Chiefs clinch top seed in AFC, first 15-win regular season in franchise history

PITTSBURGH, Pa. (KMIZ)

The No. 1 seed in the AFC playoff picture belongs to the Chiefs.

Kansas City spoiled Christmas in Pittsburgh with a 29-10 win over the Steelers at Acrisure Stadium, improving the team's record to 15-1. Wednesday's win secured the franchise's first 15-win regular season in team history.

After locking down the top seed in the AFC, head coach Andy Reid's group will have a bye in the first round of the NFL playoffs and home field advantage throughout the postseason as the Chiefs aim to become the first-ever franchise in league history to win three straight Super Bowls.

The Chiefs never trailed in Wednesday's game, building a quick 13-0 lead in the first 11 minutes. Kansas City's defense forced a three-and-out on Pittsburgh's first possession, highlighted by the first of defensive end Mike Danna's two sacks of the afternoon. Then, quarterback Patrick Mahomes led his offense down the field on each of their first two drives, scoring touchdowns on a 7-yard pass to rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy and an 11-yard pass to wide receiver Justin Watson.

The Steelers cut their deficit down to six points in the second quarter with a 1-yard rushing touchdown from quarterback Russell Wilson, and both teams traded field goals in the third quarter to give Kansas City a 16-10 advantage entering the final 15 minutes of the game.

From there, the Chiefs outscored the Steelers by 14 points in the fourth quarter with a 2-yard touchdown rush from running back Kareem Hunt and a 12-yard touchdown pass to tight end Travis Kelce. Mizzou alum Nick Bolton set the table for Kansas City's final trip to the end zone by recovering a fumble deep in Pittsburgh territory.

Mahomes and Kelce both rewrote the NFL and Chiefs record books during Wednesday's win. With his three passing touchdowns, Mahomes passed hall of fame quarterback Peyton Manning for the most touchdown passes (245) in a player's first eight seasons. Kelce surpassed legendary tight end Tony Gonzalez for the most touchdown receptions in franchise history and became Kansas City's first-ever player to reach 1,000 career catches with his team-leading eight receptions for 84 receiving yards.

Kansas City's defense also tormented Pittsburgh's offense from start-to-finish. The Chiefs recorded five sacks, propelled by a two-sack performance from Danna and one sack from defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah, defensive end George Karlaftis and defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo's unit also forced two turnovers.

Up next - Kansas City travels to Denver for its regular season finale. The NFL will announce the date and kickoff time of that game at a later date.