2014 NFL Power Rankings countdown: 8. Kansas City Chiefs

Dec 15, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles (25) runs for a touchdown after catching a pass against the Oakland Raiders in the first quarter at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

2014 NFL Power Rankings Countdown

8. Kansas City Chiefs (AFC West)

2013 Record: 11-5

Head coach: Andy Reid – Reid’s first season in Kansas City was a big success, getting the Chiefs to the playoffs in his first season as head coach. He made a wise trade for Alex Smith to be his starting quarterback . Now Reid needs to add more weapons on offense to compete for the AFC West title.

Best offensive player: Jamaal Charles, running back – Charles is one of the most versatile running backs in the NFL. He’s a threat to score whenever he touches the football, and is just as good a receiver as he is a runner. If the Chiefs could just add more around him to keep teams from focusing everything to stop him, Charles could become even more dangerous. NFL Power Rankings

Best defensive player: Justin Houston, outside linebacker – Some might say that Tamba Hali is the Chiefs best defensive player, but I’m going with Justin Houston. Had he not been injured and missed five games on the season, Houston may have led the league in sacks. However, in 11 games he tallied 11 sacks, and 2014 could be an even bigger season for him.

Rising Star: Dontari Poe, nose tackle – Poe exploded in his second season in 2013 after a mediocre rookie season. Poe had 4.5 sacks which is a good number for a nose tackle and he helped the Chiefs

Best new addition: Dee Ford outside linebacker – The Chiefs already have two good outside linebackers in Tamba Hali and Justin Houston. However, Ford will help the Chiefs this season in putting even pressure on the opposing quarterbacks they face in 2014. NFL Power Rankings

Biggest offseason loss: Geoff Schwartz, guard – The Chiefs lost their left tackle in Branden Albert and that was big, but they did draft Eric Fisher last season to be their new left tackle, so that makes up for the loss of Albert. But the Chiefs also lost two guards in free agency with Geoff Schwartz being the most coveted and that might be a bigger loss than Albert .

Biggest strength: The Chiefs biggest strength is Jamaal Charles. Charles is one of them most potent offensive weapons in the league. Not only did he lead the Chiefs in rushing, but he led them in receiving as well. NFL Power Rankings

Biggest weakness: The Chiefs biggest weakness is at wide receiver. For some strange reason, the Chiefs didn’t do much of anything to strengthen their wide receiving unit in the offseason. Dwayne Bowe will continue as their top receiver, but they may need Jamaal Charles to lead the team in receiving again in 2014.

32. Houston Texans

31. Cleveland Browns

30. Minnesota Vikings

29. Jacksonville Jaguars

28. Oakland Raiders

27. Washington Redskins

26. Atlanta Falcons

25. Buffalo Bills

24. Tennessee Titans

23. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

22. Detroit Lions

21. Miami Dolphins