Gun Holstrom: Chiefs stand near the top in 2019’s final NFL power rankings

NFL.com: 4(unchanged from 4) Take a bow, Mecole Hardman. On a day in which the offense again battled a bout of pedestrianism, Hardman put the Chiefs ahead for good in the 3rd quarter with a 104-yard kickoff return. A couple of minutes later on, Damien Williams landed a splash play of his own with an 84-yard touchdown run, and the Chiefs were on their way to a 31-21 win over the Chargers. That all set the phase for the most remarkable minute of the day– the crowd at Arrowhead going bonkers after discovering that the Dolphins had knocked off the Patriots in Foxborough, an outcome that enabled Kansas City to move into the No. 2 seed in the AFC. The Chiefs are now equipped with a bye and a level of team balance that does not demand Patrick Mahomes morph into Superman to conserve the day. Of course, it will not harm if Superman appears in a couple weeks. — Dan Hanzus
unchanged from 4)Most noteworthy 2010s occasion: Drafting QB

the same from 3) The defense has actually made big-time strides in the past month. Now they have the second seed, which will make them a genuine
Super Bowl danger. — Pete Prisco

Patrick Mahomes, April 27, 2017 The Chiefs ended decades of a mostly fruitless search for a franchise quarterback when they traded up from No. 27 to No. 10 to draft Mahomes. He is a significant factor the Chiefs won the AFC West in each of his two seasons as a starter which they appear positioned to dominate the division for several years to come.— Adam Teicher

CBSSports.com: 3(

It’s reasonable to think that NFL power rankings are ineffective at the end of the regular season; the playoff seeing is total. so what else do we need to understand? On the other hand, it’s one last opportunity for experts to handicap the race for the championship.

ESPN: 4(

A couple of outlets haven’t released power rankings after Sunday’s video games. Here’s our sampling from the ones that did pick to weigh in:

The Sporting News: 3

(up from 5)

The Chiefs’ offense keeps finding more responses around Patrick Mahomes with his complete health and Damien Williams taking control of the backfield like he did late last season. Steve Spagnuolo’s setup of the 4-3 scheme has settled big-time, from Frank Clark to protective MVP Tyrann Mathieu.– Vinnie Iyer

the same from 4)TE Travis Kelce was their only player to go beyond 1,000 lawns from scrimmage, however K.C. did have 5 others who topped 500 backyards.– Nate Davis Bleeding Green Nation: 2(the same from 2)The Chiefs have not lost a video game because November 10. They were lucky to get assist from Miami in order to clinch a first-round bye. Required: “