Chiefs Climb Power Rankings After Week 3 Victory

Well, so much for the lingering questions about whether or not Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs would compete in 2026. 

Mahomes is fresh off a torn ACL, and yet, the Chiefs are 3-0 going into a huge Week 4 showdown against the Las Vegas Raiders, who are surprisingly undefeated as well. 

Kenneth Walker III looks like an early MVP candidate for the Chiefs, and although Kansas City had some hiccups with a 24-10 win over the Miami Dolphins in Week 3, it's still a win. 

After the games ended in Week 3, Nick Shook of NFL.com updated his power rankings, and the Chiefs moved up again. They climbed two spots, going from No. 4 to No. 2, and sitting behind only the San Francisco 49ers. 

"The Chiefs are very aware of who they are just three weeks into the season. They didn't need to fully exert themselves on Sunday, earning a professional win against a scrappy but undermanned Dolphins team. They decreased Kenneth Walker III’s touches, too, which was a requirement for me in such a matchup, especially with most of the season still ahead," Shook wrote. 

Walker's usage through the first two weeks was through the roof, and it was only a matter of time before Kansas City dialed back on their superstar running back. 

Well, that happened against the Dolphins, and while it might be viewed as a disappointment that the Chiefs scored just 24 points, the Dolphins' defense played rather well, although Jeff Hafley is still searching for his first win as Miami's head coach. 

Eric Bieniemy has sparked excitement in this offense, and finally having a true RB1 and a workhorse at the position is a big boost to the offense, so both of those aspects are paying dividends early on. 

The Chiefs are the highest-ranked team from Nick Shook's side, although the Buffalo Bills (No. 3), Baltimore Ravens (No. 5) and Denver Broncos (No. 6) are right on the cusp, so this AFC picture has a ton of talented teams in the early stages of the season. 

Next up is a tough test, and that's not something anybody would've said at the start of the season. The Raiders are 3-0 with wins over the Dolphins, Los Angeles Chargers and new Orleans Saints, and Klint Kubiak has sparked life into the team and the fanbase, even with veteran Kirk Cousins starting under center for the time being. 

If the Chiefs get by Las Vegas, there is a solid chance they take over the top spot in Shook's rankings one week from now.