ESPN Power Rankings Inexplicably Drop The Chiefs Two Spots After Lions Win

While NFL power rankings are hardly gospel, ESPN’s latest version has to be among the most baffling editions in a while.

The Kansas City Chiefs had arguably the most impressive win of the season on Sunday, topping the Detroit Lions 30–17. The Chiefs pushed around what had been the most dominant team of the past month. For background, the Chiefs held a Lions team averaging 40.3 points over the past four weeks to just 17. 

That’s at least worth a few spots up the ladder, no?

Apparently, not. After the win, ESPN dropped the Chiefs two spots compared to last week. Here is the full top 10, per the list:

1. Tampa Bay
2. Detroit
3. Buffalo
4. Indianapolis
5. Philadelphia
6. Green Bay
7. Rams
8. Seattle
9. Kansas City
10. Denver

Yes, you read that correctly. Kansas City fell from seventh to ninth in the power rankings after the decisive win. The ranking is so egregious that it has Nick Wright and I actually agreeing on a topic.

"I don’t want to overstate it when I say this is the single worst power ranking in the history of sports media… I’ve never seen anything like it," Wright said on his podcast.

Wright raises a worthy question: how exactly did a panel of 80 NFL writers, editors, and TV personalities at ESPN—80!—go into the weekend viewing the Chiefs as the seventh-best team, watch them handle the Lions, and conclude they’re now the ninth-best team?

Anyone?

Meanwhile, the same ESPN power rankings elevated the Seattle Seahawks five spots from 11 to 6 after a 20–12 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. It was a nice win, but not exactly worth a five-spot jump.

The Rams edged a depleted Ravens team in an unimpressive 17–3 win, yet moved up three spots from 9 to 6. Huh?

Green Bay also jumped up two spots from 8 to 6, despite narrowly beating Cincinnati in a game that was far harder than it should’ve been. Even ESPN’s own article admitted that "Green Bay is playing with fire."

"The Packers are the only team in the NFL that has held a double-digit lead in every game this season. But in the past three games, those leads were not safe. They blew a 10–0 advantage in a 13–10 loss to the Browns. They were up 13–0 against the Cowboys but came away with a 40–40 tie. And in the latest game, they saw a 14-point second-half lead cut to six points against the Bengals. They've established a dangerous way to live," Packers writer Rob Demovsky wrote.

Well, at least the Packers didn’t score a double-digit lead over the Lions in a game they controlled the entire second half.

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - OCTOBER 12: The Kansas City Chiefs and the Detroit Lions fight after the game at Arrowhead Stadium on October 12, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

For comparison, the Chiefs moved from the fifth-shortest odds to Super Bowl favorites after the win. As of publication, FanDuel lists Kansas City at +650 to win the Super Bowl.

We understand odds and power rankings are different metrics, but the contrasting responses are telling. Still, as a rule, take the guys trying to make money over the guys at ESPN.

Finally, here’s a look at Bobby Burack’s Official NFL Power Rankings:

1. Tampa Bay
2. Indianapolis
3. Kansas City
4. Detroit
5. Buffalo
6. Green Bay
7. Chargers
8. Philadelphia
9. Rams
10. Denver