NFL Power Rankings: The Kansas City Chiefs have good shot at history
If you thought the Kansas City Chiefs’ season was over at 1-5, history was on your side.
Since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970, the only 1-5 team to make the playoffs was the 1970 Cincinnati Bengals. They were actually 1-6, in a 14-game season, and won out to make the playoffs. That’s pretty amazing (also, as a side note, that was the team for which Bill Walsh is credited for devising what would eventually become the “West Coast Offense”).
What the Chiefs are doing is pretty remarkable, as well.
Kansas City has won four in a row and is in a four-way tie for the last wild-card spot in the AFC. And they have to be considered a favorite to get a wild-card spot based on this remaining schedule:
Week 12: vs. Buffalo
Week 13: at Oakland
Week 14: vs. San Diego
Week 15: at Baltimore
Week 16: vs. Cleveland
Week 17: vs. Oakland
Wow. Not one winning game among the six remaining opponents. Three of the worst teams in the NFL (San Diego, Baltimore and Cleveland) remain. The only .500 team, Buffalo, comes into Kansas City next week off a short week, and quarterback Tyrod Taylor hurt his shoulder on Monday night. Oakland should provide a couple tough games, but you have to figure the Chiefs get at least a split there.
A 4-2 finish, given that schedule, is the bare minimum it seems. 5-1 seems about right and 6-0 might happen. Could we see a team start 1-5 and finish 11-5? Take a look at that schedule again, and you tell me.
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The Chiefs have saved their season how the Chiefs under Andy Reid have always had success, and that’s with a good running game (even without Jamaal Charles), a safe passing game and a really good defense. Even though the formula the Chiefs use isn’t exciting, the possibility in front of them is. If they just win the games down the stretch that they’ll be big favorites to win, they’re going to become the first team in 35 years to start 1-5 and make the playoffs. And if they do that, who is really going to want to play them in January?
Here are Shutdown Corner’s power rankings after Week 11:
32. San Francisco 49ers (3-7, Last week: 32)
The final score didn’t really reflect it, but for a while in the second half the 49ers were in that game against the Seahawks, after falling behind early. Give them credit for continuing to play hard.
31. Cleveland Browns (2-8, LW: 31)
Cornerback Justin Gilbert, a 2014 first-round pick who went ahead of Odell Beckham, among others, has played 32 snaps all season for a bad team. And 23 of those came in one game. Because of the team’s other first-round pick last year, Gilbert doesn’t get a ton of attention. But he’s going down as an all-time bad pick.
30. Baltimore Ravens (3-7, LW: 28)
The Ravens will go the rest of the season without Joe Flacco, Justin Forsett, Steve Smith and Breshad Perriman on that offense. It might get ugly the rest of the way.
29. Tennessee Titans (2-8, LW: 29)
The Titans won’t have too much intrigue the rest of the way, but the backfield provides some. Antonio Andrews has been decently productive, and rookie David Cobb made his debut last week. Can either of them make the case to be the 2016 starter?
28. San Diego Chargers (2-8, LW: 26)
The breaking point was reached. Too many injuries and not enough to play for equaled a total zero in that loss to the Chiefs. Can’t imagine it gets too much better the rest of the season.
27. Detroit Lions (3-7, LW: 30)
The Lions gave up 42, 34, 28 and 45 points before the bye. In the last two weeks they’ve given up 16 to Green Bay and 13 to Oakland. That’s a heck of a sudden turnaround.
26. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-6, LW: 27)
It’s not like they played that well against the Titans last Thursday night. But a win is a win, and they’re still just a game out of a playoff berth.
25. New Orleans Saints (4-6, LW: 24)
Dennis Allen gets to take over the defense, as the new coordinator replacing Rob Ryan. How he does the next six weeks could significantly affect his future job prospects, especially if the Saints show a lot of improvement.
24. Washington Redskins (4-6, LW: 21)
In a bad game, it was good to see Washington finally get DeSean Jackson involved, with five catches and 87 yards. That’ll help their offense a lot.
23. St. Louis Rams (4-6, LW: 18)
On the Case Keenum concussion issue: The NFL has fined Cameron Heyward writing a tribute to his late father on his eye black. The league tried to suspend Tom Brady four games for being “generally aware” of something or another in deflate-gate. The league claims to take concussions seriously. Unless the NFL takes punitive action against someone — the officials who Fisher said told the Rams trainers to leave the field after briefly questioning Keenum, the trainers, Fisher himself for being “generally aware” his quarterback had a concussion, the press box spotter, any number of people who could have done something to help Keenum but didn’t — then it’s hard to take the league seriously anymore when they say the concussion issue matters to them. Just saying “Well, we’ll tell teams again about our protocols!” is just ignoring the entire issue and sweeping it under the rug, which shouldn’t be the case anymore.
