Week 9 NFL Power Rankings Roundup: KC Chiefs Shown Respect Despite Ugly Game

Even after a rough game against the Denver Broncos, many outlets are still holding the Chiefs in high regard in this week's power rankings.

The Kansas City Chiefs dropped their second game of the year over the weekend, falling to 6-2 on the season with an embarrassing loss against the Denver Broncos. Despite that, they're not falling too far out of favor in the national spotlight. 

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 some Week 9 NFL power rankings to see where major outlets rank Kansas City among its peers in the AFC and NFC.

NFL.com: 4 (last week: 3)

Trailing the Miami Dolphins, Baltimore Ravens and Philadelphia Eagles in this week's NFL.com power rankings, the Chiefs are still viewed as a top-five team in the NFL here. With that said, all eyes are on Sunday's Dolphins matchup in Germany as a game Andy Reid's bunch absolutely has to win if it wants to control its own destiny in the conference:

The Chiefs have not known life as anything but a No. 1 or No. 2 seed in the playoffs under Patrick Mahomes, but if they want to maintain their hopes of securing a top seed this year, they might be looking at a must-win game this Sunday in Frankfurt, where they'll to face the Dolphins, one of three other 6-2 AFC teams currently. The fact is, the Chiefs were beaten soundly by a team they'd defeated in 16 straight previous matchups, and Mahomes didn't mount anything close to a comeback after falling behind early Sunday. Stricken with the flu, he didn't play well, although a few huge drops and a suddenly shaky offensive line didn't help.

ESPN: 3 (last week: 1)

After pacing the entire league entering Week 8, Kansas City drops a couple of spots in ESPN's Week 9 rankings. Focusing on the outlet's QBR metric for quarterbacks, Adam Teicher takes a closer look at the start Patrick Mahomes has gotten off to this season and why it's something to monitor: 

This could end up being the worst statistical season of Patrick Mahomes' career. He's tied for the league lead with eight interceptions -- which is on pace for 17 interceptions, and that would easily surpass the worst of his career (13). With 15 touchdown passes, Mahomes is on pace for a touchdown-to-interception ratio of less than 2-to-1, which would also be a career worst. Mahomes has always been above that mark, in some seasons well beyond it. -- Adam Teicher

Bleacher Report: 2 (last week: 2)

Bleacher Report's analyst trio of Gary Davenport, Maurice Moton and Brent Sobleski isn't putting much stock in the Chiefs needing to sound any alarms after an off outing. Kansas City remains in the same exact spot as the week before in these rankings, with Davenport emphasizing the importance of Week 9's international game:

"On one hand, I'm inclined to give the Chiefs something of a mulligan for Sunday," Davenport said. "Mahomes was sick, and teams sometimes faceplant. But Kansas City's issues at wide receiver are real, and they looked exceedingly beatable at Mile High. Next week's tilt with Miami in Germany just became as big a litmus test for the Chiefs as it is for the Dolphins. If they drop that game, it's going to be hard to justify calling them the favorites in the AFC."

The Athletic: 4 (last week: 1)

The Chiefs take the longest tumble in The Athletic's weekly power rankings, dropping from first to fourth. Trailing the same three teams as the NFL list, they're still viewed as a top-flight contender. Everything revolves around Patrick Mahomes, though, and Sunday was a good representation of that:

Kansas City fans know what it’s like to hold their breath over news of their quarterback’s health. More than at any time since the Chiefs’ run began, Kansas City seems completely carried by its quarterback this season. With Mahomes suffering from the flu and posting the second-lowest passer rating of his career (59.2) Sunday, the Chiefs lost to the Broncos for the first time in 17 meetings.

Yahoo Sports: 2 (last week: 1)

Echoing the same sentiment as many others, Yahoo isn't necessarily worried about the Chiefs due to this specific game. The larger looming concern could be the lack of offensive firepower, which was once again put on display for the world to see. Kansas City's defense is carrying the team right now:

The Chiefs will be fine. That streak against the Broncos was bound to end eventually, and a five-turnover day was the path for it to happen. If there's a concern it's that the offense has not been great yet. The good news is the defense has improved a lot, which will be really important if the offense catches up.

Read More: Andy Reid Ready for ‘Excitement’ of Chiefs' Germany Game vs. Dolphins