Playoffs?!

Yeah, I'm talking about playoffs, and believe me, I didn't think I'd be able to bring up the subject again this year. But in the mass confusion and ineptitude that rules the AFC West, the Chiefs are still "mathematically" in the playoff hunt.

Crazy right?

Todd Haley, before he was fired, spoke about still being in the division race, even though no-one outside the team believed it. And then, in the press conference after Haley was fired, Clark Hunt and Scott Pioli spoke of making the move in search of consistency because they were still "mathematically" in the playoff chase. And while mathematics is far from certainty, it is kind of nice to still be in the AFC West conversation in mid-December.

So what will it take for the 6-8 Chiefs to make the playoffs?

1. Denver loses next week at Buffalo
2. San Diego loses one of their next two (@Detroit, @Oakland)
3. Kansas City wins out (vs. Oakland, @Denver)

This math is starting to sound a lot like calculus.

Counting on these three things is a bit scary, and reasons why Chiefs fans shouldn't get their hopes up. We don't control our own destiny, and have to rely on Buffalo winning a game and San Diego losing in December. Neither of which is likely. This upcoming week will dictate whether the Chiefs could still sneak into the playoffs. If the Bills do upset Tim Tebow, Detroit takes care of SD, and KC sweeps Oakland, then the week 17 matchup between Denver and KC will be for the division crown.

Any team in the AFC West could still win the division, however, and SD looked unbeatable against the Baltimore Ravens last night. If they win out and Denver loses out, they will win the division. If Denver wins out, they win the division. If Oakland wins out, and Denver loses to KC, Oakland wins. There are other scenarios, but this is enough to get the point across that this AFC West math is complicated.

But at the end of the day, the Chiefs still have a chance, and if it takes a Christmas miracle to get them into the postseason, then so be it.