Arrowhead Pride
Let’s see where Kansas City ranks this week.
Even though these games are fixed, the league’s seventh-smallest market is the home of its last undefeated team. Even though these games are fixed, the New York Jets — chosen to play in a total of a dozen primetime games in 2023 and 2024 — currently have a record of 10-17 in those seasons. Even though these games are fixed, none of the thousands of people who would have to know “the fix is in” have ever chosen to become famous by revealing it.
I might have guessed that after the team’s latest improbable victory, Week 11’s power rankings would have revealed yet another way to mark the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs down a peg. But instead, the Chiefs rose in three of this week’s rankings — probably because these games are fixed.
Here’s this week’s sampling:
(unchanged from 2)
It wasn’t quite the escape artistry the Lions displayed Sunday night in Houston, but the Chiefs won a game in which the defense forced no turnovers, the run game stalled hard and the red-zone execution was lacking. Leo Chenal’s blocked field goal was the latest clutch play in Chiefs lore, with Kansas City pulling yet another rabbit out of another hat. Kansas City is 9-0, with eight comeback victories and seven one-score wins. This shouldn’t really be possible, but we throw out the rulebook with this team, this quarterback and this coaching staff. That said, it should be concerning that the Chiefs’ defense has allowed an opposing quarterback to march on a late, productive drive against them two games in a row at Arrowhead Stadium. That unit also hasn’t turned the ball over the past two games, and the Chiefs now actually have a minus-4 turnover differential and the league’s ninth-best point differential (plus-58). They could stand to reverse those trends in this coming Sunday’s big showdown at Buffalo.
— Eric Edholm
(unchanged from 1)
Non-QB MVP: Defensive tackle Chris Jones
Jones has only three sacks, which doesn’t even lead his team, but his impact goes well beyond that number. He has a pass rush win rate of 23.4%, which is sixth in the league and first for an interior lineman. He has done this despite facing a double-team on almost 60% of snaps, leading the Chiefs in pressure rate at 11.6%.
— Adam Teicher
(up from 2)
QB confidence rating: 10
Patrick Mahomes is 12th in the league in EPA per dropback (.12), 17th in passer rating and has thrown almost as many interceptions as touchdowns (nine to 12). That passer rating is on pace to be the worst of his career. Doesn’t matter. He’s still the player every team in the league would trade their guy for in a minute. Two more wins will give him 100 for his career counting the regular season and playoffs. He’s also a three-time Super Bowl champion, two-time MVP and the...
