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NFL Playoff Picture: Chiefs Can Eliminate Chargers In AFC West Next Week

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The Kansas City Chiefs can eliminate the San Diego Chargers from the NFL playoff picture next week when the two teams meet on the west coast. The Chiefs hold a two-game lead over the Chargers and Oakland Raiders in the AFC West. The Chiefs stand at 8-4 while the Chargers and Raiders are at 6-6.

A KC victory next week in San Diego would push the Chargers to 6-7 and the Chiefs to 9-4, which would put the Chiefs up three games with three to play. KC would clinch eliminate the Chargers because they would own the head-to-head tiebreaker with the Chargers. The Chiefs also beat the Chargers in Week 1 on Monday Night Football at Arrowhead Stadium.

Here's how the schedule breaks down for everyone:

Chiefs: at Chargers, at St. Louis Rams, Tennessee Titans and Raiders

Raiders: at Jaguars, Broncos, Colts and at Chiefs

Chargers: Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers, at Cincinnati Bengals and at Denver Broncos.

Eliminating Oakland will be a little more difficult because they meet again on the final game of the regular season. So if Oakland can enter Week 17 down just one game, they'll have a shot to top the Chiefs. In that scenario, Oakland would win the division because they would hold the tiebreaker.