AFC Power Rankings: Who are Kansas City Chiefs' biggest competition?
The Likely Playoff Teams
If you pay close attention to the average rankings and the high/low rankings of the teams in this tier, you'll see just how close they were.
Average Rank: 7.08
High Ranking: 4
Low Ranking: 11
Bowl-winningI'm actually surprised that the Jaguars aren't a couple of places higher than this. Yes, this tier was very close together, but with an ascending star quarterback, a Super Bowl winning head coach, and their strong finish to last season it certainly seems like they have every bit as good of a shot as the other teams in this tier.
Average Rank: 6.75
High Ranking: 4
Low Ranking: 9
On one hand, the Chargers are the darling of preseason rankings every year and don't live up to the hype. On the other hand, Justin Herbert played through a painful injury last season and they made a massive improvement at offensive coordinator this offseason with the addition of Kellen Moore. I'll be happy to be wrong, but this might actually be the year the Chargers give the Chiefs some actual competition in the AFC West.
Average Rank: 5.92
High Ranking: 4
Low Ranking: 8
Just how high or low the Dolphins were ranked in this tier seems to come down to just how unsure the ranker is about Tua Tagovailoa's health. On paper, the Dolphins look poised to make a run at the top teams in the conference, but one more concussion for Tua could drop them out of the playoffs altogether. The upside is definitely there for this team, but so is the risk.
Average Rank: 5.67
High Ranking: 2
Low Ranking: 8
Unsurprisingly, several of the rankings I saw are buying into the Aaron Rodgers hype. Personally, I would swap the Jaguars and Jets in these rankings, but I get the appeal of the Jets. They have a good defense and some good young offensive weapons, but their quarterback play last season was abysmal. If Rodgers is anywhere near his former MVP self, this team could be hard to beat. I just don't know that I trust Rodgers to put in the time and effort to make that happen.
Average Rank: 5.25
High Ranking: 2
Low Ranking: 9
A few years back, the Baltimore Ravens looked like they were poised to be in the new wave of AFC powerhouses with the Chiefs and Buffalo Bills, but instead, injuries to Lamar Jackson and the rise of the Cincinnati Bengals have set them back the past couple of seasons. Some rankings seem to think they'll be back near the top this season, while others aren't quite as confident. Personally, I'm not ready to rank them at #4 until I see how Jackson responds to their new offensive system this season.
Finally, let's look at the top dogs in the AFC.