The gauntlet that is the NFL regular season is over, and the seven teams in each conference that managed to separate themselves over that 17-game marathon are the only ones who remain standing.

In a funny twist, the Chiefs can knock the Bengals out of the postseason before the bracket is even set. All they have to do is lose the regular-season finale in Denver to ensure the Broncos reach the postseason and the Bengals stay out of it — a task made easier with Mahomes and a host of top-flight starters expected to sit out the game.

The Kansas City Chiefs started the 2024 season ranked first in every power ranking we tracked this year. Some of the season’s final rankings still have them at the top — but a few don’t. Here’s this week’s sampling: (unchanged from 1) Kansas City’s reserves were walloped in Denver,