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The Kansas City Chiefs' narrow 20-17 win over the Tennessee Titans was enough to edge them up a little in a few of the newest national rankings. But the writing is on the wall: should the Buffalo Bills stumble again, the Chiefs will be seen as the AFC’s best team.
Here’s this week’s sampling:
NFL.com: 3
(unchanged from 3)
How maddening must it be to try to stop Patrick Mahomes? The superstar quarterback struggled to find consistency in the passing game on Sunday night against the Titans, so he used his legs on the fourth-quarter drive that forced overtime in the eventual 20-17 win. Scrambling has always been an underrated element of Mahomes’ game, and it killed Tennessee in what was an otherwise sterling effort by Mike Vrabel’s defense. One offensive subplot to track in Kansas City: Clyde Edwards-Helaire was on the field for just 17 percent of the snaps in the Chiefs’ first game out of the bye. This might be Jerick McKinnon’s backfield to lead going forward.
— Dan Hanzus
ESPN: 2
(up from 3)
Non-QB MVP: TE Travis Kelce
The Chiefs might have been in some trouble if they didn’t have Kelce, who is on pace for 121 catches, 1,400 yards and 15 touchdowns. The receptions and scores would be career highs, and the yards would be within 16 of tying a career-high. With a group of receivers that is otherwise mostly new, Patrick Mahomes needed a pass-catcher he could count on, and Kelce has delivered week after week in a big way.
— Adam Teicher
The Athletic: 3
(unchanged from 3)
Trade recall: Third-round pick Mark Andrews and fourth-round pick Kenny Young for third-round pick Derrick Nnadi (trade with Ravens, April 2018)
A lot of options for another busy trading team. Patriots rookie fourth-round cornerback Jack Jones might already be better than Trent McDuffie, whom the Chiefs moved up to draft while also surrendering the picks that turned into Cole Strange and Matt Corral. Jordan Mailata would represent an upgrade at tackle over Andrew Wylie. Tyreek Hill is having the most productive stretch of his career, but that seems like the one major offseason wide receiver trade in which there’s no seller’s remorse. Instead, the opportunity to pair the two best tight ends in the league together is too enticing for Andy Reid to ignore.
— Bo Wulf
Editor’s note: In this week’s power ranking, Wulf asked himself this question for every team: “If given the chance, what trade would this team reverse today?”
CBSSports.com: 2
(up from 3)
They didn’t look great in beating the Titans, who were playing without Ryan Tannehill. But they found a way, which is a sign of a good team.
— Pete Prisco
Yahoo! Sports: 3
(unchanged from 3)
Patrick Mahomes threw 68 times on Sunday night. The NFL record in a game is 70. Mahomes is great but that’s not ideal. The problem is the Chiefs had 13 running back carries for 14 yards. What should Andy Reid do, try to force a running game that isn’t good, or put it all on one of the greatest quarterbacks we’ve seen?
— Frank Schwab
The Sporting News: 3
(unchanged from 3)
The Chiefs didn’t play their best offense against the physical Titans again, but they pulled out the victory because of Patrick Mahomes’ passing, running and mental toughness. The defense did show up to shut down the run before it was too late.
— Vinnie Iyer
USA Today: 3
(unchanged from 3)
A historic Sunday night for quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who became the first player in the Super Bowl era (since 1966) to pass for at least 400 yards and rush for 60 in the same game. He also tied Hall of Famer Peyton Manning with the second five-game winning streak of his career in which his team trailed at halftime in every outing.
— Nate Davis
Mile High Report: 2
(unchanged from 2)
The Chiefs were able to outlast the Titans in overtime on Sunday night, but that game was not good enough to take the number one spot. It’s the undefeated Eagles that finally take their spot atop of the league, and it was definitely the second half of their Thursday night game that looked good, not the first.
— Ross Allen
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