Different opinions about undefeated KC chefs

Fresh off the bye week, the Kansas City Chiefs returned to their winning ways in Week 7 of the NFL season. With a victory over the San Francisco 49ers in a regular season rematch of Super Bowl LVIII, Andy Reid’s team sent out a statement that it can still compete with some of the best organizations in the sport. As a result, they are the last undefeated team in football.

Where do the back-to-back Super Bowl champions rank compared to their peers? Let’s take a look at some Week 8 NFL power rankings from major outlets as Sunday’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders approaches.

Another week, another example of that The 33rd team leaving the Chiefs at the top of their power rankings. Even with Patrick Mahomes struggling, the reigning champs are finding ways to win games.

What else can we say about the Kansas City Chiefs at this point? They’ve passed every test with flying colors, and Patrick Mahomes isn’t even playing well. He has more interceptions than passing touchdowns, and yet they are 6-0 and well on their way to being #1 in the AFC. The only question is can the passing attack get better, because if not, they could be exposed in the playoffs. But so far, so good for Kansas City. – Marcus Mosher

The weekly Bleacher Report The quartet of analysts seems to agree that Kansas City is worthy of the No. 1 spot here. However, there are questions as to whether this current version of the offense is enough to win another ring.

Kansas City’s ability to adapt and overcome is truly impressive. We certainly didn’t expect the Chiefs to rely on players like Hunt and Noah Gray at the start of the season, but here we are. The defense is great. Patrick Mahomes is still Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City remains the team to beat. The big question is whether Andy Reid can continue to piece an offense together on another Super Bowl run — and I fully expect Kansas City to pursue a receiver before the Nov. 5 trade deadline. But for now, I have to keep the Chiefs first. – Kristof Knox

While Reid’s group has won back-to-back games by double digits, there may still be something about this team that isn’t overwhelmingly impressive. That seems to be what Conor Orr is riding with this week as he has the Detroit Lions taking the top spot from the Chiefs.

I imagine part of the reason I’m downgrading the Chiefs is simply because their style has become tiring for me. I hate to admit that, but it’s true. And when we talk about power, it is this vague concept that can draw on so many different qualities that a team possesses. It’s clear that the combination of Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes is more powerful than any other entity in football. But I’d like to see the Lions and Chiefs in a cage match right now. The Chiefs may battle it out very well, but the Lions look so intimidating right now. – Conor Orr

The Chiefs retake the throne this week NFL.com power rankings thanks to another result that proved they can pull off wins even when things aren’t perfect.

Did you know that Patrick Mahomes has fewer TD passes (six) than the Panthers this season, or that he is tied for the league lead in interceptions (eight)? One reason you might not know it: The Chiefs are 6-0 and have apparently mastered the art of winning ugly, which is almost always the mark of a great team. (The Patriots had this script cold in the later stages of their dynastic run.) Mahomes’ two picks against the 49ers on Sunday probably weren’t entirely his fault, and he had plenty of support with a prolific and diverse run game — seven players ran with the ball – and a defense that continues to suffocate its opponents every week. Brock Purdy’s three interceptions all came inside the Kansas City 34-yard line, with the last in the end zone. A lot of people doubted the Chiefs’ ability to lift another Lombardi Trophy when they won games like this a year ago, but I doubt many of those people feel the same way now. – Erik Edholm

Ranked bottom again in this week’s roundup, The Athletics puts the Chiefs in fourth place. The Lions, Baltimore Ravens and Minnesota Vikings are lining up ahead of them.

The stats page doesn’t think the Chiefs are an elite team. Their offensive DVOA (13.2 percent) ranks seventh in the league, but is much closer to the Bengals (13 percent) than the Ravens (33.6 percent), according to FTN Fantasy. According to TruMedia, they are 16th in the league in yards per play (5.4) and 25th in the league in yards per carry (4.1). Patrick Mahomes ranks 23rd in passer rating (82.5) and has thrown more interceptions (eight) than touchdowns (six) this year. And yet here we are. The Chiefs are undefeated and half of their wins have come against winning teams. – Josh Kendal

Until Kansas City starts losing games, Bucky Brooks isn’t putting them lower on his list of the top 10 teams in the NFL. It’s that simple.

It’s hard to move back-to-back champions from first place when they’re picking up wins against good opponents. The Chiefs can win by playing different styles to exploit their opponent or mask their own shortcomings. While Patrick Mahomes hasn’t found his rhythm consistently in 2024, the Chiefs remain undefeated despite the former MVP’s turnover woes. – Bucky Brooks

Echoing a similar sentiment as Brooks, Pete Prisco gives the Chiefs props for leaning on their defense and natural ability to win games.

They just keep going as the only undefeated team. But they do it behind the defense while the offense works through things. – Pete Prisco

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