The Kansas City Chiefs are starting to look like their normal selves, and a massive win against the Detroit Lions might have signaled that this team should not be considered any less dangerous. After winning three of their last four, the team has jumped up big in the latest NFL power rankings.
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The Chiefs dropped two close games to the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 1 and then against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 2. In an uncharacteristic 0-2 start, Kansas City rebounded with back-to-back wins against the New York Giants and Baltimore Ravens.
The issue is the Ravens have lost Lamar Jackson and are nowhere near the competitive team they were expected to be. After a close Week 5 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, the NFL world began to believe again that the Chiefs were still the Super Bowl-caliber team of old.
On Sunday, they proved that again with a dominant 30-17 win over the Lions. Patrick Mahomes tossed 257 yards and three touchdowns, along with rushing for 32 yards and a touchdown. Simply put, this Chiefs team is starting to look tough again.
That said, the latest power rankings from The Athletic dropped, pointing to a massive 10-spot jump for the 2024 Super Bowl attendees.
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In The Athletic’s rankings, the Chiefs sat at No. 15 with a 2-3 record. Following their dominant win against the Lions, the team is now No. 5 overall.
Josh Kendall and Chad Graff offered analysis of every ranking, writing this about the Chiefs’ major jump.
“For all of Mahomes’ greatness, he hasn’t been a fantasy difference-maker in several years. It’s why his ADP was 55 this season. He’s back, though, and the Chiefs might be, too. Mahomes is the third-highest scorer in fantasy (24.46). The Chiefs have won three of four games, and, in that span, Mahomes has thrown for 1,069 yards, rushed for 100 and totaled 11 touchdowns (nine passing, two rushing) against one interception.”
There is no denying that the Chiefs have looked solid against the tougher opponents in the league, even when losing. A few missteps here and there have led to their 3-3 record, which may be a thing of the past come Week 7.
Kansas City will take on the Las Vegas Raiders next. Though they are a divisional opponent, the Raiders are a much worse team on paper. Week 8 also brings the Washington Commanders, who are a tough NFC team.
Should the Chiefs defeat both and sit at 5-3, they may just be near the top of the power rankings. The team is also getting healthy again after dealing with multiple injuries to start the season.
Xavier Worthy, Charles Omenihu, and even Mahomes have been dealing with injuries, but Worthy and Omenihu have returned to action. Mahomes often does not allow injuries to keep him out of contests.
The Chiefs may have started the season off rocky, but they are starting to show signs of the same squad that has been to three straight Super Bowls.
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