16. Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs probably have to beat the Houston Texans to keep their season alive, and a seventh loss would take them out of the running for the AFC West title, which would end a nine-year reign.
The Chiefs have been average this year, and it’s reflected in the record. Approaching Sunday Night Football against Houston, we just have not seen much of anything of note from this team on either side of the ball.
The roster talent is average, and the shortcomings of GM Brett Veach are being exposed. Frankly, he rode the coattails of what former GM John Dorsey was able to do, and it’s catching up to Veach.
The Chiefs have to begin hitting on some draft picks immediately, as the Broncos and Chargers both have more overall talent than KC. Perhaps a year without the playoffs is what this team needs to reset a bit and start this dynasty back up?
Kansas City is at huge risk of losing to the Texans, and I think Houston ends up pulling it out. That defense might be too much.
15. Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are all of a sudden 6-7 on the season after another win, blowing out the New York Jets in Week 14. It’s been a late-season resurgence for the Dolphins, who are creeping back into the playoff picture and are now just two games out of that final Wild Card spot, held by the 8-5 Indianapolis Colts.
I am not sure the Dolphins will do enough in the end to make the playoffs, but this is a pretty good streak for them, and they deserve a lot of credit for it. Earlier this season, the Dolphins parted ways with GM Chris Grier and also traded Jaelan Phillips to the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Dolphins are a solid team right now but do have some notable roster flaws, and I am not sure the QB is someone who can consistently lead this team late in the season. To be fair, though, Tua Tagovailoa has actually never finished a season with a losing record in his NFL career.