KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Alex Smith cracked a brief smile that perhaps was more telling than his comments about a possible week off now that the Chiefs have clinched the AFC West title with one regular-season game remaining.

“We’ll see," Smith said after the 9-6 Chiefs wrapped up their second straight division title with a 29-13 win over the Miami Dolphins at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday. “I’m pumped about the back-to-back thing right now and, obviously, clinching. We’ll see what [coach Andy Reid] does."

Reid was noncommittal about his plans for the New Year’s Eve game against the Broncos in Denver. But if history holds, Smith and other key Chiefs players can expect to have a bye week, of sorts.

The Chiefs have nothing to gain or lose in the standings with a victory or loss to the Broncos. They are locked into the AFC’s fourth seed, which won’t give them a postseason bye but will allow them to play their opening playoff game at Arrowhead, on either Jan. 6 or Jan. 7.

The Chiefs could finish with the same record as the 8-7 Chargers but would hold the tiebreaker for the division title because they swept the season series against Los Angeles. The Chiefs also could close with the same mark as 10-5 Jacksonville, but the Jaguars would own the tiebreaker for the No. 3 seed, holding a better record in games against AFC opponents.

Faced with a similar situation in 2013, when the Chiefs had their playoff seed set before the final regular-season game against the Chargers, Reid sat many of the Chiefs’ key players, including Smith, running back Jamaal Charles, wide receiver Dwayne Bowe, tackle Branden Albert, defensive lineman Dontari Poe and linebackers Justin Houston and Tamba Hali.

Based off that, Smith, running back Kareem Hunt, tight end Travis Kelce, Houston, cornerback Marcus Peters and others could be looking at a down week. Rookie quarterback Patrick Mahomes II, the Chiefs’ first-round draft pick who hasn’t yet taken a snap this season, could be in line to start.

“I think there are advantages and disadvantages [to resting players] that you could make arguments for," Smith said.

The main advantage is, of course, that those key players would be protected from injury against the Broncos.

“This is a physical game and you don’t know what can happen," Smith said.

But the Chiefs also could lose the momentum they’ve built by winning three straight games, this after losing four in a row.

“I don’t think that necessarily outweighs the other things," Smith said. “But again, I don’t get to make these decisions."

The Chiefs, with backups in key roles, played well in that 2013 regular-season finale in San Diego. They lost to the Chargers in overtime, but only after missing a potential game-winning field goal attempt in the final seconds of the fourth quarter.

Then they charged to a 38-10 lead in the third quarter of their wild-card round playoff game against the Indianapolis Colts, only to waste that huge advantage and lose by one point.

Whatever Reid decides to do, the Chiefs will be prepared for it.

“The season isn’t over," Kansas City linebacker Reggie Ragland said. “When [Reid decides], he is going to set the tone and let us know what we need to do.’’