Week 17 NFL Power Rankings Roundup: Chiefs Rising After Another Victory

Entering Week 17's play, where do major outlets have the Kansas City Chiefs in their updated sets of NFL power rankings?

Dec 21, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid watches play against the Houston Texans during the second half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images / Denny Medley-Imagn Images

The Kansas City Chiefs squared off against another conference playoff opponent in Week 16, and Andy Reid's team rose to the challenge by defeating the Houston Texans by eight points. They may have earned some additional respect from national media in the process.

Where do the back-to-back Super Bowl champs slot in compared to their peers? Let's take a look at some Week 17 NFL power rankings from major outlets as Wednesday's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers approaches.

The 33rd Team: 1

Up from the No. 2 spot, this week's power rankings from The 33rd Team bumps Kansas City up to the top available slot.

The Kansas City Chiefs did it again. They played sloppy football for most of the game but found a way to shut down Houston’s offense in the second half. The Chiefs are just one game away from securing the No. 1 seed in the AFC, which they certainly need, given all the veterans on their team. But can they get it done against the Steelers in Pittsburgh on Wednesday? We shall see. – Marcus Mosher

Bleacher Report: 1

The Bleacher Report crew apparently came away impressed by what they saw from Patrick Mahomes and company in Week 16, as this is a jump from the No. 4 spot to the No. 1 ranking.

Patrick Mahomes ' ankle isn't an issue. On five carries, he scrambled for 33 yards and a touchdown against the Texans last week. In the same game, Hollywood Brown made his Chiefs debut, catching five passes for 45 yards. Cornerback Trent McDuffie has two interceptions in his previous two games as a game-changer in the secondary. Kansas City will clinch the No. 1 seed in the AFC to ease its pathway to a potential three-peat. – Maurice Moton

Sports Illustrated: 3

For Sports Illustrated, Conor Orr was tasked with coming up with an ideal holiday gift for each NFL team.

The incoming and outgoing Presidential administrations setting up a pardoning showdown over the wolf-mask wearing, bank robbing Chiefs superfan. – Conor Orr

The Athletic: 4

Up two spots from ranking sixth a week ago, the Chiefs' biggest question here from The Athletic centers around whether Xavier Worthy is ready to become the club's leading receiver.

The rookie wide receiver has been targeted 11 times in each of the last two weeks and has responded with 13 catches for 111 yards and a touchdown. It’s like Andy Reid is telling him the playoffs are coming. With wide receiver Hollywood Brown making his Kansas City debut Saturday, Worthy had a season-high seven catches. If Worthy can turn into a true No. 1 option, the three-peat is fully on the table for the Chiefs. – Josh Kendall

NFL: 1

Another list, another No. 1 ranking for Kansas City. Eric Edholm thinks everything is coming along nicely for the reigning champs on the offensive side of the ball right now.

Most of the questions about Patrick Mahomes' ankle were answered on the Chiefs' opening drive Saturday against the Texans. On third-and-13, Mahomes rolled to his right, then scrambled back the other way, and you could almost hear all of Arrowhead holding its collective breath for a few seconds before letting out a nervous roar as he came up a yard short, getting tossed to the turf at the end. But when Mahomes popped up and coaxed Andy Reid into going for it on fourth down, all was right in the world. Mahomes converted for the first, and then, two snaps later -- why not? -- he scrambled 15 yards up the gut for the touchdown. What ankle injury? Seriously, that was all I needed to see.

With Mahomes OK, Xavier Worthy making big contributions and Hollywood Brown looking better than expected in his season debut, the Chiefs are exactly where they need to be at this point. – Eric Edholm

FOX Sports: 4

David Helman brings the Chiefs up from fifth to fourth in his Week 17 power rankings, pointing to a nearly flawless record against projected playoff teams.

Not a surprise to see Patrick Mahomes start six days after twisting his ankle. Bit of a surprise to see Mahomes rush for 33 yards and a touchdown on that ankle, as the "unimpressive" Chiefs improved to 6-1 against teams that are currently in the playoff field. – David Helman

CBS Sports: 1

As usual, Pete Prisco keeps his power rankings logic short and sweet. It's another week with the Chiefs at the top, and Christmas Day's game in Pittsburgh could be another mile marker for the season.

They just keep on winning. The offense is starting to click, which is not a good thing for the rest of the league -- starting this week against the Steelers. – Pete Prisco

Read More: Chiefs Release Injury Report with Chris Jones Update, KC Makes Multiple Roster Moves