Washington (AFP) – Defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City can clinch a first-round bye and home-field advantage in the NFL post-season with a victory Wednesday at Pittsburgh as four playoff-bound teams face a holiday test. The Chiefs, with an NFL-best 14-1 record and seeking a Super Bowl three-peat, can secure the AFC top seed with a triumph over the Steelers (10-5), while Baltimore (10-5) is at Houston (9-6) in a possible first-round playoff preview. The Christmas double-header, in the penultimate week of the campaign, will mark the first NFL games shown by streaming giant Netflix.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has shaken off a high left ankle sprain suffered December 15, showing no signs of trouble in a victory last Saturday over Houston. “I feel like I can move around and do what I need to do and now we’ll get to get to a little bit faster-paced practice and see where I’m truly at,” Mahomes said. “All in all, I came out pretty well.” Even so, a third game in 11 days is putting his fitness to the test. “Obviously, the body is going to be sore just with a short week and everything like that,” Mahomes said. “But I think the ankle should be in a better place.”
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The Chiefs could be without their top defender as defensive tackle Chris Jones is listed as questionable with a calf injury suffered in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s win over Houston. Singer Beyonce will perform live at half-time in her hometown of Houston, and two-time NFL Most Valuable Player Lamar Jackson of Baltimore said he was going to skip locker room talk to see her live for the first time. “I’m going to go out and watch,” he said. “Sorry.” It will be the second Christmas in a row for quarterback Jackson to work. Last year, he helped the Ravens beat San Francisco. “I do want to celebrate at home with some time with my family,” Jackson said. “I don’t want to play on Christmas all the time. All jokes aside, it’s great. It’s a present for everyone. They get to see us play, a lot of eyes on us, and I believe people are going to be watching us at the right time.”
– Playoff fight heats up –
NFL games will be played over five of the next six days, with Seattle at the Chicago Bears on Thursday. At 8-7, the Seahawks are one game behind the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC West division. The Rams (9-6) host Arizona (7-8) on Saturday and can clinch the division crown and a playoff spot with a win and a Seattle loss. Also on Saturday, the Los Angeles Chargers (9-6) visit New England (3-12) and Denver (9-6) will visit Cincinnati (7-8). Road wins will secure playoff berths for the Broncos and Chargers.
Sunday’s most crucial matchup finds the Atlanta Falcons (8-7) at Washington (10-5). A Washington triumph and Tampa Bay home loss to Carolina will clinch a playoff spot for the Commanders. If Atlanta wins, a Tampa Bay loss on Sunday would give the Falcons the NFC South title and a playoff spot. The Detroit Lions will visit San Francisco on Monday night. A Lions victory plus a home loss by Minnesota on Sunday to Green Bay would give Detroit the NFC top seed, first-round bye, and home-field edge. Entering the pivotal week, Kansas City, Buffalo, Houston, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Detroit, Minnesota, and Green Bay have all clinched playoff berths.
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