The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the San Diego Chargers, 37-27, on Sunday. That result, combined with the Denver Broncos' win over the Oakland Raiders, clinched the AFC West division championship and first-round bye for the Chiefs.
Only two major media outlets published final power rankings, which you can check out below:
AVERAGE POWER RANKINGS POSITION: 3.5
Bleacher Report's Chris Simms ranked the Chiefs at No. 3, the same position as last week.
"Andy Reid is on the precipice of winning a lifetime's supply of brisket and ribs.
"Because let's face it—not one barbecue joint in town will force the jolly old Chiefs coach to pay for a meal should his team fulfill its awesome potential and take home a Lombardi Trophy. The Chiefs are that talented.
"Where is Kansas City's weak spot? It's not on offense, where Alex Smith has morphed from Captain Checkdown into something far more dangerous. Weapons like Travis Kelce (1,125 receiving yards) and rookie Tyreek Hill (1,836 all-purpose yards) don't give Smith a choice; both guys get the football early in Reid's offense and make yards-after-catch magic happen.
"This year, the power run game serves as a side and not the main course, but even with Jamaal Charles sidelined, it's still appetizing.
"Now for the defense—where the hell do I start? How about up front, where Dontari Poe is joined by a mini-Fletcher Cox? His name is Chris Jones, and he was the perfect first-round pick for this team.
"Speaking of which: first-rounders Marcus Peters and Eric Berry had 10 combined interceptions in 2016. That'll happen when you play K.C.; it turns you over and over. And special teams is just plain special. Hill is the best returner we've seen in Arrowhead Stadium since Dante Hall."
ESPN ranked the Chiefs at No. 4, one position lower than last week.
"The Chiefs earned a first-round bye thanks to a 12-4 record and a unique way of scoring. The Chiefs had eight non-offensive touchdowns this season, most in the NFL, scoring on interception returns (four), a fumble return, a kick return and punt returns (two)."
