Week 12 NFL Power Rankings Roundup: Chiefs Slide After First Loss

No longer undefeated, the Kansas City Chiefs have started to slide down NFL power rankings. How far has KC fallen in the eyes of the media?

Nov 17, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) is sacked by Buffalo Bills linebacker Terrel Bernard (43) in the first quarter at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images / Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

The Kansas City Chiefs fell to 9-1 with their 30-21 loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 11. How has that loss changed Kansas City's perception among national NFL media members? While the Chiefs haven't fallen far in several notable power rankings, KC has lost the top spot across the board.

Sports Illustrated: 3

The Chiefs fell two spots in Conor Orr's latest power rankings for Sports Illustrated, slipping behind the No. 1 Detroit Lions and No. 2 Bills.

Now the Chiefs know precisely what they can and cannot get away with. The pass rush needs to improve. And pass protection as well. Patrick Mahomes was under pressure on nearly 40% of his snaps despite the Bills rushing more than four defenders on roughly 22% of Mahomes’s dropbacks. The Bills did an excellent job, in my opinion, of layering pressure and attacking Mahomes during the latter parts of his drop when he is normally able to extend plays and allow wide receivers to break open. – Conor Orr

NFL: 3

In the NFL.com power rankings, Eric Edholm ended up with the same podium: Lions, Bills, Chiefs.

If the Chiefs had won Sunday, they might have all but wrapped up the AFC's No. 1 seed. Now that race is in doubt, with the Bills on their tails and the Steelers a few lengths back (a Week 17 meeting in Pittsburgh looms). So we've gone from talking about an unbeaten season to suddenly wondering if Kansas City will end up with a first-round bye in the playoffs. We know from history that only matters so much; for two of their three Super Bowl wins during the Andy Reid era, the Chiefs were not the conference's top seed. Taking the long, hard road to a third straight Super Bowl title is still a big, big ask, even for this legendary dynasty. The most difficult part about Sunday's defeat to Buffalo is that some of the big dogs came up short. Patrick Mahomes threw two tough picks, Travis Kelce was held in check, DeAndre Hopkins was quiet and the vaunted defense did not perform up to its typical standard. – Eric Edholm

The 33rd Team: 2

The Chiefs fell from No. 1 to No. 2 forThe 33rd Team, with the Lions taking the top spot. Marcus Mosher explained why he isn't too worried about KC.

The Kansas City Chiefs finally lost, and it felt like it was coming for the past several weeks. The offense has looked good in spurts, but it hasn't consistently scored 24+ points.

Against good teams, that’s what you need to do. The Chiefs will be just fine in the long run, and a loss like this could end up being a good thing for them. So don’t panic too much here. – Marcus Mosher

Bleacher Report: 2

The Bleacher Report NFL Staff gave KC the same assessment as The 33rd Team: one spot behind the Lions, one spot ahead of the Bills.

Kansas City's run at perfection faded as Bills quarterback Josh Allen rumbled into the end zone for a touchdown in the fourth quarter on Sunday. But the pressure of a perfect season no longer on their shoulders, the Chiefs might be more at ease for the remainder of the campaign as they eye a playoff run.

Perhaps the Chiefs will now be able to rest key players or limit workloads before going through the postseason gauntlet for a shot at a three-peat. – Maurice Moton

The Athletic: 3

Taking a specific look at the temperature of head coaches' "hot seats" in this week's power rankings, Josh Kendall of The Athletic says Andy Reid's seat isn't cold, it's gold.

That’s not a typo that should read cold. Andy Reid’s seat is a throne. The 66-year-old will leave Kansas City when he’s ready and not before. He’s under contract through the 2029 season, and that contract is worth $100 million, according to Sportico. Reid needs 62 more wins to pass Don Shula and become the NFL’s all-time winningest coach in the regular season. He would have to stay on a torrid pace to get there by the end of this contract, but he’s on a torrid pace now. – Josh Kendall

FOX Sports: 3

The Chiefs land at No. 3 in David Helman's power rankings for FOX Sports, giving Helman a new No. 1 for the first time this season.

No need to overreact to a road loss to a Super Bowl contender, but it's OK to have concerns about this offense. Patrick Mahomes has few options he can trust, and even the ones he can trust — like Travis Kelce and DeAndre Hopkins — aren't explosive at this point in their careers. The margin for error is thin, and it's why the Chiefs are 9-1 with a point differential of just +49. – David Helman

CBS Sports: 3

Pete Prisco of CBS Sports highlighted the silver lining of KC's loss to Buffalo, completing a power ranking roundup where KC doesn't fall below No. 3.

So much for the undefeated season. At least they got Xavier Worthy going against the Bills. That will be big down the line. – Pete Prisco

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