The Kansas City Chiefs are back. This week's NFL power rankings are very kind to the KC Chiefs and put them in the top three in almost every set of power rankings I looked at. The top three are a no brainer. You have the Patriots and Cowboys at the top. Throughout the entire season, they have been the two best teams. Third, you have the Chiefs. Not the Raiders or Broncos or whoever else you want to put here. The Chiefs just beat the Broncos and Falcons on the road before beating the Raiders (again). The Chiefs have some of the most impressive wins this season. That three-game stretch might be the most impressive of any team in the league this year (Tampa Bay beating Kansas City. Seattle and San Diego is strong).
Here's a look at this week's power rankings...
The Chiefs are now 20-3 since Week 7 of last season, best in the NFL. The Chiefs have a plus-27 turnover margin in that time. Next closest? The Raiders at plus-16. The Chiefs look to keep on rolling against the Titans in Week 15.
Basically half of Kansas City's 302 points come courtesy of defense or special teams. Is that sustainable model for deep playoff push?
Are you a believer? It might be time for that. They are playing well.
Between Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill, the Chiefs have two dangerous playmakers in the passing game. Jeremy Maclin, once he’s all the way back from a groin injury, is pretty good at moving the chains. The Chiefs are becoming as balanced a team as we have in this crazy NFL season.
Speedy rookie WR Tyreek Hill is a major difference-maker. His two TDs against the Raiders, one on a catch and one via a punt return, accounted for most of the Kansas City offense. He is a big-play threat that the Chiefs have not had in previous seasons, and his presence is a major reason that they cannot be discounted in the suddenly wide-open chase for AFC supremacy.
Obviously an important win over the Raiders in terms of the AFC West race. But don't sleep on home-field advantage with these guys. Anything can happen over these last three weeks, including the Patriots losing in Denver and Miami. Likely? Perhaps not. But those are two cities in which Bill Belichick has had trouble over the years. K.C. will get that No. 2 seed if they win out. Man oh man is that easier to do with Justin Houston, Tamba Hali and Dee Ford playing together. (Maybe I should have said man on man.)