NFL Power Rankings: KC Chiefs, Buccaneers remain perched on top in Week 2

The latest round of NFL Power Rankings are out for Week 2 and things are as they should be for the most part. While we’d like to see the K.C. Chiefs dominating every list, proper perspective will allow the Buccaneers to have their respect as well. Let’s survey the ranks.

At the NFL’s official site, Dan Hanzus has the task of ranking the league’s franchises every week, and he he has the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Chiefs jostling for the top position on this rankings. It’s a common theme given that the Bucs started the year with an opening victory following their Super Bowl win over K.C.

"Mahomes is a relentless force, and his greatness covered up for the sins of a defense that couldn’t get the Cleveland attack off the field all day (the Browns punted once all game)."

The Worldwide Leader has the order reversed atop their power rankings with the Chiefs over the Bucs. ESPN had them at No. 1 in the preseason as well, so it carries over with the Seattle Seahawks bringing things up at No. 3.

The latest NFL Power Rankings are out with the Buccaneers and Chiefs jostling up top.

Over at CBS Sports, Pete Prisco learned a valuable lesson after putting the Buffalo Bills in front of the Chiefs before the season began. It was a silly ranking, an attempt to score some points in case Buffalo somehow won out (or maybe it was just about being different), but it took one week for the AFC to right the wrongs here and situate the Chiefs back at No. 2.

Here at FanSided, Russell Baxter still has the Tampa Bay Buccaneers sitting up top at No. 1 overall with the Chiefs followed closely behind. It’s hard to complain there since they are the reigning Super Bowl champs. Both teams didn’t exactly look Super Bowl-esque until late in their respective games, so it’s a tough call up top here.

Frank Schwab at Yahoo! Sports has the Chiefs at No. 1 himself and notes that the team wasn’t quite at its best but it didn’t matter. He writes, “The Browns are good and the Chiefs will get healthier, but it’ll be nice to see them dominate some opponents.”

Danny Kelly over at The Ringer has a great column overall on the breakdown of NFL teams (and he’s a must-read when it comes to any NFL coverage). He has the Chiefs at No. 2 himself, but groups teams into a proper tier of top contenders, which is really the best way to do this. He acknowledged the Chiefs weren’t initially sharp and that some positional concerns can be found, but having Mahomes under center and the mental edge he adds in the fourth quarter is a big difference.

"“…as we saw on Sunday, sometimes the mental edge is enough to make a good team a great one. Mahomes still has his team, and perhaps just as importantly, his opponents, knowing how his games will end.”"

The Chiefs take to the road for the first time in 2021 when they visit the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday Night Football. It’s another tough contest to start the season, but if the Chiefs can keep going strong through this early gauntlet, they’ll be sitting pretty for some time.