Week 4 Power Rankings Roundup: Chiefs No Longer Consensus No. 1 Despite 3-0 Start

The KC Chiefs are still held in high regard following a win over the Atlanta Falcons, but one outlet has them knocked off the throne in their power rankings.

Sep 22, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid on the sideline against the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Just three weeks into the 2024-25 NFL season, only a few teams remain undefeated. The Kansas City Chiefs are one of them, riding high following a Sunday Night Football victory over the Atlanta Falcons.

The wins haven't been the prettiest, but it's an outcome-oriented business. Andy Reid's club, while still having room to improve, is off to a terrific start this year.

Where do the back-to-back Super Bowl champs slot in compared to their peers? Let's take a look at some Week 4 NFL power rankings from major outlets as Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Chargers approaches.

The 33rd Team: 1

More of the same in this week's set of power rankings from The 33rd Team. Kansas City takes home the top spot, but growth still needs to take place.

It certainly wasn’t pretty, but the Kansas City Chiefs won and covered against the Falcons in primetime. The defense was outstanding once again, stopping the Falcons twice inside the red zone in the second half. Kansas City is still finding its way on offense, and no one else has stepped up outside of Rashee Rice. But the fact that the Chiefs have escaped this part of their schedule with a 3-0 record bodes well for them for the rest of the season. – Marcus Mosher

Bleacher Report: 1

The Bleacher Report analyst trio of the week is in agreement that the Chiefs are the No. 1 power-ranking team this week. Citing talent development and identification, Brent Sobleski believes that's what helps Kansas City keep churning out wins.

The Chiefs continue to show how special they are. Their rookie left tackle struggled through the first two weeks of play. No problem. Kansas City inserted Wanya Morris on the blind side and he proved to be an upgrade. Isiah Pacheco is out of the lineup for a significant amount of time. No problem. Undrafted rookie Carson Steele and veteran pickup Samaje Perine combined for 97 yards on 23 carries during Sunday's victory over the Atlanta Falcons. The Chiefs are back-to-back Super Bowl champs for a reason. They know how to identify and develop talent. They have key pieces in place that allow them to make changes elsewhere and keep chugging along. – Sobleski

Sports Illustrated: 1

No change here. It's the Chiefs' world, and the rest of the football world is just living in it for the time being.

The Chiefs are not perfect, but what makes them beautiful is less about what they are doing and more what other teams believe they have to do in order to beat them. Regardless of the calls Kansas City seems to get on a consistent basis, there is a perception that they get the calls. Regardless of whether they actually have consistent top-tier weapons, there are games when they seem to. And all of this causes their opponents to act out of character and get too faux clever from time to time. Case in point, the Falcons trying a run out of the split backfield with the No. 2 running back doing the lead blocking with the game on the line Sunday night. – Conor Orr

NFL: 1

What makes this current Kansas City run so impressive is how Reid's group can find different ways to win. Regardless of whether it's on offense, defense or special teams, the Chiefs always seem to come out on the right side of narrow outcomes. It may go against conventional logic, but it's the reigning champs' method(s) of choice.

There are a jillion ways to win a football game, and Kansas City could be on a quest to experience each and every one. That's now three close-shave victories in three games, all coming down to the final minute. The Chiefs have never backed down from high degrees of difficulty in their routines, and Sunday night in Atlanta required them to hang on after a slew of defensive penalties, needing a Nick Bolton fourth-down stuff to pull it out. There are still some limitations on offense, and the big play was nowhere to be found vs. the Falcons, but the back-to-back reigning champs are getting it done.

Undrafted rookie RB Carson Steele held up in place of Isiah Pacheco. Rashee Rice turned in another huge game. Travis Kelce woke up a little after halftime but remained underwhelming overall. It wasn't Patrick Mahomes' best night, but he was still the best QB on the field. The Chiefs are now 77-22 in the regular season with Mahomes as a starting QB. Seven wins every nine times he suits up. This season, they're three for three. – Eric Edholm

The Athletic: 2

There's a shakeup in The Athletic's Week 4 power rankings, as the Buffalo Bills take the top spot from the Chiefs. It's hard to disagree too much with praising Buffalo for what they've done so far, but it likely shouldn't come at the expense of Kansas City.

The Chiefs offense isn’t “The Chiefs Offense” and a lot of that is because Kelce has only eight catches for 69 yards. He’s 19th among tight ends in receiving yards and 22nd among tight ends in targets per route run (13.6 percent), according to TruMedia. Kelce saw a pass on 24.5 percent of his routes in the last six seasons, but this season he’s on pace for just 68 targets, his fewest since 2013, when he played only one game. – Josh Kendall

FOX Sports: 1

This week's top 10 teams list is once again headlined by the Chiefs.

The back-to-back champs continue to find ways to win. It is not as pretty as it used to be when their high-powered offense led them, but they are a grittier squad led by a disruptive defense that makes timely plays. With defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo willing to dial up exotic pressures in key moments to get stops, the Chiefs can close out games with Patrick Mahomes on the sidelines. Given their championship mettle and unbreakable beliefs, Kansas City remains the team to beat in 2024. – Bucky Brooks

CBS Sports: 1

At a certain point, you are who your record says you are. For the Chiefs, that reflects a top team in the league right now. The scary part for the rest of the NFL is that the ceiling likely hasn't been reached just yet.

They are winning close games, but the record says they are undefeated. I still think the best is yet to come. Travis Kelce needs to pick it up. – Pete Prisco

Read More: Chiefs vs. Falcons Sets 'Sunday Night Football' Week 3 Viewership Record