Four and out: Surprises from the NFL in Week 10
By Dani Bostick
3. The Bears and the Chiefs seem to have salvaged their seasons
Both the Chicago Bears and the Kansas City Chiefs got off to a rough 2015. Both, however, seem to have salvaged their seasons.
Earlier in the season, many pundits and analysts saw the Chicago Bears finishing at the bottom of the league, predicting the team would use an inevitable first-overall pick on a quarterback. Instead, after losing to the Lions and then putting up a valiant fight en route to their loss against the 7-2 Minnesota Vikings, the Bears suddenly have a record of 4-5 and are ranked far from the bottom Week 11 power rankings. (The spate of 2-7 teams certainly helps their cause in that regard.)
Oft-maligned quarterback Jay Cutler has already thrown for over 2,000 yards, tallying 13 touchdowns, five interceptions, and 174 of 271 passes completed (64.2%). He is far from elite, but Cutler is proving he can lead his team to victory.
Bottom line: The Bears’ playoff hopes are not dead. They are playing decent football under new head coach John Fox.
The Kansas City Chiefs are also, suddenly and surprisingly, serious playoff contenders in the AFC West. More than salvaging their season, they have a real shot at the AFC North division title, particularly with Peyton Manning benched with injury, and playing inconsistency well before that decision was made.
The Chiefs haven’t just won their last three games, they’ve dominated their opponents, beating the Steelers 13-23, the Lions 10-45, and the Broncos 29-13. The Chiefs have an easy schedule in the upcoming weeks. They face off against the 2-7 Chargers, injury-riddled Bills, 2-7 Ravens, and equally dismal Browns. They battle the Oakland Raiders twice before the end of the regular season. While that team is a greater challenge, the Chiefs have been playing very well. A surprise, considering they lost four of their first five games this season.
Bottom line: The Chiefs are serious playoff contenders and have been playing as well as any team in the league in recent weeks.
Next: 2. The Houston Texans beat the Cincinnati Bengals