Chiefs' win, Raiders' loss sets AFC playoff bracket, with Kansas City as AFC West champs

The Chiefs’ Tyreek Hill was a blur during his punt return touchdown. (Getty Images)

With the conclusion of the second set of Week 17 games, the six-team seeding for the AFC playoffs has been set.

Going into the day, the big question was in the AFC West, where the Oakland Raiders could have finished as high as the No. 1 seed and as low as the No. 5. They knew the top seed was off the table when they took the field against the Denver Broncos, as the New England Patriots won against Miami.

But the No. 2 seed, the accompanying bye week and the guarantee of a home game in the divisional round were still up for grabs; if the Raiders won against Denver, it would go to them. If they lost and the Kansas City Chiefs won, it would go to the Chiefs.

Unfortunately for the Raiders, it turned out to be the worst-case scenario, and they are the higher wild-card team, traveling to Houston next week to face the Texans.

Entering the game without their MVP-candidate quarterback, Derek Carr, who suffered a broken fibula last week, Oakland lost backup quarterback Matt McGloin in the second quarter to an injury to his left (non-throwing) shoulder. The team had to turn to rookie Connor Cook in his stead. But the Raiders were already down 17-0 by the time Cook stepped on the field, and they would go on to lose, 24-6.

The Chiefs played the Chargers in what looks like the last game for the franchise in San Diego. The Chargers were up 10-3 early in the second quarter, but Kansas City scored three times before the half, taking a 20-10 lead into the break.

Rookie phenom Tyreek Hill broke the game open for the Chiefs with a 95-yard punt return touchdown in the final minute of the third quarter, putting his team up, 34-17. The Chiefs went on to win, 37-27.

So now Kansas City is the No. 2 seed, division winners for the first time since 2010, and will enjoy the bye week; its opponent in the divisional round will be Pittsburgh, Houston or Oakland.