Arrowhead Pride
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:
(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
(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
(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
(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
(Up from 13)
Ready or not, here they come.
— Mike Florio
(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...
