KC slips in as Denver checks out

NEW YORK – The NFL playoffs will begin in Indianapolis next Saturday when the Colts face the Kansas City Chiefs.

That will be followed by Dallas at Seattle at 5 p.m. Saturday. Then the New York Jets will be at New England at 10 a.m. on Sunday – their third meeting this season – and the New York Giants will play at Philadelphia at 1:30 p.m. to complete the NFL’s wild-card weekend.

The Chiefs (9-7) are the most improbable entry – the sixth and last seed in the AFC.

They entered the weekend needing a number of scenarios to break for them. They beat Jacksonville 35-30, then qualified because Tennessee and Cincinnati lost early games and Denver, which had only to win or tie to get in, was beaten 26-23 in overtime by San Francisco. Joe Nedney’s field goal in overtime won it for the 49ers.

The Jets (10-6) qualified as the fifth seed by beating Oakland 23-3. They split two games with the Patriots (12-4), winning in Foxborough 17-14 on Nov. 12.

San Diego (14-2) held on to the AFC’s first seed, beating Arizona 27-20. Baltimore (13-3) will be No. 2 after beating Buffalo 19-7. The Colts (12-4) beat Miami 27-22 and the Patriots (12-4) won 40-23 in Tennessee.

In the NFC, the Giants (8-8) secured the final spot after beating Washington 34-28 and getting more than enough positive results on Sunday.

Chicago had already secured the top seed entering Sunday night’s game with Green Bay. It was a good thing because the Packers won 26-7. New Orleans (10-6) lost Sunday to Carolina, but had already secured the other first-round bye.

Philadelphia (10-6) won its fifth straight by beating Atlanta 24-17 to win the NFC East, which will have three of the six teams in the playoffs. That title was already secured when Dallas (9-7) lost to lowly Detroit 39-31 earlier in the day.