Kansas City Chiefs: Best 5-5 Playoff Team
By Dan Salem
There are an incredible eight NFL teams at 5-5 entering Week 12, but only one is the most dangerous in the playoffs. The Kansas City Chiefs would be the best playoff team of all. Dan Salem and Todd Salem debate in today’s NFL Sports Debate. Check out more of the brothers in Seesaw Sports Debate on BuzzChomp. Two brothers from New York yell, scream, and debate sports.
TODD:
After three Thanksgiving Day games on Thursday, we are in the midst of Week 12 of the NFL season. The odd thing is, there are still so many teams hovering right around .500 despite the lateness of the season. Few squads have separated themselves from the pack in either direction, either positively or negatively.
Since the sample set is large as it is, I’m going to limit this query to teams with a literal .500 record of 5-5. Of all the 5-5 clubs, and there are eight of them, which do you like best for the playoffs?
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Now this is NOT the same thing as which team has the best chance in the playoffs. The answer to that question would obviously be either the New York Giants or one of the AFC South teams just based on pure percentage chance of making the playoffs in the first place. Instead, I want to know which 5-5 team would be the best playoff team.
Here are the choices: Seattle, Tampa Bay, the Giants, Kansas City, Indianapolis, Houston, the Jets and Buffalo.
The Seahawks are probably the most talented team of the bunch, giving them the highest ceiling. But we have yet to see that ceiling reached all year. Why would they suddenly turn it on in another month? The same goes for the Colts, even with a healthy Andrew Luck.
The Jets are tempting, but they actually are one of the only teams in this plot trending down. Everyone else has been playing really good football recently. That includes Houston, thanks to its defense, the Giants, thanks to their passing offense and Tampa Bay, thanks to it playing the Eagles.
Of course, the correct answer may be the Chiefs or Bills. Each of these teams had high preseason expectations and seem to be rounding into shape here late in the year. If either one actually got into the playoffs, no first-round opponent would be happy about it.
Of the eight 5-5 teams, I’d have to grab Seattle just because I’m always the last to jump off a bandwagon when it’s crashing, but I could hear a legitimate argument for nearly all of the other teams in question.
Aug 21, 2015; Kansas City, MO, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back
Rod Smith(45) carries the ball against Kansas City Chiefs cornerback
Marcus Cooper(31) in the second half at Arrowhead Stadium. Kansas City won 14-13. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports
DAN:
The Seahawks are a tempting choice, but a wrong one. I do not trust their offensive live, and with Marshawn Lynch sidelined for a month or more, I can’t put my faith in the legitimacy of their running attack either. Seattle is probably the second most dangerous team, because of their defense and sheer playoff experience.
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It’s the Kansas City Chiefs who would be the most dangerous 5-5 team in the playoffs. Perhaps I’m falling into the trap of ‘what have you done for me lately,’ but the Chiefs have absolutely found their identity over the last month of football. The same can not be said about the other seven teams.
Injuries knock the New York Jets down a peg at the moment. The team has failed to prove it can be resilient and make the necessary adjustments to win close games. The Giants, Buccaneers, Texans, and Bills have all looked excellent at times, but I don’t trust both sides of their football teams. Either offense or defense is holding them back. As for the Colts, they are a shell of themselves. Sorry not sorry.
Kansas City started this season very slowly, but proved it can adjust and find ways to win. In their four straight victories the Chiefs have held opponents to 13, 10, 13, and 3 points respectively, and two of those games were against the Steelers and Broncos. Kansas City never lost a step after losing its star running back. Charcandrick West has stepped in nicely for the injured Jamaal Charles. But its the old reliable that makes them a true playoff threat.
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No one says much about quarterback Alex Smith, but he is quietly having an excellent season. With ten touchdowns to only three interceptions, and an average quarterback rating of 93 on the season, Smith is an ideal playoff quarterback. He makes very few mistakes, and a lot of key throws. He’s a game managers for a team with a strong defense and running game. That’s why Kansas City is the most dangerous team of the bunch. Several others, like the Jets and Bills and Seahawks, have molded their teams to this model. Yet only the Chiefs are currently playing it to perfection.
Dan Salem is a Staff Writer for NFL Spinzone. He’s also Lead Editor, Staff Writer, and Featured Vlogger at BuzzChomp, and a New York Jets Analyst for Pro Football Spot. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, or Instagram.
Todd Salem is a Staff Writer for NFL Spinzone. He’s also a Contributing Editor at BuzzChomp, a Featured Columnist at College Sports Madness, and an Analyst for Tipster Labs, among others. Follow him on Twitter.