The Kansas City Chiefs’ 38-0 loss to the Denver Broncos didn’t matter much, as they had already secured the top spot in the AFC and a first-round bye in the playoffs. However, the outcome impacted two AFC teams, one of which had unintentionally helped Kansas City in 2019.
The Cincinnati Bengals and Miami Dolphins both needed to win their Week 18 games and rely on the Chiefs beating Denver to make the playoffs. Miami would’ve qualified right away with a win over the New York Jets, while Cincinnati needed both the Broncos and Dolphins to lose. Despite the Bengals’ win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, they were still eliminated, along with Miami.
Although many Chiefs fans aren’t fond of the Bengals because of their rivalry, Miami showed support for Kansas City heading into Week 18. Former Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill even sent well wishes to Kansas City on New Year’s Eve.
When asked about possibly helping Miami with a victory over the Broncos during his press conference last Friday, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said, “Yeah, I didn’t think of that – different head coach (2019 Dolphins).
I like both guys, but that’s a – I’m not trying to help anybody out; I’m just trying to go up and do well in the game, but I haven’t thought of that. I appreciate what they did. I sent them some great Kansas City steaks for doing that, yeah.”
The quarterback for the 2019 Dolphins team that upset the New England Patriots was Ryan Fitzpatrick, now an NFL Prime Video analyst. He reflected on that game with Chiefs Wire’s Ed Easton Jr. before this season began.
“Every time I see a Chiefs fan, they come up to me and say something,” Fitzpatrick explained. “I’ve been in Kansas City a few times for Thursday night football or my cousin’s wedding, but Chiefs fans in general, in the airport, I get that quite a bit still. It was a great memory for me, and obviously one that Chiefs fans really appreciate and will always remember.”
Now, the Chiefs are focusing on the playoffs and are waiting for the winner of this weekend’s Wild Card Round.
