The Kansas City Chiefs head into Week 11 rested from a bye week. While sitting at home, the rest of the NFL battled for playoff positioning, impressing the authors of power rankings enough to push the Chiefs down
the gathered lists slightly. Only one site moved the Chiefs up from Week 10 to Week 11.
Here’s this week’s sampling:
NFL.com: 7
(Down from 6)
Kansas City had a pretty quiet bye week, sitting out the trade deadline and hoping for some missing pieces to return in the weeks to come. The run game remains limited in some respects, but the Chiefs are more effective on the ground than you might think, and they still field one of the most dangerous passing outfits out there, even after the disappointing showing at Buffalo. I still think K.C. will win 10 or 11 games, even with a tough schedule ahead, and be a tough playoff out no matter what. The Chiefs should make a strong run to win the division, but do they need to sweep the three remaining games against the Broncos and Chargers in order to do so? They just might. I realize the Chiefs are higher here than some other power rankers have them, but it’s a mistake in my mind to overlook the back-to-back-to-back reigning AFC champs purely based on record.
— Eric Edholm
ESPN: 11
(Down from 10)
Non-QB MVP: RB Kareem Hunt
Some fans might not think of Hunt, but consider this: In a limited role on offense, he has been essential to the team’s success on fourth down. The Chiefs have converted 16 of their 20 attempts on fourth down, which is tied for the third-best rate in the league. Hunt has been the one to convert on 10 of those snaps. When they have converted on do-or-die plays, the Chiefs often end their possession by scoring points (54 total).
— Nate Taylor
The Athletic: 12
(Down from 10)
Breakout player: Kareem Hunt
The ninth-year running back leads the Chiefs in touchdowns (six) and is averaging 4.0 yards per carry, his highest average since 2021 in Cleveland. Hunt has never again reached the heights he did as a rookie in Kansas City when he had 1,327 yards on the ground, but this season hasn’t been bad for a player many thought might be done.
— Josh Kendall
Sports Illustrated: 11
(Down from 5)
If the Chiefs lose to the Broncos this coming weekend, the team’s chances of winning the division for a literal decade straight will all but vanish. While I imagine Andy Reid would relish the opportunity to see how his team would respond to a wild-card berth, nothing screams divisional sea change like Patrick Mahomes getting boxed out of the division title before Thanksgiving.
— Conor Orr
Pro Football Talk: 13
(Up from 14)
They’ve got the car, if they can only find the gas pedal.
— Mike Florio
CBSSports.com: 10
(Same ranking last week)
They come off their bye with a big division road game at Denver. They can’t afford to lose another one, or else their playoff chances could be in real jeopardy.
— Pete Prisco
Yahoo! Sports: 5
(Down from 3)
Chiefs at Broncos is a huge game. If the Chiefs lose, they’ll be 3 1/2 games behind Denver with seven to play. Without a win Sunday, Kansas City’s streak of nine straight AFC West titles is in serious jeopardy.
— Frank Schwab
The Sporting News: 12
(Down from 7)
The Chiefs had to drop a little during their Week 10 bye with several contenders around them flexing. They can be ready to roll in the second half, but the key is beating the Broncos twice and the Chargers once as a team.
— Vinnie Iyer
USA Today: 8
(Same ranking last week)
Hope you’re rested following the bye, fellas − the league’s best team over the past seven seasons set to face two opponents sharing the league’s best record (Denver, Indianapolis) over the next two weeks.
— Nate Davis
FOX Sports: 13
(Same ranking last week)
Still a dangerous team, but they come out of their bye with a 5-4 record and needing to win now. Big tests are looming, too, at Denver and versus the Colts.
— Ralph Vacchiano
