NFL power rankings Week 6 roundup: Chiefs up and down again

In case you’re in a hurry, here’s the Week 6 scorecard:

The Kansas City Chiefs go up in the ranking: 4
The Chiefs go down in the ranking: 2
Taylor Swift is referenced: 2
Startlingly poor grammar is corrected: 1

This week’s sampling:

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NFL.com: 3

(down from 2)

Two third-quarter touchdown drives — one withTravis Kelce, one without — helped the Chiefs get out of Minnesota with a W, even though they struggled to put the game away. Kelce’s heroics aside, that might be the kind of game Kansas City will have to master this season. Outside of the thrashing of the Bears in Week 3, the other four games were one-score affairs that came down to a late possession. That’s reminiscent of how the 2019 Chiefs won, battling through nine one-score games (with a 5-4 record) en route to their first Super Bowl title since 1969. They’d be fine going the blowout route instead, I am sure, and it could happen again soon, with two matchups upcoming vs. Denver. But learning to win hard-fought games in tough circumstances is never bad.

— Eric Edholm

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ESPN: 3

(up from 4)

Fantasy surprise: WR Rashee Rice

The rookie leads the Chiefs’ wide receivers in catches (17), targets (24) and touchdowns (2). He would be doing better had he not dropped several passes. Despite that, he’s been a more consistent producer than any of the team’s veteran wide receivers. He should only continue to become more a part of the passing game as he gains more experience.

— Adam Teicher

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The Athletic: 5

(unchanged from 5)

It seems weird to say, but the Chiefs, who are a surprising ninth in the league in scoring (25.6 ppg), could use some help, and they aren’t getting much of it from this draft class. Second-round pick Rashee Rice is second on the team in catches with 17 but has only 173 yards. First-round pick Felix Anudike-Uzomah has four quarterback hurries and half a sack.

— Josh Kendall

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Sports Illustrated: 3

(down from 2)

I understand the Chiefs are good enough to utilize their regular season much in the way the Patriots did during the Tom Brady era, though I wonder at what point they will make a determination as to whether they need to upgrade their weapons the deeper they get into the postseason. Travis Kelce takes on such a responsibility in this offense, and in the postseason, his role will be all the more magnified, creating massive pressure situations for the likes of Kadarius Toney in which to perform. Could they add before the deadline?

— Conor Orr

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Pro Football Talk: 3

(unchanged from 3)

If Taylor Swift didn’t doesn’t attend a Chiefs win, does it make a sound?

— Mike Florio

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CBSSports.com: 3

(unchanged from 3)

The offense is starting to show glimpses of what it will be when the young receivers get truly comfortable with Patrick Mahomes. The injury to Travis Kelce bears watching.

— Pete Prisco

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Fox Sports: 4

(up from 5)

The Chiefs are in the tinkering phase of the season. Plodding along, winning games and trying to figure out what this offense is going to be. Travis Kelce is a top-notch safety blanket, but we all had a scary reminder on Sunday that injuries happen in this game. Thankfully, Kelce is fine, but it’s just another indicator that another option needs to emerge in the passing game.

— David Helman

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Yahoo! Sports: 3

(up from 4)

Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Skyy Moore led the Chiefs’ receivers in snaps. They combined for three catches and 23 yards. It still feels like the Chiefs need to figure out the right receiver rotation. Rashee Rice has shown signs of life. Justyn Ross has been up and down in his very few snaps, but maybe he deserves a longer look. Kansas City needs to figure out which receivers should be playing the most.

— Frank Schwab

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The Sporting News: 3

(unchanged from 3)

Taylor Swift didn’t go the game in Minnesota. Travis Kelce had a scary ankle injury, but he was able to shake it off and blow up the Vikings in crunch time like a lavender haze through purple defenders. Good thing Patrick Mahomes was there to deliver in a tough road spot, because he always belongs with Kelce.

— Vinnie Iyer

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USA Today: 4

(up from 6)

Here’s a stat that might surprise you – RB Isiah Pacheco leads Kansas City with 424 yards from scrimmage, nearly double TE Travis Kelce’s total (222).

— Nate Davis