Last week, the Kansas City Chiefs were an easy call to move up in power rankings after a 30-17 win over the Detroit Lions. This week, a 31-0 shutout of the Las Vegas Raiders continued the trend. Every power ranking we’re tracking moved them up again — including a few with the Chiefs at the top.
Here’s this week’s sampling:
NFL.com: 3
(Up from 9)
If the Chiefs’ record were a hair better, I’d have considered them for a top-two spot after the 31-0 beatdown of the rival Raiders. This was peak-Chiefs dominance, and
even though the blowout win came over a scuffling Las Vegas squad, that’s exactly what you want to see from a team that fielded a lineup of Xavier Worthy, Hollywood Brown and Rashee Rice together for the first time. The result was an extremely balanced attack; even the run game showed some signs of vitality. Defensively, it was a masterpiece. The schedule stiffens considerably, and the big showdown in Buffalo is only a couple Sundays away, but the Chiefs are suddenly peaking, and Patrick Mahomes is again an MVP favorite.
— Eric Edholm
ESPN: 7
(Up from 9)
Unsung nonstarter/role player: LB Leo Chenal
Chenal, who is in the final year of his rookie contract, has continued to improve throughout his career. He helped set the tone in their Week 4 win over the Ravens by intercepting quarterback Lamar Jackson late in the first quarter. He also has been a constant, reliable defender in limiting the production from various running backs, including Jahmyr Gibbs, Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley and rookie Ashton Jeanty. Even in a pinch, Chenal can be effective as an additional pass rusher or as the spy defender. — Nate Taylor
— Nate Taylor
The Athletic: 4
(Up from 5)
Don’t look now, but the Chiefs are back to being Super Bowl favorites, per Bet MGM. With their receiver group fully healthy, they cruised to a win as Patrick Mahomes continues to rewrite records. His 93 regular-season wins are the most of any quarterback before turning 31 years old, and Sunday was his 28th game with at least three touchdowns and no interceptions, the most of any QB in his first nine NFL seasons.
— Josh Kendall
Sports Illustrated: 1
(Same ranking last week)
Granted, against a Raiders team that seems completely adrift, but here were the Chiefs’ first three possessions with Rashee Rice, in which he was dotted all around the offense, playing different positions and getting advantageous matchups against linebackers:
Nine plays, 92 yards, touchdown
17 plays, 84 yards, touchdown
16 plays, 94 yards, touchdown
— Conor Orr
Pro Football Talk: 8
(Up from 13)
Ready or not, here they come.
— Mike Florio
CBSSports.com: 2
(Up from 11)
Patrick Mahomes has his receivers back, and the offense is dynamic again. The defense also came up big in the shutout of the Raiders.
— Pete Prisco
Yahoo! Sports: 1
(Up from 8)
Why the big jump for the Chiefs? They had been too low due to their record. But now we see what the Chiefs look like at close to full strength, and they look like the best team in football. Ask yourself: Do you have more trust in any other team to be in the Super Bowl?
— Frank Schwab
The Sporting News: 4
(Up from 5)
The Chiefs got Rashee Rice back and he immediately scored twice with Patrick Mahomes on point and the defense inspired to dominate against the Raiders. The real Kansas City has seemed to have arrived and emerge as AFC favorites again.
— Vinnie Iyer
USA Today: 1
(Up from 10)
Yes, they’re a mere 4-3. Yes, if the season ended today − it doesn’t − they’d miss the playoffs. Yes, you probably hate this because you have Chiefs fatigue like much of America. Sorry. Not sorry. While acknowledging that parity is currently running amok in a league when the alleged best teams routinely lose to apparent bottom feeders, Andy Reid’s crew just provided the coach the first shutout of his distinguished career. QB Patrick Mahomes appears to be back in MVP-caliber form and certainly leveraged the long-awaited return of WR Rashee Rice in Sunday’s 31-0 defeat of the Raiders. The next four games will shed further light, coming against three 2024 playoff squads and the upstart Colts. But for now? We’re saying this dynasty is alive and well.
— Nate Davis
FOX Sports: 9
(Up from 10)
My “I told you so” team. I know their 31-0 win was only against the Raiders, but the Chiefs out-gained Vegas 434 yards to 95. It was as thorough a beatdown as you can get. They’re back.
— Ralph Vacchiano
