffs helps the Denver Broncos in more ways than one
Let’s begin by stating the obvious: eliminating the defending conference champions from the playoffs is a major deal for the Broncos. It was already given that the Chiefs’ only chance to the playoffs was through the wildcard picture, but this loss knocked them out completely. Once the Broncos wrap up their division, the top of the West will officially belong to Bo Nix and Sean Payton.
Second, the injury to Mahomes has a significant impact on the rest of the Broncos’ regular-season schedule. Denver is currently set to travel to Kansas City on Christmas Day to face the Chiefs, and with Mahomes officially having a torn ACL, he will not play in that game.
The Kansas City Chiefs obviously have nothing to play for at this point, and they have surely already begun to turn the page to 2026.
The Chiefs are officially eliminated from the playoffs, Mahomes' season is over, and the Broncos are playing for the top seed in the AFC West. The team the Broncos see in a handful of days on Christmas will look very different from the one they hosted in Denver, and it couldn't be better news for Payton's team.