The NFL gave fans a gift for Christmas: There are two games to watch on Wednesday, both with implications for the AFC playoff seedings. The Kansas City Chiefs will host the Pittsburgh Steelers at kickoff at 1:00 p.m., then the Houston Texans will host the Baltimore Ravens at 4:30 p.m. ET.

NFL Week 17 continues with a Thursday Night Football matchup in Chicago between the Bears and Seattle Seahawks, followed by a tripleheader on Saturday: Chargers at Patriots (1 p.m. ET), Broncos at Bengals (Dec :30 p.m.) and Cardinals at Rams (8:10 p.m. ET).

The athlete NFL writers Jeff Howe, Zak Keefer and Mike Sando answered five questions about the teams participating in these games.

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The Chiefs visit the Steelers in a Christmas Day clash between two of the AFC’s best teams. Who do you like in this game and why?

Keefer: Betting against the Chiefs at this time of year is absolutely stupid, no matter what logic tells you. Patrick Mahomes was injured. The offensive line was spotty. Actually, the Chiefs didn’t look dangerous all season. And yet their record is an astonishing 14:1. How? It’s hard to explain aside from the championship prowess they’ve built over the years and some random lulls late in the game. However, the Steelers are at home trying to keep up with the Ravens in the AFC North. I expect another close game with the Chiefs getting a narrow win.

How: Mike Tomlin always seems to have the Steelers ready when they’re close to the count, so I’m expecting a close game, along with the fact that the Chiefs only play close games. I also expect TJ Watt to be a nightmare for the Chiefs tackles, who have had far too many problems this season. But as much as I see a completely logical formula for a Steelers win, I won’t go against the Chiefs.

Sando: I’m taking the Chiefs because I don’t think the Steelers are dynamic or consistent enough offensivelyo have a close game against a team as efficient as Kansas City. The availability of George Pickens changes the equation for the Steelers. I’ll still take KC, but give Pittsburgh a better chance now.

The Texans are 2-2 in their last four games. That span includes a loss to the Titans and a 3-point win over the Jaguars, two of the worst teams in the NFL. Now they face the 10-5 Ravens. What needs to change for Houston to beat Baltimore and have a long playoff run in January?

Keefer: Injuries were piling up and the team was a mediocre team for much of the second half of the season. At this point, the Texans are merely the best in a bad division and not a true AFC contender – which most of the league thought they would be at the start of the season. The loss of Tank Dell hurts immensely, especially given the absence of Stefon Diggs. Baltimore is by far the more complete team and it wouldn’t surprise me to see the Ravens win by double digits even at NRG Stadium.

Sando: I don’t think a deep playoff run is realistic for the Texans, even though they statistically have a top-five defense. The offense would have to make a huge leap in a short period of time. That’s just not going to happen if you lose another receiver. I’m excited to see what the Texans need to do to regain the offensive momentum they had in CJ Stroud’s rookie season.

How: The Texans need to protect Stroud better. The offensive line was a vulnerable spot all season, affecting Stroud’s accuracy and decision-making. However, they are probably too injured to make the playoffs. Oddly enough, a loss to the Ravens could help the Texans as it would increase their chances of playing the Steelers in the wild card round. I’m not saying they should play the Steelers, but they might be preferable to the Ravens.

The Seahawks said goodbye to Pete Carroll in January after three recent seasons of mediocrity. They are 8-7 under Mike Macdonald and have a 13 percent chance of making the playoffs The athlete‘s model. Do they need to make the postseason for this season to be a success?

Sando: The season will be a success if Seattle’s defense improves significantly (from 27th last season to ninth this season in EPA per game), if the defense appears to be on the right track for the future (which it does ) and if the team’s record does not deteriorate (TBD). Macdonald reversed a 10-year decline on defense in his first season. It looks like he has solved this problem. His next challenge will be implementing a more balanced, physical offense.

How: There’s enough evidence that Macdonald is the right coach for the job, so that’s a huge achievement. It would be a disappointment to miss the playoffs, especially as they wonder what might have happened with some of their injuries. They should finish with a winning record for the third straight year, so that’s a plus. If they miss the playoffs, they’ll certainly regret the loss to the Giants, but the other losses came to the Lions, 49ers, Bills, Rams, Packers and Vikings, showing they’re not at that high level yet. Geno Smith had a solid year, but he did throw four interceptions in the end zone, including a pick-six in the overtime loss to the Rams and another that was picked off at the 2-yard line. Not surprisingly, they went 1-4 in those games. They’re close, but not quite there yet.

Keefer: No. Missing the postseason — especially against a Rams team that was just 1-4 at one point — would certainly be disappointing, but I still think Macdonald laid the right foundation for the franchise. It was obvious that Seattle needed to turn over a new leaf after the Carroll era. The next challenge will be deciding how long to keep Geno Smith at quarterback. As competitive as the Seahawks were, mediocrity can be maddening. The last two years have been 9-8. It could very well be you again.

The Chargers and Broncos both play Saturday afternoon with a chance to clinch the AFC’s final two playoff spots. Which team would you least want to face in the postseason and why?

How: They are both capable of playing good defense and have strong identities, but the Chargers have the better quarterback. And if the seed stays intact, the Broncos have to visit Buffalo, and I’m not picking the Bills to upset anyone in the opening round. The only way to get through the AFC is with elite quarterback play, and the Chargers have a better chance of doing that with Justin Herbert.

Keefer: The Chargers are the better team, and the way Jim Harbaugh got Herbert playing, I wouldn’t want to host the Chargers in the wild card round. If that ends up being Pittsburgh — which is competing with Baltimore for the AFC North title — I wouldn’t be surprised if Harbaugh’s team went to Heinz Field and won.

Sando: I’d rather not face the Chargers because Herbert can make spectacular plays on his own, like he did last week in beating the Broncos. But overall I don’t see much difference between these teams. Denver could also pose a challenge.

The Rams have it in their hands to win the NFC West and return to the playoffs for the sixth time in Sean McVay’s eight seasons as coach. What impressed you most about this year’s team?

Keefer: I spent some time with the Rams in training camp and it was overwhelming to me how many new faces there were on the roster – this team has had about as much turnover as any team in the league in recent years. Then came a series of injuries and a 1-4 start. “Get fully prepared,” McVay repeatedly told his assistants. “And don’t be afraid of having your heart broken.” What impressed me most is how McVay has found different ways to reach out not only to his players, but also to his staff – who, like his squad, every year suffer from fluctuations. Chris Shula has settled into the role of defensive coordinator well: Aside from a tough day against the Bills – understandable given how Josh Allen and his unit are playing – the Rams have allowed 15 points or fewer in three of their last four games.

How: Matthew Stafford played at an extremely high level for most of that 8-2 stretch, but their defensive improvements were the reason for the turnaround. The Rams allowed at least 24 points in their first five games, but only two in their last ten. I’m worried about the offensive line and the Rams’ chances of prevailing against the NFC North opponent they’ll likely tie in the first round, but this is another impressive coaching job from McVay.

Sando: They have recommitted to a physical style of football on both sides of the ball. They did this through personnel acquisition, schematic changes and McVay’s playmaking calling. The Rams seem to have a clear vision of what they want to be and are consistently executing on it.

(Top photo of Russell Wilson and the Steelers: Rob Carr / Getty Images)