Friday, September 15, 2023

Kansas City Chiefs Week 2 NFL Power Rankings Roundup

Throughout the 2023 NFL season, we will compile a consensus NFL Power Rankings that averages the rankings of all 32 NFL teams.

Below you will find a Week 2 roundup for the Kansas City Chiefs in our consensus 2023 NFL Power Rankings.

ESPN -- Rank: 3

Best debut performance: WR Rashee Rice
Week 1 stats: 3 receptions for 29 yards, TD

It's an extremely low bar, but the 2023 second-round draft pick led the team's wide receivers in catches and scored the group's only touchdown in the loss against the Lions. Rice has run-after-catch ability that can help provide some big plays to an offense that badly needs them. If the other wide receivers continue to struggle as they did in the opener, the Chiefs should continue to give Rice more playing time. -- Adam Teicher

NFL.com -- Rank: 2

Now that we've all had time to breathe -- and watch the other Week 1 games -- the Chiefs' loss to the Lions doesn't feel quite as cataclysmic. Travis Kelce is making progress in his recovery from a knee injury, while Chris Jones will be back now that he and the team have agreed to a new one-year deal. Furthermore, the Raiders being the only AFC West team to win was another nice development for K.C. All that said, there's no getting over the fact that Kadarius Toney and Skyy Moore had a bad, no-good season opener. They combined for one catch (and three drops) on eight targets and 3 yards on two rushes. These are two players the Chiefs were -- and, I think, still are -- counting on pretty heavily this season. Can one of them step up? I think so, but Toney's performance in Week 1 scares me.

CBS Sports -- Rank: 4

Without Travis Kelce in the lineup, the offense struggled against the Lions. He should be back this week against the Jaguars. The defense played well to open the season and now they get Chris Jones back.

USA Today -- Rank: 4

After so much offseason speculation regarding AFC supremacy, the conference's first entry lands here — and Kansas City didn't even win. That said, let's not knock the champs too much considering they were missing their second- and third-most important players, TE Travis Kelce's knee buckling just days before the opener. Even if he's not back in Week 2 — and, at least, DT Chris Jones will be — the bet here is that a much better offensive performance will be forthcoming.

The Athletic -- Rank: 17

Maybe tight end Travis Kelce was the key to the whole thing and not Patrick Mahomes. With Kelce watching from the sideline because of a bone bruise, running back Isiah Pacheco led all Chiefs with four catches and Mahomes was Kansas City's leading rusher (45 yards). Yuck.

FOX -- Rank: 1

It doesn't feel like a coincidence that the Chiefs brought Chris Jones back into the fold four days after suffering a season-opening loss at home. Patrick Mahomes is incredible, but good on the Chiefs for recognizing that they at least need Jones or Travis Kelce to help him out — or preferably both. Without Kelce, this offense showed a terrifying lack of playmaking ability.

Yahoo! -- Rank: 3

The Chiefs will be fine. Of course they're not the same team without Travis Kelce and Chris Jones, but they also won't drop everything thrown to them every week. Kansas City probably still wins in Week 1, without two of their three best players against a good Lions team, if a Kadarius Toney drop doesn't turn into a pick six or another Toney drop in field-goal range on the final drive doesn't happen. It's hard to figure on all of that happening again. Just remember: Not everything we see in Week 1 means Team A is better than Team B. It's why there are plenty of teams in these rankings I'm not overreacting about, good or bad.

PFT -- Rank: 5

With so many available pass catchers, here's a tip — throw to the ones who are catching the ball.

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