AFC West power rankings after Week 1
By Ryan Heckman
1. Kansas City Chiefs
I am sorry, but I cannot find it within me to knock the defending Super Bowl Champions off the top spot after just one week. Say what you will about how the Detroit Lions played, but the Chiefs were indeed without two of their best players, one on each side of the ball.
It was apparent that the Chiefs' offense was not the same without tight end Travis Kelce. The middle of the field is no longer a huge threat or pain point for an NFL defense, without him out there. Yes, Patrick Mahomes looked fairly human out there, going 21-for39 for 226 yards, two scores and an interception.
But, without Kelce, the Chiefs weren't the same offense.
On defense, Kansas City sorely missed Chris Jones, and who knows if they'll ever get him back or if the team will decide to trade him. For right now, let's assume both of these guys come back and end up playing sooner rather than later.
But, if the Chiefs go out and drop another game to go 0-2, then there is no doubt they'll drop in these power rankings. Week 1 is all about overreactions, but we're not going to do that just yet with a team like Kansas City. Give it one more week before those start.
Next week, the Chiefs get a rematch of last year's AFC Divisional round, facing Jacksonville.
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