22. Miami Dolphins (4-6, LW: 19)
Seven carries for red-hot Lamar Miller in a game that Miami didn’t trail by more than one score until the final nine minutes? Sure, makes total sense.
21. Philadelphia Eagles (4-6, LW: 16)
For all the angst, for all the people who are so strangely excited to see Chip Kelly get chased back to college, the Eagles are one game out of first place. Behind an average-at-best Giants team.
20. Oakland Raiders (4-6, LW: 12)
Really surprising to see rookie receiver Amari Cooper have such a quiet day, with just one catch for 4 yards. He hadn’t had fewer than four catches or 46 yards in any game before Sunday. One has to assume he’ll make up for it next week.
19. Houston Texans (5-5, LW: 23)
For the second straight year, Bill O’Brien is getting a lot more out of the offense than he should. He has done a nice job as the Texans have crawled back to .500.
18. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-5, LW: 25)
I’ll give it to Lovie Smith: Having this team at .500, after how bad they looked in Week 1 getting blown out at home against Tennessee, is a big surprise.
17. Atlanta Falcons (6-4, LW: 11)
They’re not the first team to start fast, especially with a little juice from a new coach, and then fade a bit. But it’s still stunning to see how dramatic the decline has been.
16. Dallas Cowboys (3-7, LW: 22)
It just feels like if they can beat Carolina on Thanksgiving, it’s game on in the NFC East race.
15. Chicago Bears (4-6, LW: 17)
Jeremy Langford watch: 78 carries, 3.2-yard average.
14. New York Giants (5-5, LW: 15)
The Giants schedule is not easy down the stretch. They probably can’t afford to drop Sunday’s game at Washington, especially with the Cowboys becoming a factor again.
13. Indianapolis Colts (5-5, LW: 20)
The Matt Hasselbeck story is really fun.
12. New York Jets (5-5, LW: 10)
The Jets are sticking with struggling Ryan Fitzpatrick at quarterback, reports said on Monday. I mean, I understand the question, but what other option do they really have?
11. Seattle Seahawks (5-5, LW: 14)
If you put nostalgia aside, I’m not sure why you’d pay Marshawn Lynch $9 million in base salary next season, especially with how Thomas Rawls has played this season.
10. Buffalo Bills (5-5, LW: 9)
The problem is this: The Bills fought really hard in that loss, have nothing to show for it in the standings, and now have another really important road game at Kansas City on short rest. Rex Ryan has a big challenge ahead getting his team ready, especially if quarterback Tyrod Taylor isn’t healthy.
9. Kansas City Chiefs (5-5, LW: 13)
Never thought a couple months ago I’d be saying this, but Charcandrick West’s health is a really big story this week. He left Sunday’s game with a hamstring injury. Kansas City vs. Buffalo on Sunday is a huge game in the playoff picture.
8. Minnesota Vikings (7-3, LW: 6)
Sunday was a reminder that this is still a young team that played for nine weeks like they were a bit ahead of schedule. And they can still finish strong and win the NFC North.
7. Green Bay Packers (7-3, LW: 8)
Randall Cobb is having a really odd season. He hasn’t been over 100 yards since Week 2, and has had more than 53 yards once since Week 3. He has six touchdowns, but three of those came in one game. On Sunday he had two catches for 24 yards, though he did have a score. It can’t be the preseason shoulder injury still holding him back, can it?
6. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-4, LW: 7)
Sunday will be a really fun game at Seattle. This Seahawks isn’t what it was the last couple years, but it’s still a great matchup against the Steelers’ fantastic passing game.
5. Denver Broncos (8-2, LW: 5)
I think this team will beat the Patriots next Sunday night. This is a team that was 7-2 with the 32nd rated starting quarterback in the NFL. They’re a better team now, with Brock Osweiler, than they were a couple weeks ago.
4. Cincinnati Bengals (8-2, LW: 3)
I don’t think there was anything to be concerned about from their play on Sunday night. If anything, I feel better about the Bengals’ chances of doing well in the playoffs after they played very well in a tough spot on Sunday night at Arizona. They just came up a little short.
3. Arizona Cardinals (8-2, LW: 4)
Rookie J.J. Nelson had four catches for 142 yards on Sunday night. It’s unfair how deep Arizona is at receiver.
2. Carolina Panthers (10-0, LW: 2)
Devin Funchess has improved a lot since the start of the season. If he can keep getting better, maybe he can be the true No. 1 receiver the Panthers could really use in January.
1. New England Patriots (10-0, LW: 1)
At some point, even the great Tom Brady needs some receivers to throw to. Who will be healthy for Sunday’s game at Denver?
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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab
