The Kansas City Chiefs locked up the top seed in the NFL playoffs, which means they will not participate in the Wild Card round. However, just because they’re not playing doesn’t mean that fans won’t have any reason to watch the first round of games. It goes without saying that the Chiefs want the easiest possible path to the Super Bowl, and Kansas City fans should be rooting for the following outcomes this weekend.
Who Chiefs Fans Should Root For In Wild Card Weekend
Jacksonville Jaguars vs Los Angeles Chargers (Saturday, 8:15)
There is a real chance that this game will be the most competitive of the Wild Card matchups. After a slow start, the Jacksonville Jaguars finished their season on a hot stretch, winning the AFC South crown with a 9-8 record. In the back half of the year, Trevor Lawrence lived up to his prospect status, evolving into one of the better passers in the league. At its best, this offense can keep up with just about anyone, and the defense has a lot of promising young playmakers.
That being said, the Chiefs should still be rooting for the Jaguars on Saturday. Jacksonville has a strong roster, but the Chargers pose a bigger threat to Kansas City. Justin Herbert is a top-five quarterback in the league when healthy, and the duo of Keenan Allen and Mike Williams has the potential to be lethal. Rashawn Slater could be coming back to the lineup, which would only make the offense that much more dangerous.
While the Chiefs triumphed over the Chargers in both of their regular season contests, they only won those games by a combined six points. Those games could have easily gone either way, and the Chiefs should be hoping they don’t have to run into Los Angeles at any point during the playoffs.
Buffalo Bills vs Miami Dolphins (Sunday, 1:00)
Miami heads into this game as a heavy underdog, and it’s easy to see why. Skylar Thompson is currently in line to start, and the seventh-round rookie has played like, well, a seventh-round rookie. Even if Tua Tagovailoa can play, it’s safe to say he won’t look like his early-season self after suffering his third concussion of the season.
Even if Tagovailoa is back at full strength, the Buffalo Bills are the vastly superior football team. From top to bottom, there is a strong case to be made that the Bills have the best all-around roster in the league with a top-five head coach and quarterback running the show. The Bills are probably the biggest threat to Kansas City, and Chiefs fans should be rooting hard for an upset that will probably not happen.
Currently attempting to somehow convince myself Skylar Thompson can do this pic.twitter.com/R1p5O2shtg
— Nico (@elitetakes_) January 11, 2023
Cincinnati Bengals vs Baltimore Ravens (Sunday, 8:15)
The Baltimore Ravens have been a dumpster fire ever since Lamar Jackson went down with his injury. The former MVP is reportedly trying to suit up for the Wild Card round, but nobody knows if he’ll actually be able to play. Even if he does, he’s clearly battling through a serious injury and won’t be his old self. Tyler Huntley has proven that he cannot lead this offense in any dangerous way, and the Chiefs should be praying that this walking morgue of a team can somehow upset one of the best teams in football.
After their slow start, the Cincinnati Bengals have spent the past three months proving that 2021 wasn’t a fluke. Joe Burrow is even better than he was last year, and the offensive trio of Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd is unmatched. While some Chiefs fans might want revenge on the team that ended their Super Bowl aspirations last year, the easiest path to the Super Bowl is one where the Ravens beat Cincinnati.
