It's the first Tuesday of the NFL regular season, so you know what that means: Power Rankings. Everywhere you look, Power Rankings. Some make sense, some don't, and others are just happy to churn out the necessary SEO to make their bosses happy. The joys of digital media! The good news in Kansas City is that, if you can believe it, the Chiefs fared pretty well in the first round of Power Rankings. Here's what the internet is saying:
NFL.com: #2
Andy Reid is old school, and so it was that Patrick Mahomes was one of the few established starting quarterbacks in the league to see extended preseason action. Mahomes came out of the games healthy (phew), and the re-made offensive line passed its initial test. Mahomes wasn't sacked once in three games.
Washington Post: #2
The Chiefs overhauled the offensive line that, while in a depleted state, failed to safeguard Patrick Mahomes during the Super Bowl defeat to the Buccaneers. The Chiefs have reached three straight AFC title games and the past two Super Bowls, and there is no reason to believe they can’t keep their run of success going.
USA Today: #2
Their revamped offensive line projects to have three players (rookie C Creed Humphrey, RG Trey Smith and RT Lucas Niang) who have combined for zero NFL starts. Could be a rough beginning for a team that will see Myles Garrett, Calais Campbell and Joey Bosa in September.
Sports Illustrated: #1
The Chiefs start in the top spot despite losing last year’s Super Bowl. But they have been to the big game two years in a row and are the betting favorites to win it again. They will probably be the preseason No. 1 many more times in the Patrick Mahomes era.
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The Ringer: #2
A wholesale offensive line remodel is the biggest question mark surrounding the Chiefs heading into the season, and the changes the team made to that group―which is now projected as LT Orlando Brown Jr., LG Joe Thuney, and a trio of rookies in OC Creed Humphrey, RG Trey Smith, and RT Lucas Niang―could either pay huge dividends and help make the Kansas City offense unstoppable once again … or just backfire completely.
Yahoo! Sports: #1
The Chiefs' rebuilt offensive line looked very good by the end of the preseason. If the line is one of the NFL's 10 best, how do you stop this offense?
CBS Sports: #3
The rebuilt offensive line should make the offense get back to scoring points in a big way with Patrick Mahomes lighting it up. There are some concerns about the defense that have to improve.
ESPN: #1
The Chiefs showed a lot of faith in the third-year player, declining to bring in a veteran receiver or draft one in an early round to replace Sammy Watkins. Hardman is first in line to replace Watkins and needs to justify that faith. If he doesn't respond with a consistent season, one without all the highs and lows of the past two seasons, look for the Chiefs to acquire a receiver next year to join Tyreek Hill as a regular.
Sporting News: #2
With a healthy Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs always will have a floor that is close to the ceiling of the league. They have made some offensive changes with the line and a few skill players to give Mahomes a different kind of support. The defense still has enough complementary playmakers to make Kansas City a heavy favorite for three consecutive AFC crowns.
