Vikings, Chiefs lead charge of NFL's hottest teams heading into December

After starting the season 1-5, the Kansas City Chiefs are on a five-game win streak, but they're not the only streaking team right now. The Colts, Texans, Lions and the Cardinals have each won at least three straight games. And of course, the 11-0 Panthers have yet to lose this season.

The Redskins obtained the first-place spot in the NFC East after beating Eli Manning and the Giants on Sunday, while the Vikings regained sole possession of first place in the NFC North. And of course, the wild-card spots remain quite fluid.

Excluding Carolina (the only remaining undefeated), which team is the league's hottest heading into December?

The Minnesota Vikings have been playing well all year. Lately, they've been leaning on Adrian Peterson, and history has shown us that he plays his best football in the second half of the season. In every season that he's been healthy in, Peterson has exploded in the second half. Couple the run game with Teddy Bridgewater's composure and you have a dangerous team.

The whole team is believing that this is their year. Early in the season, they were trying to scratch their way into getting respect. Now, they have respect of other teams and have something to lose. For motivational purposes, the Vikings aren't trying to knock off the king of the mountain -- they are the king. They are defending being No. 1 in the NFC North. Alex Smith is finally throwing the ball down the field, and Jeremy Maclin is making plays. Travis Kelce disappeared in the middle of the season, but he's made a resurgence. The defense has been putting pressure on teams; hopefully, they get Justin Houston back from injury very soon. The Chiefs' secondary is playing up and down, but the unit can make plays.

Kansas City has won five in a row and has winnable games down the stretch. I like the way Arizona is playing right now. Even with the close game in San Francisco, Carson Palmer is playing well, the receiving corps is fantastic and the run game is solid. On the other side, the Cardinals have one of the better secondaries in the league. Typically, when the defense can cover and offense is clicking, that leads to a lot of wins and it has for them.

All in all, Arizona is just a very balanced team. Alex Smith has gone eight games without throwing an interception. The running game has a balanced approach and given the offense enough support, whether it's Charcandrick West or Spencer Ware. The defense is playing outstanding and the front four are getting pressure on their opponents. Tamba Hali and Justin Houston have combined for 14 sacks, so they can get pressure without blitzing. In the secondary, Marcus Peters and Sean Smith are doing a great job of neutralizing playmakers on the outside and forcing them to the middle of the field.

Oakland is the only team that can compete with them from the Chiefs' remaining schedule. Theoretically, they could go to the playoffs with an 11-5 or 10-6 record, and that would set them as the fifth seed in the AFC and put them up against the winner of the AFC South. The Chiefs are the team to watch going forward. The Vikings have won six of their last seven games with their only loss coming to Green Bay in that stretch. They played well again this week on the road against the top-ranked rush defense in the league. Adrian Peterson is proving that he's the top running back in the league, and the Vikings are a well-coached team. They have a chance to win their division and could possibly host a playoff game.

For Brock Osweiler to beat an undefeated Patriots team in his second career start is impressive, regardless of New England's injuries. He stayed poised when the game was on the line. The Broncos have a solid lead at the top of the division, and they're figuring things out offensively. They're in a good spot. The Chiefs are starting to put everything together. The offense isn't turning the ball over, and Alex Smith's arm has become a threat. When Jamaal Charles went down, everyone had questions about Kansas City's run game, but the Chiefs are running the ball like they don't even care that he's gone. The defense is also playing well.

With five straight wins, the Chiefs now occupy a wild-card spot in the AFC, and they're going to keep it.