2026 NFL expert power rankings: Are 49ers, Bills or Bears in the top spot ahead of Week 9?

We’ve officially reached November, and while we await Thanksgiving and start to get our Christmas lists together, we’re roughly halfway through the 2026 NFL season. 

Each team has played at least seven games, with many squads having played eight. It’s been an eventful year to date, with surprise teams – good and bad – all across the league, and as was the case last year, there’s plenty of parity. That’s always a good thing. 

NFL expert power rankings ahead of Week 9

So how do all 32 teams stack up against one another now that we’ve reached November? Here, we break down our latest NFL power rankings, starting with the best of the best and ending with the worst of the rest. Each team has their current record next to their name, with the other number being where they were ranked in this exercise at the start of October. 

1: Buffalo Bills (6-1, 3)

In what’s been a wacky start to the season across the NFL, someone has to be No. 1. I’ll roll with the team that has just one loss and also fields the NFL’s best player.

Don’t get me wrong – the Bills have serious questions, namely on defense, where they’re 24th in points allowed per game – but that offense … wow. Allen has been unbelievable. There are a lot of talented players with James Cook, DJ Moore, Khalil Shakir and Dalton Kincaid in the mix. The offensive line is one of the best in football. 

The Bills have to get that defense on track to seriously contend for a Super Bowl, but no one is slowing this offense down so far. Allen can score on anyone, and it’s easy to see this Bills team is plenty motivated after so many years of coming up short. If the defense can be even average, this might be the clear best team in football. 

2: San Francisco 49ers (6-1, 1)

When we had three undefeated teams left, I assumed the 49ers would be the last one standing given they played Atlanta in Week 7 and had a Week 8 bye. Instead, they shockingly fell to the Falcons in a game where the defense couldn’t slow Atlanta down and the offense had a season-low 20 points. 

Still, this is a 49ers team that, even after that loss and coming off the bye week, has to be feeling great about how this year has transpired. Brock Purdy is in the MVP conversation, and even with injuries piling up at receiver, the offense has been more than good enough, ranking fourth in points per game. The defense is also not being talked about enough and enters Week 9 seventh in points per game allowed. 

This is another great coaching performance from Kyle Shanahan, and the 49ers are looking awfully dangerous as the NFC tries to find its top dog. 

3: Chicago Bears (6-2, 11)

There’s a case for the Bears being higher here, and I totally get it. Regardless of where you put them, Chicago has to be in the top five at least. 

Ben Johnson’s group is red hot. They just dominated the Seahawks in Seattle in prime time with Caleb Williams having the best day against that defense any quarterback has had this season. The run game is a strength again, and while the offense is getting all the attention, this Chicago defense is again very good, and the addition of Jeffrey Simmons will only help. 

If Williams keeps up this level of play, which has seen him not turn the ball over and take a massive step forward in accuracy, the Bears may very well be the team to beat in the NFC. The team is clearly all-in, and based on what we’ve seen with Williams on the field after an early hamstring injury cost him a few games, they should be. 

4: Jacksonville Jaguars (5-2, 7)

The Jaguars just keep winning. It feels like Jacksonville keeps getting overlooked in the grand scheme of the NFL, and I don’t understand why. 

Liam Coen is building a team that’s as balanced as they come. The Jags are No. 5 in points scored, No. 2 in points allowed, No. 1 in turnover differential and are No. 1 against the run. Trevor Lawrence is great, he has a lot of options in the passing game and the team just doesn’t make very many mistakes. 

The loss to the Texans in London hurt given what Houston is doing this year, but other than that, it’s hard to find much fault with how Jacksonville has played. I don’t think the Jaguars are a secret after winning the AFC South last year, but they’re right there in the conversation of being the best team the NFL has to offer. 

5: Denver Broncos (6-2, 6)

I went back and forth on whether to put the Broncos above the Chiefs or vice versa, but I’ve got to roll with Denver at this point in time.

Sean Payton’s squad is not flashy at all and has actually taken a step back from last year in many ways, but they find ways to win. Bo Nix is playing risk-averse football, but that hasn’t hurt the Broncos’ winning ways. The defense makes enough plays to win, and at the end of the day, that’s all that matters. 

The Broncos have a few notable wins this year over the Rams, Chiefs and Seahawks, too, so that’s another reason they get the nod over Kansas City. I think if these AFC West rivals played again, I’d pick the Chiefs, but for now, the Broncos are the better team.

6: Kansas City Chiefs (5-2, 2)

The Chiefs had a nice start to the season, going 5-0 to begin the year, but things have gotten off the rails of late with a blowout loss at Seattle and a close loss at Denver. The Chiefs largely beat up on poor teams to begin the year, and the offense has fallen back to earth a bit these last two weeks, particularly the run game with Kenneth Walker III. 

The Chiefs are 11th in points scored per game and fifth in points allowed, so there’s a lot to like here, but they’ve failed their last two – and really only – tough tests this year, so there are a lot of questions Andy Reid’s team has to answer. But it’s still clear the Chiefs are a playoff-caliber team after a disastrous 6-11 season in 2025. 

7: Detroit Lions (5-2, 8)

My preseason Super Bowl pick looked like a dud early on. The Lions started the year 2-2 and up until Week 5 had allowed 24 or more points in every game, including allowing 30 points in three of the first four games of the year. 

There was no denying the offense was cooking with Jared Goff, Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams all off to hot starts, but the defense was one of the worst in football. It looks like that unit has turned a corner, though, as the Lions have allowed 21, 17 and 15 points over the last three weeks. 

