2019 NFL power rankings, Week 11: Steelers jumping, Chiefs slumping

Recap: Starting quarterback Jacoby Brissett suffered a knee injury in last week’s loss at Pittsburgh and veteran Brian Hoyer filled in the rest of the afternoon. And the latter would be at the helm from the start when the team took on the visiting Miami Dolphins. Regardless of who was throwing the football, wide receiver T.Y. Hilton would not be available for the second consecutive week. The Indianapolis’ defense limited the visitors from South Florida t 229 total yards, sacked Ryan Fitzpatrick three times and forced two turnovers. But Hoyer had a rough outing, hitting on less than 50 percent of his passes (18-of-39). While there was one score, he was picked off three times.

Next Week: The Colts are home for the second consecutive Sunday and renew acquaintances with the rival Jacksonville Jaguars. A season ago, these clubs split their two-game set for the third time in four years dating back to 2015. Indianapolis won at home, 29-26, in Week 10 but were shut out at Jacksonville, 6-0, three weeks later.

Playoff hopes: It’s been a rough two weeks for Reich’s battered team, which has played very respectable defense but has made far too many mistakes for any number of reasons. And with kicker Adam Vinatieri struggling as well this season, the club’s margin for error is extremely slim. Can this Indianapolis’ team regroup in the coming weeks?

Recap: The AFC West frontrunners made their way to Nashville for the first time since 2013. On Friday, head coach Andy Reid announced that quarterback Patrick Mahomes would get the start after missing the previous two games with that knee injury. And the 2018 NFL MVP wound up throwing for an astonishing 446 yards and three scores by game’s end. But just when the Kansas City defense looked like it was starting get its act together, it was rolled by Titans’ running back Derrick Henry, who was a big part of the clubs exploiting Steve Spagnuolo’s unit for 225 yards on the ground. Reid’s team gave up 22 second-half points and couldn’t protect a nine-point fourth-quarter lead.

Next Week: Reid’s team looks to continue its recent success vs. the Chargers as these AFC West rivals renew acquaintances on a Monday night in Mexico City. While the Chiefs fell at home by one point (29-28) on a Thursday night last season (Week 15 of ’18), Kansas City won the previous nine clashes between the longtime combatants.

Playoff hopes: A 4-0 start has now turned into four losses in the team’s last six games. And suddenly the Chiefs have as many losses as the Oakland Raiders, the latter just one-half game behind Reid’s club. Just when the Kansas City defense was starting to make strides, it laid an egg on the road. Can the Chiefs get this fixed sooner than later?

Next: Nos. 10 and 9