The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Las Vegas Raiders 31-13 during Week 18, clinching the No. 1 seed in the AFC conference.
As everyone turns their attention to the NFL’s Super Wild-Card Weekend, the Chiefs will get a first-round bye week. The pundits seem torn on what to do with Kansas City in its power rankings this week. Some see them as the top team in the league after a full 17-game season, while others can’t see past what they believe to be fatal flaws.
Below you’ll find a look at where pundits have placed the Chiefs in their latest power rankings and what they’re saying about them with the playoffs on the horizon:
USA TODAY
Ranking: 2
Last week’s ranking: 2
Author: Nate Davis
Author’s take:
Kansas City won 10 of its last 11, earning AFC’s No. 1 seed for the third time in QB Patrick Mahomes’ five seasons as starter. But they won’t be playing Bills at Arrowhead Stadium, where they’ve eliminated Bills past two years, this month.
The Ringer
Ranking: 2
Last week’s ranking: N/a
Author: Austin Gayle
Author’s take:
No team has better odds to win the Super Bowl than the Chiefs. Even with the possibility that they have to play in a neutral-site AFC championship game (if they were to advance to face the Bills), Kansas City has an inside track to make it to Glendale, Arizona, because they have Patrick Mahomes. It really is that simple. Mahomes finished the regular season leading the NFL in expected points added per dropback, passing yards (5,250), and passing touchdowns (41). Mahomes managed to elevate the Chiefs offense in a year when many thought he’d struggle without Tyreek Hill, and he continues to prove each week why he’s the best quarterback in the NFL.
The Athletic
Ranking: 1
Last week’s ranking: 1
Author: Bo Wulf
Author’s take:
The Chiefs have the added benefit of knowing they won’t have to beat both the Bills and Bengals in order to make it to Arizona. They also have the best offense in the league (by DVOA and EPA per drive) and a defense playing better of late. Things have not always been easy this season for the Chiefs, but no one else has Patrick Mahomes.
NFL.com
Ranking: 4
Last week’s ranking: 4
Author: Dan Hanzus
Author’s take:
The Chiefs took care of business on Saturday, easing past the Raiders to clinch the AFC’s No. 1 seed for the third time in five seasons. Patrick Mahomes will enter the playoffs coming off another outstanding regular season that will almost certainly lead to his second league MVP award. Mahomes led the NFL in touchdown passes (41), passing yards (5,250) and QBR (77.6) — a triple crown of sorts for the game’s most important position. The fact that he remained a dominant force after losing a future Hall of Fame wide receiver in Tyreek Hill via offseason trade only reinforces the understanding of Mahomes’ generational greatness. Kansas City has never won less than 12 games in his five years as a starter. A third trip to the Super Bowl could be next.
Sports Illustrated
Ranking: 1
Last week’s ranking: N/a
Author: MMQB Staff
Author’s take:
Remember this offseason, when one of the top story lines was the amount of talent in an AFC West that had likely caught up to the Chiefs? Well, here we are on the eve of the playoffs, with Kansas City the No. 1 seed, looking for a fifth-straight AFC title game appearance and a possible third Super Bowl trip in four years.
CBS Sports
Ranking: 2
Last week’s ranking: 2
Author: Pete Prisco
Author’s take:
They will be the top seed in the AFC after beating the Raiders Saturday night. Once again, Patrick Mahomes and gang will be a tough out come the postseason.
Pro Football Talk
Ranking: 3
Last week’s ranking: 3
Author: Mike Florio
Author’s take:
Neutral site or not for the AFC title game, that week off comes in handy.
