The Chiefs still enjoy favorable position(s) in NFL Power Rankings despite being 5-4 and out of the current playoff picture.
Kansas City Chiefs fans are having to scroll a bit more than they used to these days.
With a 5-4 record, the Chiefs are now a third-place team in the AFC West, and their current non-playoff position is going to automatically drop them lower in any NFL power rankings variation around, no matter how favorable the outlet wants to view such a successful team in years past.
Over at ESPN, the Chiefs sit at No. 11 overall, still in front of teams with better records like the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears. They dropped one spot during the bye, so it speaks to the respect the Chiefs still command to remain in or around the top 10 despite their problems this season.
The Chiefs sit at No. 12, one spot lower, in The Athletic’s latest power rankings. The Packers are higher in this order, and the Chiefs are just behind the Buffalo Bills, as they should be given their loss to them in Week 9.
The Chiefs still enjoy favorable position(s) in NFL Power Rankings despite being 5-4 and out of the current playoff picture.
Sports Illustrated is quite kind to underperforming teams, as they have the Baltimore Ravens (at 4-5) and Chiefs ranked at No. 10 and 11, in front of several teams with better records. The maxim says “you are what your record says you are” but it’s clear some voters don’t fully subscribe to that notion when making their power rankings.
If you’re looking for favorable rankings for K.C., look no further than what Eric Edholm has at the NFL’s official site. The Chiefs not only clock in at No. 7 overall, but they’re sitting above the Denver Broncos at No. 8—the team with a two-game lead over Kansas City in the AFC West. The Chiefs and Broncos square off in Week 11, so someone will be proven right (or wrong) soon enough.
Meanwhile, The Ringer finds a place to land in the middle, with the Chiefs at No. 9. They address the “must-win” situation in front of K.C. on Sunday but also has them as Super Bowl contenders. The Chiefs have simply dug themselves into a hole they must now climb out of.
This Sunday’s game will go a long way toward understanding where the Chiefs should be considered in the grand scheme of things. Either they will turn the AFC West into a must-watch race to the finish or find themselves scrambling for answers and desperate for external help to make the postseason.
