This month of November gave us Chiefs fans a breath of fresh air! After what we could call a disastrous beginning of the season, no-loss November gave back a glimmer of hope to get back on tracks and possibly get to a third Super Bowl, even though the road is still very long.
However, against the Las Vegas Raiders, something changed, the offense got back to its usual self and the Chiefs controlled their fate getting on top of the AFC West for the first time this season.
The game at Arrowhead this past weekend against the Dallas Cowboys could have been much trickier, but with a convincing win and an amazing performance of the Chiefs defense, the Chiefs remain atop the AFC West standings right before their bye week.
This win allowed the Chiefs (7-4) to create a little more separation between themselves and the Raiders (5-5) and Broncos (5-5). The Chargers (6-4) continue to be one of the hottest teams in the division, and they had a close Sunday night win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Kansas City’s first-place will be actually in danger this coming weekend when the Chargers take on the Broncos. If the Chargers win, they will move up to 7-4, and they will be first of the division given that they won against the Chiefs earlier this season back in week 3.
But there is still good news for the Kansas City Chiefs, as they can still control their fate (AFC West and the AFC in general). Four of K.C.’s remaining six games are against AFC West opponents and they are very important. If they succeed to win all of them, they will get a big advantage for the AFC playoff picture.
Meanwhile, the Chiefs aren’t totally out of the race for the No. 1 seed in the AFC. They sit only one game behind the first-place Titans who are 8-3. However, the Chiefs’ biggest issue is the fact they already lost against their biggest rivals in the AFC: the Titans, Ravens, and Bills, which means they’d need to finish one game ahead of those teams to get the top AFC seed.
The Chiefs seem to be back to being the amazing team they usually are. Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill, and Travis Kelce are performing better. After a very shaky start through their Week 7 loss to the Titans, the Chiefs have won four consecutive games in November.
The two-time reigning AFC champions were not favorites anymore but after a perfect November, according to FanDuel Sportsbook, the Chiefs have the second-best odds (+700) to win it all. They’re behind only the team that beat them in Super Bowl 55, the reigning NFC champion Buccaneers (+500). So can we consider they are back to be the team to beat in the AFC?
So let’s take a look at the AFC playoff picture. The Titans (8-3), who lost in Week 11 to the Texans, are one game ahead of the Patriots (whom they play in Week 12) and Chiefs. The Ravens (7-3) remained a half-game ahead of New England and Kansas City. So far, looking at it, the Chiefs can finish no lower than their current No. 4 position, as long as they win the AFC West.
The No. 1 position does not seem that far out anymore though. The Bills are no longer in the first spot, the Titans no longer have Derrick Henry and the Ravens are weirdly struggling. The Titans and the Patriots play each other in Week 12; the outcome will help the Chiefs either way.
A final record of 12-5 or 13-4 for the Chiefs is a safe bet, don’t you think?
After their bye week, a renewed offense, and an amazing performing defense, they still have a chance to get through the playoffs and they will possibly be much hungrier than other teams. They often say strong defenses win championships, if the Chiefs keep playing that way, it looks good for January and February 2022.
