At the beginning of my seventh season as a reporter for the Kansas City Chiefs‘ weekly power rankings, I had a new experience: I typed “unchanged since 1” under almost every one of those headings. (One required me to type “no preseason ranking.”)
To use some adjectives that appear in these paragraphs about the Chiefs again… that is frightening – if not completely frighteningMaybe it is even unfair.
But it’s also pretty cool. Let’s see how long Kansas City can keep this “unchanged” streak going.
Here is this week’s sample:
(unchanged from 1)
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 still 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 capitalized on many self-inflicted mistakes by the Ravens. Still, the champions remain the champions, and you can be sure they’ll step up for the Bengals coming to town, even after Cincinnati’s shocking home loss to the Patriots.
— Eric Edholm
(unchanged from 1)
Best Newcomer Performance: WR Xavier Worthy
Worthy had the impact the Chiefs hoped for when they drafted him in the first round. He delivered two plays of 20-plus yards, the first a touchdown on an end-around when he first got the ball and the other a touchdown catch in the fourth quarter. The Chiefs had three pass plays of 30-plus yards and three more of 20-plus yards. Worthy’s mere presence on the field may have contributed to that, even if he didn’t get the ball. — Adam Teicher
— Adam Teicher
(unchanged from 1)
Is it too early to talk about a fourth straight win? Rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy touched the ball three times, gaining 68 yards and scoring 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 become the first team to win a third straight in the Super Bowl era.
— Josh Kendall
(no previous ranking)
How terrifying for 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 that can combine speed and power. Travis Kelce can more easily evolve into a role as an enabler 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 rookie in the second round is a challenge, but this already looks like the most complete Chiefs team we’ve seen in a few years.
— Conor Orr
(unchanged from 1)
It wasn’t easy. But when is it ever easy for the Chiefs?
— Mike Florio
(unchanged from 1)
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.
— Pete Prisco
(unchanged from 1)
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 by a hair’s breadth. 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
(unchanged from 1)
A Chiefs trio of Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy and Marquise Brown (if healthy) should strike fear into the rest of the NFL. Rice looked good in the opener and Worthy’s playmaking skills will have to be considered on every snap. Oh, and Travis Kelce is still a factor in the passing game. Patrick Mahomes will have a blast this season.
— Frank Schwab
(unchanged from 1)
The Chiefs ended up finding more weapons for Patrick Mahomes and making the crucial defensive plays to remind the Ravens and the rest of the league how clear they are as favorites to win their third consecutive Super Bowl.
— Vinnie Iyer
(unchanged from 1)
If you think it’s totally unfair that a two-time defending champion, led by three-time Super Bowl MVP QB Patrick Mahomes, gets WR Xavier Worthy, who scored two touchdowns in his NFL debut, in the first round of the draft…then blame the Bills. Buffalo gave KC the first-round pick that was used on both Mahomes in 2017 and Worthy.
— Nate Davis
