Hot Kansas City Chiefs Back in AFC Playoff Race After 4th Straight Win

One month ago, the Kansas City Chiefs seemed likelier to contend for the No. 1 overall draft pick than a playoff spot. After four straight wins, this is a team no one wants to face.

The Chiefs moved to 5-5 on the season with a statement win over the San Diego Chargers on Sunday, blowing out their division rival by a score of 33-3.

While they remain three games behind the Denver Broncos in the AFC West, their .500 record is enough to remain in the hunt for the postseason. Unless the Buffalo Bills can upset the New England Patriots on Monday night, Kansas City will enter Week 12 tied for a wild-card spot.

How did this happen? 

In mid-October, this team had fallen to 1-5 while being completely unable to move the football without the recently injured Jamaal Charles. The defense had been torched by the Green Bay Packers and Cincinnati Bengals, and there was little reason for optimism within the organization.

While things seemed bleak, this was simply the beginning of a drastic turnaround in Kansas City.

The biggest difference has been the play of the defense. After holding both the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings to fewer than 20 points in losses, the unit cranked it up even more and has since been among the most dominant in the league.

Including Sunday, the Chiefs are averaging just 9.8 points allowed during a four-game winning streak.

Gil Brandt of NFL.com noted the difference:

The first key to the success has been the front line creating a deadly pass rush for opponents. The Chiefs have 16 sacks over the last four games and a lot more hurries and quarterback hits that have helped stall drives and force mistakes.

This leads to the next difference, which is the 12 takeaways in this stretch.

These plays have led directly to points either with returns for scores or simply by putting the offense in great field position. In reality, the offense doesn't have to do much when a defense is playing at this level.

Head coach Andy Reid credited his star players after the game, per Chiefs.com's BJ Kissel:

Eric Berry has been inspiring in his return, but players like Justin Houston, Tamba Hali, Derrick Johnson and many more have been just as valuable while keying this recent run from the defense.

Meanwhile, the offense hasn't exactly lit up the scoreboard, but it is doing its job.

Thanks to the careful play of Alex Smith, this group has not turned the ball over during the four-game winning streak. Although the quarterback is not putting up huge numbers (213.3 passing yards per game in this stretch), it certainly helps when the team can trust you to throw it without risking an interception.

Of course, Smith has been doing more than just "managing the game." He has been especially impressive running the ball, scrambling for 149 rushing yards and a score during the winning streak. This has helped extend drives while giving defenses one more thing to worry about.

Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

At the same time, the offensive line has helped clear space for whoever is in the backfield.

Charcandrick West was a big name for fantasy football competitors in recent weeks, but after he went to the sidelines with a hamstring injury on Sunday, it was Spencer Ware who came through with 96 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries.

Even Dontari Poe had a rushing touchdown in the win.

When a team can keep the "next man up" mentality and remain successful no matter who is in the game, you know it has the character to keep winning.

Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk gave credit to the coach for keeping the team afloat:

This talk of playoffs seemed insane until now, but there is no reason to doubt the Chiefs going forward. With a defense that repeatedly makes big plays and an offense that takes advantage of opportunities, the recipe is there for continued success.

Just as importantly, the upcoming schedule is very favorable for the recent run to continue. The six remaining games come against teams with a combined 20-39 record, with only the Bills currently having a winning record. As previously mentioned, even that could change by the end of the weekend.

If Kansas City continues its recent formula, there could be a lot more wins before the year is over.

The Chiefs have certainly surprised a lot of people by turning around their season, but nothing they have done has been luck. They have dominated the turnover battle and consistently won in the trenches.

These things should continue while the squad fights its way toward a playoff berth.

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