Week 16 NFL Power Rankings Roundup: KC Chiefs Not Swaying Anyone After Win
The Kansas City Chiefs' Week 15 win over the New England Patriots didn't teach the football world a ton about them. With that said, it certainly still helped Andy Reid's team in a couple of different ways.
For one, Kansas City is now looking at another AFC West crown if it can take care of business on Christmas against the Las Vegas Raiders. Additionally, it kept the Chiefs alive in their hunt for the top overall seed in the conference. While one of those is far more probable than the other, a win was needed to maintain the best possible outlook for both. Had New England pulled off the upset, things would be looking rather bleak.
With the previous week of games in the books and a new slate on the horizon, where do the Chiefs stand? Let's look at Week 16 NFL power rankings to see where some major outlets rank Kansas City among its peers in the AFC and NFC.
NFL.com: 6 (last week: 6)
No change for the Chiefs in this week's NFL.com power rankings, and that's reflected in how the team is covered here. It appears that style points are the only thing that can get Kansas City to rise over the next few weeks, although that might be a fair sentiment:
This didn’t feel like a great win, no matter how you spin it. Yes, Bill Belichick has a good record vs. Andy Reid. Yes, it’s in New England. And yeah, the Patriots won last week. But the they have been a bad team far more than a good one this season, and the Chiefs almost let them back in the game late despite New England moving the ball more than 29 yards on a drive only twice.
Kadarius Toney had another maddening mistake, dropping a pass that led to a pick. It’s like Week 1 all over again, and it came on the heels of the infamous offensive offsides penalty. Travis Kelce dropped a TD. Rashee Rice had a big game but also had a critical penalty early. The running backs in place of Isiah Pacheco and the defense were Kansas City’s saviors in another game lacking in artistic merit.
ESPN: 7 (last week: 7)
The theme of Week 16's power rankings on ESPN focuses on what each team ranks first in the league in. For Kansas City, that's sack percentage. Steve Spagnuolo and Joe Cullen have worked in tandem to form a very solid pass rush, which Adam Teicher expands on:
The Chiefs bring down the opposing quarterback on 8.8% of dropbacks, which is tied with the Dolphins for the best percentage in the league. The pass rush has been a consistent factor for the Chiefs, who are no longer dependent on Chris Jones to have a big game. Jones is second on the team in sacks with 7.5, which is 1.5 behind George Karlaftis. Three others have at least 4.5 sacks, and 15 players have at least a half-sack. -- Adam Teicher
Bleacher Report: 7 (last week: 6)
The Bleacher Report weekly power ranking trio of Gary Davenport, Maurice Moton and Brent Sobleski drops the Chiefs one spot following Week 15. Moton singles out Kansas City's running back room as something that could continue to come in handy as the playoffs draw near, though:
"The Chiefs' running back room may be their most important position group as they try to spark the offense," he said. "On Sunday, Jerick McKinnon and Clyde Edwards-Helaire threw for or caught all three of their touchdown passes in a 27-17 win over the New England Patriots. Kansas City lead running back Isiah Pacheco (shoulder) didn't suit up for the contest, though he'll likely play a big role upon his return. He's logged 20 touches in each of his last three outings. Though a 10-point win over New England isn't going to erase all of our concerns about Kansas City's offense, the reigning champions have a stable of running backs who can help shorten the team's offensive dry spells."
The Athletic: 8 (last week: 6)
Kansas City is inching closer to falling out of the top 10 in The Athletic's power rankings. Citing things being harder than normal, the outlet seems to be keeping a close eye on the Chiefs' process rather than their results:
Kansas City guaranteed its 11th straight winning record under Andy Reid, but it wasn’t without more drama. Kadarius Toney dropped a pass that turned into an interception, and the Patriots led 10-7 until the final minute of the first half. The defending Super Bowl champion is the No. 3 seed in the AFC right now. The good news is rookie receiver Rashee Rice had his fourth straight game with at least seven catches and 64 yards to take some of the pressure off Travis Kelce.
Yahoo Sports: 7 (last week: 7)
Yahoo football/betting writer Frank Schwab holds the Chiefs in the same regard coming out of Week 15 as he did entering it. He praised Patrick Mahomes for the job he did on Sunday, especially considering that his interception luck continues to be poor:
Patrick Mahomes was excellent on Sunday. He still had to deal with a drop by Kadarius Toney that led to an interception, and he didn't seem too happy about it, but that's part of the package when you have Toney as a big part of your offense.
