NFL power rankings: KC Chiefs climb after big win over Raiders

Just as you might have expected, the Kansas City Chiefs have taken a leap forward in NFL Power Rankings this week after embarrassing the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 10. Given their three-game winning streak and the complete nature of their victory over Las Vegas, Chiefs Kingdom should feel confident about their favorite team going forward. For those on the outside, however, there are still questions.

While the Chiefs are an ascending team, they’re not free from the cloud of uncertainty that plagued them for weeks in the AFC West basement. The Raiders were an organization already reeling from a loss to the New York Giants when the Chiefs took the wind out of their sails completely. They’re operating with an interim head coach and have lost two first-round picks in the last two weeks after the release of both corner Damon Arnette and wideout Henry Ruggs III.

Before that, the Chiefs took out the Green Bay Packers with a splendid defensive effort, but that game was the Aaron Rodgers COVID game, an asterisk that will stick with that win for the rest of the season. Given that the Chiefs only won by six, it’s hard to avoid the questions on that one, too.  The Chiefs’ other wins have come against also-rans from the NFC including the Giants, the Eagles, and the Washington Football Team.

The Chiefs are climbing NFL power rankings after dominating the Raiders.

Here at FanSided, Randy Gurzi had the Chiefs making a big leap from the middle of the pack at No. 15 overall (which was too low) to No. 10 (which is still too low), but we appreciate the five-point jump all the same. Gurzi points to the looming battle against Dallas as a prime place for the Chiefs to gain some real national legitimacy in the eyes of remaining doubters.

At ESPN, they’ve got the Chiefs back into the top 8 after a nice five-point bump following the thrashing of the Raiders. The Chiefs are just one spot lower and two spots out of the NFL’s “top shelf” teams at No. 9 over at the Ringer. Jenny Vrentas at Sports Illustrated is thinking the same thing with the Chiefs at No. 9. It’s a theme we found often.

Vinnie Iyer at Sporting News had a good label for the game as “a good sign for the second half” as he elevated the Chiefs a single spot from No. 10 to 9 as well. The Chiefs sit in the exact same place over at NBC Sports where Justin Leger asks the important question, “So… are the Chiefs back?”

With a win over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, the Chiefs will likely find themselves back among the short list of contenders.