Bills leapfrog Chiefs in latest NFL power rankings

For years, the Kansas City Chiefs have been the top dogs in the AFC, and the Buffalo Bills have been chasing them.

The AFC Championship Game was another reminder to the heartbroken Bills Mafia that Kansas City continued to be one step ahead of the Bills. This has prompted the Bills to focus their offseason on acquiring talent that can knock off the Chiefs in the playoffs.

Signing key offseason additions, such as edge rusher Joey Bosa and wide receiver Joshua Palmer, helped Buffalo improve both its defense and offense. Extending contracts to Josh Allen, Greg Rousseau, Khalil Shakir, and Christian Benford kept the core team together.

All these offseason moves that Bills general manager Brandon Beane appears to have paid off as he assembled a roster that tops Kansas City, at least in the eyes of one writer.

Buffalo Bills cornerback Christian Benford (47). / Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

FanSided writer Lou Scataglia has compiled his latest power rankings, ranking the Bills at No. 3 overall, behind only the Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles and ahead of the Baltimore Ravens and Chiefs. That puts Buffalo at the top of the AFC.

"For most of the 2024 NFL Season, the Buffalo Bills were the best team in the AFC. They did not secure the no. 1 seed, as that went to the Kansas City Chiefs, but they beat the Chiefs in the regular season, and many also thought that 2024 was the year that Buffalo finally got over the hump."

Jan 26, 2025; Kansas City, MO, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17). / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

"Losing yet again to KC in the playoffs leaves Buffalo with that burning question - what the heck is it going to take to get past the Chiefs in the playoffs? It felt like 2024 was going to be a banner year for Buffalo, as Josh Allen won his first NFL MVP award. Buffalo is the best team in the AFC in our latest power rankings and should again be the top team in the conference when the 2025 NFL Season begins."

Buffalo has made the postseason in seven of its last eight years with trips to the AFC Championship game twice. Kansas City has been the team that has sent the Bills home from the playoffs four times since 2020.

While the Bills finally got the best of the Chiefs in something, the goal remains the same: to top them in a playoff game on the way to a Super Bowl.

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen. / Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images