NFL power rankings Week 13 roundup: mixed reactions to Chiefs’ victory

Let’s see where Kansas City stands in this week’s rankings.

After the Kansas City Chiefs came away with a 26-10 victory over the defending Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, it was a mixed bag of reactions in this week’s power rankings. Dan Hanzus apparently felt that Kansas City’s 16-point victory wasn’t decisive enough, while the opinion of previously unimpressed Nate Davis thawed a little bit. Most rankings, however, still see Kansas City as the league’s best team.

Here’s this week’s sampling:

NFL.com: 2

(down from 1)

The Chiefs weren’t quite themselves on Sunday, but their margin of error was significant against the fallen Rams and backup QB Bryce Perkins at Arrowhead. The 26-10 win was decisive despite special teams issues, red-zone flubs and a general air of “meh” that left Patrick Mahomes unimpressed after it was over. “You like the win but we have a lot to get better at,” Mahomes said, “especially me.” Mahomes threw an end-zone interception in the fourth quarter, but he also found Travis Kelce for yet another touchdown. Kelce has set a new career high with 12 receiving touchdowns, and there are six games yet to be played.

— Dan Hanzus

ESPN: 1

(unchanged from 1)

Realistic expectation: Winning the AFC’s top playoff seed.

At 9-2, the Chiefs have the best record in the conference and a schedule conducive to holding on to their lead over the rest of the field. Winning another Super Bowl is also a realistic goal with QB Patrick Mahomes having an MVP-like season. He has thrown for over 300 yards in six straight games.

— Adam Teicher

The Athletic: 1

(unchanged from 1)

Another week, another ho-hum dominant offensive performance for the Chiefs, unsatisfying as it may have been. Dating back to 2000 when TruMedia’s EPA database began, the Chiefs have the fifth-best offense by EPA per drive. They’ve been remarkably consistent, too. Their worst offensive performance of the season by EPA per drive (0.17) came in the 20-17 win over the Titans in Week 9. That was still a 56th-percentile performance for all offenses this season. With only two teams with a winning record remaining on their schedule, the path to the AFC’s No. 1 seed looks awfully clear.

— Bo Wulf

CBSSports.com: 1

(unchanged from 1)

They face a huge road conference game this week at Cincinnati against the Bengals as they try to avenge last year’s loss in the AFC title game. The defense will be tested.

— Pete Prisco

Yahoo! Sports: 1

(unchanged from 1)

The Chiefs were sleepwalking through the Rams game and it’s tough to blame them. It was clear from early in the game they were in no danger of losing. And they still won by 16.

— Frank Schwab

The Sporting News: 2

(unchanged from 2)

The Chiefs rolled through the Rams with little need from their usual big-time Patrick Mahomes offense. It was a good defensive tuneup in Kansas City. They’ll need him as the MVP again with Joe Burrow and the Bengals next in Cincinnati.

— Vinnie Iyer

USA Today: 2

(up from 3)

It may seem like the Mahomes-to-Kelce show every week, but a club on the verge of a seventh straight AFC West championship is steadily getting more juice from rookies like RB Isiah Pacheco and WR Skyy Moore. And the rich could get richer with veteran RB Melvin Gordon apparently set to join the league’s top offense.

— Nate Davis

Mile High Report: 1

(unchanged from 1)

Even with the high level of competition that we’ve seen this year, there are currently two teams that are clearly the best in their respective conference, and that is the Chiefs and Eagles. Travis Kelce is an unstoppable force, and the run game of the Eagles has been unmatched this year. Jalen Hurts continues on his quest for an MVP.

— Ross Allen