NFL power rankings: Kansas City Chiefs remain at No. 8 at ESPN
By Matt Conner
ESPN has released their latest preseason power rankings and the Kansas City Chiefs remain a top 10 team at No. 8 overall.
The AFC West is going to be tough once again, and perhaps the best way to show it is by looking at ESPN’s latest preseason NFL power rankings where three of the four teams in the West are listed among the best 9 franchises in the NFL.
The Kansas City Chiefs came in at No. 8 in ESPN’s latest round of rankings, just after the Oakland Raiders and just before the Denver Broncos. It’s a bit low in terms of overall ranking for the best team in the West to be listed so low, but it’s clear that no one quite knows how the West will shake out and so they’re all of the competitive teams, sans Los Angeles Chargers, are therefore lumped together and nudged down a bit.
Somehow, despite having swept the entire division last season, going 6-0 against their divisional rivals, the Chiefs are often predicted to finish behind the Oakland Raiders. The soon to be Las Vegas Raiders have the dynamic young quarterback in Derek Carr and a lot of young talent which has caused plenty of people to project more than they should. Everyone loves potential more than proven at this time of year, and the buzz around the Raiders is proof positive of that.
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In terms of the Chiefs, it’s clear they are still viewed as contenders but that it’s just impossible for most analysts to make sense of the West in terms of a clear pecking order. Despite the Chiefs division title in 2016, the reality is that they were one and done in the playoffs after earning a first-round bye.
It doesn’t help that the Denver Broncos’ defense largely remains intact from their Super Bowl win from 2 years ago. It’s hard to discount a team that has Von Miller, Chris Harris, T.J. Ward, Aqib Talib and others. The Broncos face a tough schedule just like the Chiefs, but Vance Joseph is a complete unknown at this point as a head coach, so that variable has to be factored into the West.
Either way, ESPN probably has it right. The AFC West has three incredible teams, each of which could challenge the New England Patriots for conference supremacy. How things will shake out is anyone’s guess.