The Kansas City Chiefs suffered an upset loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 17, but it won’t hurt them in the power rankings.
For the third consecutive week, the Chiefs will hold the No. 2 spot in the USA TODAY powers rankings. The only team ranked ahead of them is the NFC No. 1 seed Green Bay Packers. The Tennesse Titans, who now hold the No. 1 seed in the AFC after Kansas City’s loss, saw a jump from No. 9 to No. 5 this week.
Here’s what USA TODAY’s Nate Davis had to say about Kansas City after Week 17, focusing on Tyreek Hill’s casual dominance.
“WR Tyreek Hill’s 110 receptions are a single-season team record. His 11.2 yards per catch are his lowest – by 3.5 yards – since he became a starter in 2017. Despite Sunday’s stumble in Cincinnati, no one is going to want to see Hill or Kansas City once the playoffs start.”
It’s still possible that the Chiefs land the No. 1 seed, but after their loss in Week 17, they’re more likely to be playing on wild-card weekend. You can find a look at all the different scenarios for Kansas City at the bottom of the page.
As it stands right now, the Chiefs have losses against four of the six teams in the AFC playoff field, but Davis is right. None of the teams in the AFC conference want to face Kansas City once the playoffs get started, especially those teams who have beaten them already this season. It’s exceptionally difficult to get a win against a team twice in one season and as one of the most experienced teams in the AFC playoffs, the Chiefs will be a dangerous foe.
