NFL Power Rankings, Week 15: 49ers win thriller over Saints, Chiefs stake claim

5. Kansas City Chiefs (9)

Revenge was on the minds of the Kansas City Chiefs entering Sunday’s meeting with the New England Patriots after seeing how things played out last January.

And even though defeating the Patriots on the road Sunday won’t change the outcome of last year’s AFC Championship, this will certainly be a huge confidence boost for the Chiefs moving forward.

As much as Kansas City doesn’t want to hear it, this year’s team has been far from the dominant squad from a year ago when the Chiefs were considered to have one of the league’s most high-powered offenses led by Patrick Mahomes.

Most football fans would assume that a game against New England in which Mahomes only threw one touchdown pass mean that Kansas City finished on the losing end, but this shows how great of an overall performance the Chiefs put together.

Plus, the Chiefs not only secured the AFC West title, but also put the team in better position to compete for a potential first-round by with the Patriots.

Plenty could happen during these final three weeks, but if Mahomes can play well enough to help the Chiefs continue to win key games, and receive some help from other teams defeating the Patriots, anything could be possible in the AFC playoff race.