The Kansas City Chiefs made it to Super Bowl LIX, despite having a severely injured offensive squad through most of the regular season. Those injuries may have also impacted the postseason, as the team was trounced by the Philadelphia Eagles.
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Either way, the Chiefs did what they needed to do to get to the big game, only to miss out on the coveted NFL threepeat. That said, Kansas City should remain the team beat in the AFC.
That should be the case, but an early training camp power rankings sees things differently. According to Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacciano, the team to beat in the AFC is no longer the Chiefs.
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The Chiefs are not No. 2 on the list, despite being the top dogs in the AFC. Instead, they have fallen to No. 3.
Vacciano states:
“Ignore the fact that 11 of their 15 wins last season were by one score or less, or that the Eagles blew their doors off in the Super Bowl. Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes are the Bill Belichick-Tom Brady of their generation, which means they’re a Super Bowl threat as long as they’re together — no matter who is around them.
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“And you can bet they will be more motivated than ever after the embarrassing way last season ended for them. They’ll need one last ride out of aging tight end Travis Kelce. A healthy Hollywood Brown could give a needed kick to the offense, too.”
Who has replaced the Chiefs at No. 2, and the presumed AFC kings? The Baltimore Ravens. Vacciano adds:
“They have been on the doorstep of the Super Bowl for a few years now, and this could be the year that they finally get in. They are bringing almost their entire team back, including, of course, MVP runner-up quarterback Lamar Jackson and running back Derrick Henry.
“As long as those two are healthy, the Ravens are as dangerous as anyone. And oh, by the way, they added veteran receiver DeAndre Hopkins, who isn’t what he used to be, but could still be an impact player if he’s healthy. With the NFL‘s best offense and a top-10 defense, they might be the world’s best bet to keep the Chiefs out of another Super Bowl.”
There is some huge value to placing the Ravens as the No. 2 team in the AFC, as they have been that for multiple years. They continue to make deep playoff runs, but they find themselves playing second fiddle to the Chiefs or Buffalo Bills.
This could be the season that the Ravens finally make it to the Super Bowl, but they need to find a way to beat the Chiefs to do so.
Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry should have been enough in 2024, along with the stellar defense, but the Chiefs proved again why they can never be counted out.
The Chiefs falling to No. 3 is clearly not a freefall by any means, but losing Joe Thuney is going to impact the offensive line greatly. Kansas City is also dealing with offensive injuries again as Hollywood Brown and Skyy Moore were recently injured in training camp.
Even with those injuries potentially being significant, the Chiefs remain the team to beat. They had a rocky 2024 season and should find a way to rebound in a big way.
If they cannot, the Ravens are a solid bet to make in terms of the next in line to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.
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