NFL power rankings: How far do Chiefs fall after suffering first loss?

NFL power rankings entering Week 12 of the 2024 season (previous rank in parentheses):
1. Detroit Lions (2): With K.C. finally falling from the ranks of the unbeaten – flimsy as the champs’ “perfection” was – there’s no more denying Motown is currently the epicenter of the NFL universe. The Lions’ +159 point differential is more than 50 clear of anyone else. Their 46-point win over Jacksonville on Sunday was the largest in the franchise’s 95-season history, and the 645 yards gained were also Detroit’s most ever. This is the third team in the Super Bowl era (since 1966) to win three of its first 10 games by at least 35 points and the second since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger to score at least 50 in back-to-back home games. Good luck, Indy.
2. Buffalo Bills (4): Their regular-season dominance of the Chiefs continued Sunday, for whatever that’s worth – and the Bills will tell you, not all that much. But Buffalo is getting healthier and hotter, winners of six in a row while scoring at least 30 points in the past five games. This is the only team aside from Detroit to outscore the opposition by at least 100 points. The AFC East is basically in the bag – again – but the goal is to host the first conference championship game in 31 years … and much, much more.
3. Philadelphia Eagles (5): If anyone but the Lions are going to be kings of the NFC jungle, it might be these increasingly tough birds – who, remarkably, have five winning streaks of at least five games over the past three seasons. They’ll likely continue leaning on their best player, RB Saquon Barkley (the first Philly back in a decade with with at least 100 total yards in eight games) as this show hits a tough road that next winds through LA (Rams) and Baltimore.
4. Kansas City Chiefs (1): “The undefeated thing was cool. But that’s not our ultimate goal.” Well said, Mr. Mahomes. Home-field advantage is also cool, and three of your next four games are against teams at least four games below .500 – which should mean bonus tickets at Arrowhead in late January.
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5. Pittsburgh Steelers (6): Regardless of who’s behind center, issues in the red area persist – the Steelers the fifth team this century to win multiple games in a season without reaching the end zone.
6. Baltimore Ravens (3): Thirteen touches for RB Derrick Henry? None in the fourth quarter? Of a two-point loss? Didn’t we learn this lesson last season?
7. Minnesota Vikings (8): They’re a league best 5-0 against the AFC. If only those wins didn’t count for so little in the tiebreaker department.
8. Washington Commanders (7): The team contends nothing is wrong with rookie QB Jayden Daniels … even though he’s played his least efficient (59.1% completion rate, 74.9 passer rating) and impactful (23 rushing yards, 1 TD generated) football during the current two-game losing streak.
9. Green Bay Packers (9): QB Jordan Love has thrown a pick in nine straight games, dating to the 2023 playoffs. But he’s also starting to get production out of WR Christian Watson – which helps given the defense hasn’t played all that well for a month.
10. Arizona Cardinals (10): The NFC West leaders come out of their bye with a one-game lead but two of their next three contests against Seattle, which has beaten the Cards in five straight.
11. Los Angeles Chargers (13): Sunday night saw their best offensive performance of the season … and worst showing on defense. But teammates pick one another up and vanquishing Cincy gives the Bolts a near-ironclad grip on a wild-card berth.
12. Houston Texans (12): Officially Lone Star State champs, they can just about lock up back-to-back AFC South championships by beating Tennessee and Jacksonville the next two weeks.
13. Denver Broncos (16): Perhaps the AFC version of the Vikes, the Broncos went 4-0 against the NFC South and outscored those teams by an average of 22 points.
14. Atlanta Falcons (14): Hardly ideal to go into your bye on a two-game skid, one further accentuated by a 32-point loss to a rookie quarterback (Denver’s Bo Nix). But the Dirty Birds better rest and recharge with the Bolts and Vikes lurking on the other side of the break.
15. Cincinnati Bengals (15): Soul-crushing losses the past two weeks significantly reduce their chances of surviving into postseason. But no one wants to see Joe Burrow and Co., the quarterback the first in the Super Bowl era to lose three games in a season when throwing for at least 300 yards, three TDs and zero INTs, per NFL Media.
16. Miami Dolphins (18): QB Tua Tagovailoa has played awfully well since returning from his latest concussion, completing 77% of his passes for 960 yards with seven TDs and one INT. His passer rating in that four-game stretch is 112.2. A Fins club that has yet to finish with a surge under HC Mike McDaniel needs to continue swimming against the tide, though a forgiving schedule should help.
17. Los Angeles Rams (19): After throwing three TD passes in the first six weeks, QB Matthew Stafford has posted 10 in the past four – which coincides with a 3-1 mark and return to relevance. Now 10th in league history with 370 TD strikes, Stafford needs 12 to overtake Matt Ryan next.
18. San Francisco 49ers (11): TE George Kittle is hurt. DE Nick Bosa is hurt. Their pride is hurt after a fourth-quarter collapse to Seattle. And heading to Green Bay and Buffalo could inflict further pain on their already diminishing playoff prospects.
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (17): They went into their bye with a four-game slide. They’ll emerge from it faced with the NFC’s easiest remaining schedule and, apparently, with WR Mike Evans back in the lineup.
20. Seattle Seahawks (20): Did you know QB Geno Smith holds the franchise’s single-season record with 4,282 passing yards (2022)? He’s on pace for 4,728 this year.
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21. Indianapolis Colts (21): Did you know QB Anthony Richardson leads the league with 15.6 yards per completion? Or that WR Alec Pierce paces the NFL with 22.7 yards per catch? Still, with a collective 79.4 passer rating, only one AFC team (Tennessee) is less efficient than Indy.
22. New England Patriots (22): Given how poorly the O-line has blocked, might be time to convert LT Vederian Lowe into a wideout?
23. Chicago Bears (23): Changing offensive coordinators ended their touchdown drought at 25 possessions, dating to their Hail Mary loss at Washington. But Da Bears will need a Hail Mary to reach postseason given they play what is – by far – the hardest schedule (.729 opponents’ winning percentage) in the league over the final seven weeks.
24. New Orleans Saints (27): Their interim coach is 2-0.
25. New York Jets (24): Their interim coach is 1-5. And their interim GM is 0-0.
26. Carolina Panthers (25): Their three wins already exceed 2023’s total (2). And the good vibes should build Sunday with rookie RB Jonathon Brooks set to make his long-awaited debut in what’s shaping up as a pretty good backfield along with recently extended Chuba Hubbard.
27. Las Vegas Raiders (32): The newly installed Turner-and-son offense is the best the Silver and Black has employed all season.
28. Cleveland Browns (26): They had the league’s No. 1 defense in 2023. Now? It’s merely a unit that doesn’t have a prayer of stopping Taysom Hill.
29. Dallas Cowboys (29): The sky is literally falling at AT&T Stadium, where “America’s Team” has now lost its last six games … and trailed by at least 20 in all of them. Even worse Monday night? Houstonians largely took over North Texas.
30. Tennessee Titans (30): They don’t score much – their 18 TDs the AFC’s second fewest – but they get their money’s worth. WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine’s 98-yarder Sunday was the longest touchdown reception in the league this season.
31. New York Giants (31): Will QB Daniel Jones ever play for this team again? He was basically fired coming out of the bye week, demoted to third string and likely headed for the door in a few months.
32. Jacksonville Jaguars (28): Will HC Doug Pederson ever work for this team again? Quite feasible he could be fired sometime during the bye week after the 2-9 Jags suffered the worst loss of their 30-season existence. But he’s doubtless headed for the door … at any time.
This story has been updated with new information.
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Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Nate Davis on X, formerly Twitter, @ByNateDavis.