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NFL power rankings 2015: Chiefs over Patriots?

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You can make the argument that the Kansas City Chiefs are the second best team in the AFC playoff field right now. They have given strong indications over two games that they're better than the Broncos and the Bengals are currently playing with something called an AJ McCarron. The Chiefs could be the second best team in the AFC with the way things stand at this moment.

The best AFC team would be the New England Patriots. I don't think many Chiefs fans are going to argue that KC is a better team than New England. But a few of this week's NFL power rankings have the Chiefs ahead of the Patriots. So there.

This week's power rankings:

SB Nation: 3

If there's a team in the NFL that's hotter than the Cardinals right now though, it's the Chiefs. Kansas City clinched a playoffs berth on Sunday to continue their complete season turnaround, becoming the only team in NFL history with a five-game losing streak followed up directly with a nine-game winning streak. They're giving up just 18 points per game (2nd-NFL) while protecting the football, second in the league with a +15 turnover ratio. Alex Smith continues to fly under the radar but set a career mark for passing yardage (3,330) on Sunday against the Browns. They might not be the sexy Super Bowl pick right now, but they're extremely balanced and tough.

Pro Football Talk: 5

Nine straight wins makes them the hottest team in the AFC. And still no one believes in them.

Peter King: 6

Last time they lost, the first pitch of the World Series hadn’t been thrown. By beating Oakland, the Chiefs will enter the postseason on a 10-game winning streak.

USA Today: 5

AFC's hottest club may yet notch home playoff game, and Arrowhead Stadium is a raucous venue no team enjoys visiting.

NFL.com: 4

Can Kansas City take out any team in the AFC? That's a question worth pondering as the Chiefs clinched a playoff spot Sunday with the win over the Browns. Much like the win over the Chargers two weeks ago, this deal was nip and tuck all the way, but that's been the 2015 season in a nutshell. Anybody can beat anybody, and whoever is hot is the team to beat. Well, with the Panthers falling in Atlanta, the Steelers falling in Baltimore and the Seahawks falling to the Rams, no team is hotter than Kansas City right now. What happens when this group gets Justin Houston back at full bore?

Washington Post: 3

With the issues facing by the Patriots, Bengals and Broncos, it's possible that no AFC team will enter the postseason better equipped for success than the Chiefs.

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