Who will the Chiefs play next, and where?

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs began their Super Bowl title defense by putting the Miami Dolphins offense on ice en route to a 26-7 win in the coldest game ever played at Arrowhead Stadium.

Despite winning one of the first games of NFL Wild Card weekend, the Chiefs will be among the last to know who and where they’re playing in the AFC Divisional round next weekend. Everything hinges on the game between the Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers, which was delayed due to dangerous travel conditions brought on by a blizzard and lake-effect snow.

If the favored Bills beat the Steelers, Kansas City will travel to Buffalo for a Sunday night game that will kick off at 5:30 in KC. If the Steelers pull the upset, then the Houston Texans will come to Kansas City for a game that will be played at Arrowhead on Saturday afternoon at 3:30.

Traveling to Buffalo would mark the first time in Patrick Mahomes’ career where he plays in a true playoff road game. Between some top regular season finishes, and some good fortune, the Chiefs have played every playoff game that’s not the Super Bowl in Kansas City since Mahomes took the reins from Alex Smith in 2018.

The Chiefs made history last season when they hosted the AFC Championship for a fifth-consecutive season.

Another meeting with the Bills will add to one of football’s best modern rivalries. Buffalo has managed to get the better of the Chiefs in the regular season recently, but Kansas City beat the Bills in the 2020 AFC Championship and in the famous “13 seconds” 2021 AFC Divisional game.

If the Chiefs host the Texans, it will mark a playoff rematch of two franchises who met in the memorable 2019 AFC Divisional round, a thrilling Kansas City 51-31 win where Houston jumped out to a 24-0 lead. While Kansas City still has many of the same key players and figures, it’s an entirely new era in Houston where rookie C.J. Stroud became the youngest QB to win a playoff game.

Kansas City’s path to host a sixth-consecutive AFC Championship isn’t totally in their control. Beyond beating either opponent they may face in the Divisional round, they’ll need top-seeded Baltimore to lose to whichever team they face in order to enjoy homefield advantage.