The Kansas City Chiefs took down the NFC powerhouse Detroit Lions in Week 6 to a score of 30-17, once again reigniting the hype after an up-and-down 2025 season. After the win, the Chiefs have moved up to the No. 9 spot in Bleacher Report’s Week 7 power rankings.

"Kansas City is 'just' a .500 team after taking care of the Lions on Sunday night,” the B/R NFL Staff wrote in a recent article. “However, this was the Chiefs' most impressive win of the season, and the team is about to add wide receiver Rashee Rice that had already improved markedly with Xavier Worthy on the field. Mahomes is dealing. Kansas City's defense remains as solid as ever.”

“Until they get beat in the playoffs (which they will make—more likely than not as AFC West champions (again)), the road to Santa Clara in the AFC goes where it does every year. Right through Kansas City.”

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes delivered a masterclass against the Lions, throwing for three touchdowns and 257 yards on 30 attempts, enough for a 132.2 passer rating. He connected with eight different receivers, keeping the Detroit secondary on their toes all game. Tight end Travis Kelce led the offense with 78 receiving yards while receiver Hollywood Brown tallied two touchdowns.

Kansas City also had the ground game going on Sunday, recording 112 rushing yards. Running back Isiah Pacheco led the team with 51 rushing yards while Mahomes added a fourth touchdown from the ground. The Chiefs outplayed a Lions offense that is seen as elite, outgaining them 355 yards to 297 in the game.

The Chiefs also stepped up on the defensive side to fend off the Lions' potent offense, holding them to just 17 points, their lowest total since Week 1. In Weeks 2-5, Detroit didn’t put up less than 34 points once, but Kansas City was able to hold them to half of that total in Week 6. Chiefs safety Chamarri Conner set the tone defensively, recording 14 tackles in the win, enough for second in the NFL on the week.

The football world has officially been put back on notice for the Chiefs, and they earned their spot back in the top-10. Now, the task for Kansas City is to show consistency. They take on a 2-4 Las Vegas Raiders team next week, and the Chiefs can’t afford to let up on the gas.

Kansas City sits one game behind the Los Angeles Chargers and Denver Broncos for the AFC West lead, and their Week 7 matchup against the Raiders is one of the easiest that they will have for several weeks. They need to take advantage of the matchup and prove they are still the top dogs in the league.