The Kansas City Chiefs didn’t dominate in Week 1, but they didn’t need to. After a narrow win over the Baltimore Ravens, Andy Reid’s team is in a good position for the second week of the 2024-25 NFL season.
Where do the back-to-back Super Bowl winners rank compared to their peers? Let’s take a look at some Week 2 NFL rankings from major media outlets as Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals approaches.
No change in this ranking. Kansas City’s offense was inspiring enough to keep Patrick Mahomes and Co. at the top.
It wasn’t pretty, but the Kansas City Chiefs played well against the Ravens in Week 1. The real story of this game was the play of Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy, who reshaped this passing attack. When Hollywood Brown is back in the lineup, be careful. – Marcus Mosher
Mosher agrees with him. Bleacher ReportGary Davenport believes the Chiefs will be even more dangerous once Brown returns from his sternoclavicular injury.
Giving Patrick Mahomes so many options in the passing game is just unfair. The defense has to respect Rice and Worthy, which gives running back Isiah Pacheco easy options and leaves the area underneath completely open for the Kelce guy, who I hear is a pretty good tight end. Remember, the Chiefs were pretty sloppy on Thursday and Hollywood Brown didn’t even play, and Kansas City lost 27 points to the NFL’s best scoring defense from last year. – Gary Davenport
How long will the adjustment period be for this year’s Chiefs team? If the Week 1 win was any indication, it could be the shortest in a long time with Mahomes at quarterback.
How terrifying for the Chiefs’ opponents is that Rashee Rice has matured (on the field) into an incredibly dangerous and long-range receiver who appears to be a monster after the catch. Xavier Worthy is terrifying on a whole other level, suddenly giving the Chiefs a number of legitimate stylistic additions who can combine speed and power. Travis Kelce may evolve more comfortably into a role as a facilitator for completions elsewhere as he gets older. Every year it seems like Patrick Mahomes has to “work in” part of a team, and of course having one of his anchor tackles as a second-round rookie is a challenge, but this already looks like the most complete Chiefs team we’ve seen in a few years. – Conor Orr
By playing consecutive games against AFC North opponents, the Chiefs were able to make a clear statement at the start of the season.
Xavier Worthy had a brilliant debut, bringing the big play back to Kansas City’s offense, and Rashee Rice had one of his best games as a pro. There’s plenty of room for improvement, but the Chiefs should get Marquise “Hollywood” Brown back from a shoulder injury in the next few weeks, and the Ravens will be one of their tougher opponents all season. KC’s defense held Baltimore to 10 points for three quarters, but also benefited from many self-inflicted mistakes by the Ravens. Still, the champions remain the champions, and you can be sure they’ll be standing up for the Bengals coming to town, even after Cincinnati’s shocking home loss to the Patriots. – Eric Edholm
Analysts across the football landscape are collectively trying to avoid overreacting to Week 1. Still, the Chiefs’ performance makes it difficult to be positive about their future prospects.
Is it too early to talk about a fourth straight win? Rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy touched the ball three times, gained 68 yards and scored two runs. Second-year receiver Rashee Rice opened the season with the fourth 100-yard game of his career. Eight of the Chiefs’ skill position players touched the ball and Travis Kelce only managed 34 yards. So there’s a lot more in it for the Chiefs, who, if they keep this up, could be the first team to win a third straight in the Super Bowl era. – Josh Kendall
Often, teams that score narrow victories prove that the recipe for success cannot be repeated over a long period of time. Kansas City, on the other hand, always seems to score decisive victories against good opponents. The game against the Ravens was another example of this.
Winning is winning, whether it’s inches or miles. Dom Toretto’s immortal words rang in my ears as I watched the defending champions keep the Ravens at bay, literally by the skin of their teeth. As dramatic as the opening game may have been, the Chiefs’ new-look offense looks every bit as explosive as we expected. It’s a scary thought. – David Helman
This week CBS Sports The power rankings put it succinctly: Kansas City’s receivers are better positioned this season.
We don’t have to worry about their receivers this season. Xavier Worthy can fly and Rashee Rice is taking his game up a notch. Patrick Mahomes will shine again. – Peter Prisco
