Week 7 NFL Power Rankings Roundup: Where Do Chiefs Stand Following Bye?

Entering Week 7 with an undefeated record after a bye, the reigning Super Bowl champs are held in high regard by most sets of national power rankings.

Oct 7, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) speaks with media after the win over the New Orleans Saints at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images / Denny Medley-Imagn Images

With the bye week in the rearview mirror, the second half of the Kansas City Chiefs' season begins this week. It was an early split for Andy Reid's squad, albeit one that provided plenty of time to rest and gear up for the most important stretch of the 2024-25 campaign.

Where do the back-to-back Super Bowl champs slot in compared to their peers? Let's take a look at some Week 7 NFL power rankings from major outlets as Sunday's game against the San Francisco 49ers approaches.

The 33rd Team: 1

No change in this week's power rankings for The 33rd Team. Despite not having many blowout victories and even with some questions at the wideout position, Kansas City maintains its spot atop the NFL.

The Kansas City Chiefs were off in Week 6, and it’s hard to put any team ahead of them. They haven’t looked as dominant as the Vikings, but their big-game experience is what puts them here at No. 1. It’ll be fascinating to see if the Chiefs add a receiver before the trade deadline, as that’s easily the weakest spot on the roster, but with their limited resources, it might not be possible. – Marcus Mosher

Bleacher Report: 1

Gary Davenport and the Bleacher Report NFL staff seem to have put a lot of stock in the Chiefs' Week 5 performance against the New Orleans Saints. With over 400 yards of total offense coming from that outing, it's hard not to.

What can you really say about the Chiefs that hasn't already been said? After making multiple offseason upgrades offensively, the Chiefs watched as injuries ravaged that new-look offense—and haven't missed a beat. Patrick Mahomes hasn't posted especially gaudy numbers. Neither has veteran tight end Travis Kelce. But the Chiefs just keep winning. The Chiefs just play solid, complementary football on a weekly basis...and having the NFL's best quarterback doesn't hurt. – Gary Davenport

Sports Illustrated: 1

By DVOA standards, Kansas City's first five games made for the NFL's toughest opening schedule. With that now being a thing of the past, it could be somewhat smooth sailing ahead once Week 7 is in the books.

Coming off the bye, Kansas City travels to San Francisco for a Super Bowl rematch. Upcoming, there’s an interesting stretch of games that doesn’t look like a murderer’s row but should teach us a little about other teams, while also keeping alive the possibility that the Chiefs stay undefeated for a while. – Conor Orr

NFL: 2

It's all about the Super Bowl LVIII rematch this week. While San Francisco might be a .500 team on paper, the talent on this squad is more than enough to challenge Kansas City in its first game back from the bye.

This hierarchy's top two teams each face a marquee matchup in the return to action after a bye week. The Chiefs must go to San Francisco and face a semi-rested 49ers team eager to keep getting back on track -- and perhaps exercise a small measure of revenge for this past February's Super Bowl loss. The latter makes for great headlines, but coaches will use that stuff to motivate players, too. The 49ers are 3-3 and still won't have Christian McCaffrey, but their offense remains highly flammable when it's not turning the ball over. The Chiefs' excellent defense will have something to say about that, but will the offense have enough to exploit a shorthanded Niners defense? The unit must show it can survive and even thrive without several pieces, having passed the first post-Rashee Rice test pretty well in Week 5. If Hollywood Brown eventually returns, it will likely only be for the stretch run. But we might be just a handful of games from Isiah Pacheco's return, which certainly would be a boost. – Eric Edholm

The Athletic: 4

Week 7 marks the lowest this writer has seen the Chiefs in any set of power rankings. The Athletic believes a move might be needed at the receiver spot if this level of success is going to be sustained long-term.

JuJu Smith-Schuster is the most proven wide receiver on the roster. He hasn’t had a 1,000-yard season since 2018, and he has only nine catches this season. Rookie Xavier Worthy, the leading active wide receiver (12 catches, 179 yards), will get better, but this team is trying to three-peat. It can’t afford to stand pat at this position, can it? The Chiefs are unlikely to get into the Davante Adams sweepstakes, so Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper looks like the most attractive option. – Josh Kendall

FOX Sports: 1

This week's top 10 teams list from Bucky Brooks is once again headlined by Kansas City. Brooks isn't necessarily all the way sold, but it's difficult to ignore a perfect start record-wise.

The back-to-back champs continue to find ways to win despite a sputtering offense. The Chris Jones-led defense smothers opponents and creates enough short fields and scoring opportunities for Patrick Mahomes & Co. to put enough points on the board. Though the offense must find its rhythm for the Chiefs to three-peat, Andy Reid's squad remains the team to beat in 2024. – Bucky Brooks

CBS Sports: 1

It's another brief set of power rankings for Pete Prisco. He has his eyes set on Sunday's game as a barometer for Steve Spagnuolo's side of the ball.

They come off their bye with a big road game at San Francisco against the 49ers. The defense will be tested in the Super Bowl rematch. – Pete Prisco

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