Chiefs Bengals Power Rankings

Laddie Morse

The NFL published their Weekly Power Rankings this week and while the Kansas City Chiefs are holding strong at #1, the Bengals have fallen and the Chiefs job this week is to see that they can’t get up. Now, I hate old age jokes as much as I ever have, especially now that I have grown old, but in this case… if the shoe fits…?

Here’s what the NFL Power Rankings by Eric Edholm, had to say about the Bengals, who they ranked as they #10 contender:

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“Is this a repeat of 2023? Bengals fans have to fear that playing out again, as they were held completely in check offensively in Week 1 for a second straight season amid high expectations. It wasn’t a great day for an offense that sets the bar pretty darned high, but even the defense couldn’t get enough big stops against a Patriots unit that didn’t have a single 20-yard gain. I can’t quite figure out why Zac Taylor opted to punt the ball to New England with just over two minutes left, even with the two-minute warning and three timeouts. Punting meant Taylor thought the Bengals could stuff the Patriots’ run game, and that just didn’t happen. An ugly start to the season, but not a season killer. After all, remember how the 2022 season started: with Joe Burrow throwing four picks and losing to Mitchell Trubisky. That team ended up in the AFC Championship Game.”

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While losing to Mitch Trubisky is shameful enough in 2022, the Chiefs only won by a toe over the Baltimore Ravens this year. Here’s what Eric Edholm had to say about the #1 Chiefs:

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“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 plenty of room for improvement, but the Chiefs should be getting Marquise “Hollywood” Brown back from a shoulder injury in the next few weeks, and the Ravens will be one of their tougher matchups all season. K.C.’s defense held Baltimore to 10 points through three quarters but also benefited from a lot of self-inflicted errors from the Ravens. Still, the champs remain the champs, and you better believe they’ll get up for the Bengals coming to town, even after Cincinnati’s shocking loss to the Patriots at home.”

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Cody William of Fansided ranked the teams as well and he had the Bengals at #20, after previously ranking them 9th. Here’s what he had to say about the Bengals:

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“What a disastrous way to start the season for the Cincinnati Bengals [a 16-to-10 loss to the Pats at Home]. This team has been notorious for starting slow but, with Joe Burrow getting a full training camp in, albeit with some guardrails to make sure his health and recovery were going along properly, you expected more than what they showed, and certainly expected them to at least beat the Patriots. The run defense most definitely needs to be shored up after Rhamondre Stevenson ran all over the Bengals on Sunday. But really, this all comes back to the offense. It can’t look like it did in Week 1 if this team wants to have even a remote chance of making the playoffs. I suspect it will but this is a sour taste in your mouth to start the year.”

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Cody Williams also had this to write, quoting Matt Conner of ArrowheadAddict. Williams also ranked the #1 Chiefs:

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“The Chiefs weathered a highly emotional best effort from last year’s top conference seed and came out with an early seeding win over the Ravens—the single team best suited to beat them in 2024. These Chiefs are deep and young with several key players growing into important roles — Xavier Worthy, Kingsley Suamataia — with the league’s fifth-youngest roster. Given Hollywood Brown’s imminent return (and Charles Omenihu should be back by midseason), Patrick Mahomes & Co. are already having more fun than last year. The AFC West also looks anemic. That should scare every team trying to keep pace as they chase a three-peat.”

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Three-peat Chances

Matt Conner closes by mentioning the Three-peat. So, let’s address that here. Jarrett Bell wrote a piece for USA Today called: “Chiefs look built to handle Super Bowl three-peat quest that crushed other teams” in which he quoted multiple Chiefs including Travis Kelce. Kelce said at the time of Training camp:

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“I don’t even think about three-peats. I think about

making this team ready for the Baltimore Ravens, baby.”

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Looks like Travis Kelce had the right approach. Kelce was more of a decoy in Game One against the Ravens, than he was a target as he only ended up with 3 catches for 34 yards (and 6 other players had more yards than Kelce). While he may be a decoy again in Game Two, I don’t expect he’ll be treated that way all year long… which means… Kelce should return to his 1,000 yard self this year.

Jarrett Bell also quoted Andy Reid on the matter:

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“That’s what’s real. It’s out there. But guys know you don’t stand a chance unless you take it day by day. You’ve got the Ravens the first game, and that’s real. And so on, as you go forward. That’s where our focus is at. And going through the process here (in camp), which isn’t easy. The old saying, ‘You’ve got to pay the fiddler to get the music’? That’s what you have to do here.” 

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Patrick Mahomes shared his feeling yesterday about the Bengals, and the offense, as well as his political stance (7:36):

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“Must-Win Game?” The Bengals are treating this game like it’s their Super Bowl. So…

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Oh yeah, can’t wait see this matchup:

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That would be one H of an interesting match-up.

What do you think?

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Laddie Morse — ArrowheadOne

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