In Week 8 of the 2026 NFL regular season, the Kansas City Chiefs lost to the Denver Broncos in a pivotal game for the division and conference standings.
Let’s see how the national media reacted to it in this week’s sampling of power rankings:
ESPN: 6
(Down from 4)
Best in-season trade acquisition ever: WR Kadarius Toney in 2022
The Chiefs had one of the league’s best offenses in 2022 and still added Toney, acquiring him from the Giants for a 2023 third-round pick and a 2023 sixth-round pick. He wasn’t a major
part of the offense, but he made contributing plays to help the Chiefs to the No. 1 seed in the postseason. The greatest game in Toney’s career was Super Bowl LVII, when he scored a touchdown and generated a pivotal 65-yard punt return in the second half to help the Chiefs complete their comeback victory. That punt return is the longest in Super Bowl history. — Nate Taylor
The Athletic: 5
(Down from 3)
Reality check: They’re bringing Justin Tucker back?
It feels inevitable after Harrison Butker missed another kick Sunday, this one a 54-yarder with 2:36 remaining that might have changed the complexion of the game. Butker, 31, has now missed six field goals this year and 11 in the last two years, and the Chiefs just added Tucker to the practice squad. Tucker, 36, hasn’t played since 2024 and served a 10-game suspension last year following allegations of sexual misconduct.
— Chad Graff and Josh Kendall
Pro Football Talk: 7
(Down from 5)
Can the Chiefs beat the best teams in the league?
— Mike Florio
CBSSports.com: 7
(Down from 4)
The explosive running game of the 5-0 start has gone away the past two weeks, both losses. See the correlation? They have to get Kenneth Walker going again.
— Pete Prisco
Yahoo! Sports: 7
(Down from 4)
Biggest need: Receiver, but don’t forget about offensive line
This is no surprise: The Chiefs still need help at receiver. Their offense has been built around Kenneth Walker III to good results, but it’s an incomplete unit. Rashee Rice is productive but not a dominant No. 1, Xavier Worthy hasn’t broken out and there’s not much else to speak of. Among the Chiefs’ wideouts, Rice has 243 yards, Worthy has 230, Tyquan Thornton has 219 but he’s on injured reserve and nobody else has more than 65. It’s a team that is a perfect candidate to try to turn around Brian Thomas Jr.’s career.
But the Chiefs also can’t ignore the offensive line. Guard Kingsley Suamataia was benched for the second time this season on Sunday. Offensive tackle Josh Simmons has been a problem and was put on IR. Receiver would be the more splashy move, but adding to the offensive line might be even more prudent.
— Frank Schwab
USA Today: 10
(Down from 6)
Of QB Patrick Mahomes’ 321 passing yards on Sunday at Denver, 72% went to his running backs and tight ends. Here’s hoping K.C. can find him a difference-making wideout ahead of the Nov. 10 trade deadline.
— Nate Davis
Sports Illustrated: 12
(Down from 6)
Guys. Guys. Guys. GUYS. Guys. It was a false start.
— Conor Orr
Sporting News: 6
(Down from 3)
Patrick Mahomes got back on track with his passing in Denver, timed with the return of Rashee Rice as his top wide receiver. Andy Reid can point to one big reason why the Chiefs lost to the Broncos. They had a season-high 11 penalties go against them, after having only 41 in the previous six games, the second-lowest total in the NFL.
— Vinnie Iyer
FOX Sports: 5
(Down from 3)
That was a decent bounce-back game from the Chiefs after they got pounded by the Seahawks. They were literally inches away from beating the Broncos. Two losses in a row isn’t great, nor is the fact that Kenneth Walker III and their rushing attack struggled again. But Patrick Mahomes is playing his best football since his 2022 MVP season. That’s going to be enough to keep the Chiefs in the Super Bowl hunt. And if they add a receiver before the trade deadline, they might be the AFC favorites.
Next game: vs. Jets (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Stat To Know: The Chiefs are one of only two NFL teams to rank in the top five in both total offense and scoring defense. They rank fifth in both categories, averaging 383.1 yards per game and allowing 18.7 points per game.
— Ralph Vacchiano
