Football fans have warned the Kansas City Chiefs that their bye in the first round of the NFL playoffs may actually be a curse.
That’s because in this week’s round of college playoff quarterfinal games, all four teams that won their conference and earned a bye got eliminated.
Ohio State comfortably beat Oregon, Notre Dame beat Georgia, Penn State defeated Boise State and Arizona State was eliminated by Texas.
The Chiefs have advanced directly to the AFC’s divisional round after securing the No. 1 seed with their Christmas Day win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Not only do they get a bye but the Chiefs can also rest a number of key starters, including quarterback Patrick Mahomes, for this week’s final regular season game against the Denver Broncos.
But fans have warned the Chiefs that they should play their key men on Sunday to avoid being rusty when they eventually begin their postseason schedule.
Football fans have warned the Chiefs about their bye in the first round of the NFL playoffs
The Oregon Ducks were one of four college playoff teams to be beaten despite having a bye
One posted on X: ‘Not one team that got a bye in the CFP advanced. The Chiefs should take note and play all their starters this Sunday.
Another commented: ‘Every bye week team gets slaughtered/beat. Play your starters @Chiefs’.
A third added: ‘Hey @Chiefs kind of interesting that all four team that had a bye in the College Football playoff lost, don’t you think?’
A Bills fan posted: ‘Every College Football team with a first round bye lost which leads me to believe the Chiefs will lose in the second round.’
While not directly referencing the Chiefs, Dave Portnoy hinted on Thursday night that the bye was the reason behind the shock college results.
He posted: ‘Early observations on playoffs. All 4 teams with byes lost. Clearly were rusty from layoff. As a result we have weakest final 4 teams in recent memory. No conference champions and even a 3rd place Big 10 team instead. Playoffs will get better but this year’s theme is mediocrity’.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid decided an extended break – up to 24 days – could go a long way toward helping Kansas City in its quest for an unparalleled three-peat as Super Bowl champs.
Reid is starting backup quarterback Carson Wentz, who’s hoping to follow in Sam Darnold’s footsteps and parlay a year as a backup into another opportunity to start somewhere in 2025.
Reid wouldn’t reveal who else he plans to sit, although there’s a good chance that superstar defensive tackle Chris Jones will be among them.
The same could go for running back Isiah Pacheco, right tackle Jawaan Taylor and veteran tight end Travis Kelce, who similarly skipped last year´s Week 18 game.
On Friday, the Chiefs were handed a huge injury boost ahead of the playoffs when they designated cornerback Jaylen Watson to return from IR, according to FOX’s Jordan Schultz.
Watson has been sidelined with a broken fibular since late October and his return is a huge boost for the reigning champions. He is reportedly set to practice at the end of Week 18 – the final week of the regular season.
Watson will now have 21 days to be activated to the 53-man roster and could be available to make an official return for Kansas City’s first postseason game in the divisional round.
The defensive star has not played since the Chiefs’ Super Bowl rematch against the San Francisco 49ers on October 20.
