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After the Kansas City Chiefs suffered a one-point loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday evening, some power rankings authors chose to consider it as nothing but a blip on the radar. Others thought otherwise. Our favorite word among those written about the Chiefs this week is “aberrational.”
Here’s our weekly sampling:
NFL.com: 2
(unchanged from 2)
As the Chiefs matriculated down the field in the final minutes of their Sunday night insta-classic against the Ravens, the only real drama seemed to be whether K.C. would go ahead on a Harrison Butker field goal or via some standard-issue greatness from Patrick Mahomes. Instead, Clyde Edwards-Helaire put the ball on the turf. The resulting turnover and ensuing failure of the defense to stop a fourth-and-1 Lamar Jackson carry at midfield sealed a crushing 36-35 loss. The game marked the first time the Chiefs were ever defeated in September with Mahomes under center.
— Dan Hanzus
ESPN: 3
(down from 2)
Fantasy surprise: WR Byron Pringle
What Pringle lacks in volume (three catches), he has made up for in impact (23-yard average per reception, including a 40-yard TD). Pringle is the steadiest of the Chiefs’ wide receivers, not including Tyreek Hill. Pringle doesn’t have the upside of Mecole Hardman or Demarcus Robinson but is a good route runner who is always where he is supposed to be and has reliable hands.
— Adam Teicher
Sports Illustrated: 3
(unchanged from 3)
In general, we shouldn’t overreact to single games. The Chiefs lost a road game against a very good team that has spent the last few years obsessed with developing strategies to finally beat them. And it was a close game that came down to just a few swing plays. So my opinion of Kansas City hasn’t changed at all, and I’d still pick the Chiefs to win the Super Bowl. But the teams ahead of them deserve to be there at the moment.
— Mitch Goldich
CBSSports.com: 5
(down from 2)
The defense has to be better than what it showed against the Ravens in the second half. Even Patrick Mahomes can’t rescue them from that all the time. Now they get Justin Herbert this week.
— Pete Prisco
Yahoo! Sports: 4
(down from 1)
It’s not like a loss at Baltimore is bad. It stinks for Clyde Edwards-Helaire that it’ll be on him for his late fumble, but he hasn’t built up enough goodwill for everyone to forgive and forget. He has been nowhere near the playmaker the Chiefs thought they were getting in Round 1 of the 2020 draft.
— Frank Schwab
The Sporting News: 3
(down from 2)
Patrick Mahomes also is using the rest of the NFL as his personal playground with more of his teammates getting into the magic with Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce. He is simply operating on a higher plane where his only company is Brady, the GOAT he’s chasing. Now, he could use some help from his running game and defense to close out games.
— Vinnie Iyer
USA Today: 3
(down from 2)
They’re not in first place in the AFC West for the first time in nearly five years ... but let’s not overreact to one untimely Clyde Edwards-Helaire fumble.
— Nate Davis
The Washington Post: 5
(down from 2)
Don’t fret about the Chiefs too much. Not yet, at least. Yes, they failed in crunchtime and lost a game that they should have won Sunday night in Baltimore. They did very un-Chiefs-like things, such as the ill-advised interception thrown by Patrick Mahomes and the late fumble by RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire. The run defense was pitiable. But the Chiefs’ championship mettle is proven and, for now, the late-game blunders can be regarded as aberrational.
— Mark Maske
Mile High Report: 5
(down from 2)
I still think the Kansas City Chiefs are the team to beat and until Denver beats them head-to-head (something they have not done since 2015) I will be hard-pressed to put Denver above them regardless of record. As for the Raiders, their reign at the top will be a long-forgotten occurrence by seasons’ end.
— Tim Lynch
Bleeding Green Nation: 2
(unchanged from 2)
Not going to ding KC too much for losing to a Baltimore team that needed the win more. The Chiefs only lost by one point and they had a chance to win it at the end before a fumble cost them. They’ll be fine since they have Patrick Mahomes but the defense is an issue with 65 points allowed. Only four teams have surrendered more.
— Brandon Lee Gowton
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