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The Kansas City Chiefs back to being a top 10 team? That's what some of these 2015 NFL power rankings think as we head into Week 11 of the NFL season. The Chiefs three-game winning streak is the second longest in the AFC behind the unbeaten New England Patriots. The Chiefs are now 4-5 on the season after their disastrous 1-5 start. Given their second half schedule, they are very much in the AFC playoff picture.
The reason to believe in the Chiefs is their defense. They are on a tear with games of points allowed of 13, 10, 13, 16 and 18. They are a top 10 team if their defense is playing like that. However, the offense, while scoring 29, 45 and 23 in their past three games, still needs some work. The Chiefs need more consistency out of the offense and more touchdowns in the red zone instead of field goals.
Two outlets I have seen so far have the Chiefs in the top 10 - SB Nation and Peter King. (I had nothing to do with the SB Nation ranking, I swear!)
Your Week 11 NFL power rankings:
Meanwhile, Kansas City won its third straight game, this week against the Broncos, and as it moves to 4-5, the team has made quite a few people sit up and pay attention. The Chiefs posted 29 points on a very good defense (with a little help from four interceptions by their defense) and Charcandrick West has done an admirable job replacing Jamaal Charles in that offense. Kansas City fell off of a lot of radars after starting 1-5 but it has stormed back into relevancy.
Put me on record as saying the Chiefs, even settling for field goals, would have beaten a classic Peyton Manning on Sunday. That defense is playing the way it should have all season right now.
Manning didn't play well and that certainly helped the Chiefs' cause. But give Kansas City credit for what happened in Denver, too. They play one team with a winning record the rest of the season.
The Chiefs are 4-5, but they've outscored opponents by 29 points this season and have the second-best turnover differential in the NFL (plus-8).
Don't look now, but 5-4 Buffalo is only winning team left on schedule. Red-hot Chiefs primed for playoff push.
Yes, beating Peyton Manning and the Broncos is currently worth only a two-spot bump.