If the Lions have a capable defense, they’re as dangerous as they come. They have arguably the NFL’s best collection of weapons on offense, and that unit is third in points per game. It wouldn’t shock me if Detroit is much higher up these rankings when December rolls around. 

8: Minnesota Vikings (6-1, 5)

This was one of the hardest rankings to list. 

On one hand, the Vikings were the NFL’s last undefeated team and have the league’s best defense. On the other hand, this is one of the three to five worst offenses in the game and just lost a low-scoring game to Detroit. 

It’s hard not to love the Vikings’ defense. Brian Flores’ blitz-heavy attack is as dangerous as they come. That group will keep Minnesota in every game and make the Vikings a dangerous squad in the postseason should they get there. 

But that offense … woof. Kyler Murray has not played well at all, the receiving group can’t take games over as a result and the run game has lagged behind as well. Given QB trades are uncommon at the trade deadline, there’s no reason to think Minnesota won’t stick with Murray. But can he get rolling like we saw at times in Arizona? The Vikings need that to happen because they’re at risk of wasting a Super Bowl-caliber defense due to lackluster quarterback play. 

9: Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2, 15)

The choice between the Steelers and Bengals for No. 9 was tight, but given Pittsburgh beat Cincinnati 30-27 at the end of September, the nod goes to Mike McCarthy’s squad. 

That 27-point game from Cincy is tied for the most the Steelers have allowed this year. The defense ranks fourth in points allowed per game at 18.0. The offense is 18th in scoring, and while there are intriguing pieces like Jaylen Warren and DK Metcalf, it is clear the offense is limited by the 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers being under center, even if he’s played more than fine this season. 

This looks like a playoff team due in large part to the defense, but I have a hard time seeing a deep run with the offense’s limited ceiling. But this is a team no one will want to face given how strong the defense is and that the offense doesn’t make too many critical mistakes. 

10: Cincinnati Bengals (5-2, 13)

The Bengals’ biggest question entering the year was the defense. After years of having a dominant offense and lackluster defense, the team desperately needed that unit to step up. So far, so good on that front. Cincy is second in points per game on offense and 16th in points per game on defense. 

But the team’s numbers there are skewed given what happened in Week 8 as the Bengals needed overtime to beat the Titans 43-36. Allowing 36 points to a Tennessee offense that’s arguably the worst in football is startling. Is Cincy starting to regress on defense? 

This is a team that has as high of a ceiling as anyone. It needs the defense to remain in the top half of football to be a serious threat, though, and at some point the run game has to get going, be it Chase Brown getting hot or a trade for a different back. 

11: Seattle Seahawks (4-4, 4)

It’s been a super uneven start to the season for the reigning champs. Sam Darnold was hurt early on, returned and has struggled with turnovers. After a dominant effort against Kansas City in primetime in Week 7, the Seahawks got embarrassed at home in Week 8 by Chicago. 

The offense has been a bit of a mess with poor offensive line play, turnover issues, a lack of a run game and no real passing threat outside of Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The defense, outside of a season-worst effort against the Bears, has been one of the best in the NFL this year. There’s talent to make a run, obviously, but a 4-4 start to the year has the Seahawks in much worse territory than they – and many others – expected. 

12: New England Patriots (5-3, 28)

The Patriots’ start of the year was a mess, hence their No. 28 ranking in our last power rankings. The biggest reason was Drake Maye being a turnover machine with one touchdown to six picks through Week 3. But he’s gotten back on track with 17 total touchdowns to two interceptions since then, so it’s no surprise the Pats are 4-1 over that stretch. 

The defense is also top 10 in yards and points allowed per game as that unit continues to just put up good results on a consistent basis. The defense gives New England a very stable floor, but Maye determines what the team’s ceiling is. If he continues this heater, the Pats are going to be one of the better teams in the AFC when it’s all said and done.  

13: Green Bay Packers (5-3, 27)

The Packers are a lot like the Patriots, who we just highlighted. They started 1-2 but have won four of five thanks in large part to the play of their quarterback. 

The Packers have had to lean on Jordan Love far more than expected, though, with an NFL-worst rushing attack. Even with Josh Jacobs returning two games ago, Green Bay can’t run block, and the team’s backs can’t run the ball as a result. But Love has played great with Matthew Golden, Christian Watson and Tucker Kraft all showing elite ability. And like New England, the Packers are a top-10 defense overall. 

The lack of a run game is a killer, though, and there’s no easy fix. It’s not a running back problem – it’s on the offensive line. As such, that group has to improve and fast because outside of a flurry of trades – which almost certainly won’t happen – the team’s run game is dependent on the O-line gelling. 

14: Los Angeles Rams (4-4, 12)

Are the Rams back on track? The NFL’s preseason “super team” started the year 0-1, 1-2 and then 2-3 and just a few weeks ago lost to the Cardinals in a game where Arizona only scored via six field goals. But the Rams are riding a two-game win streak after beating the Raiders and Chargers. 

Yes, the competition was poor there, but the Rams are back to .500. There’s no denying this is a team no one wants to see get hot, and Matthew Stafford has been rolling of late, tossing nine touchdowns to two picks over the last four weeks after throwing six touchdowns to six picks in Weeks 1-4. 

I think L.A. is trending the right way, but we won’t really know where the Rams stand for a few weeks when they play the Packers, Chiefs and 49ers in three straight games. 

15: New York Giants (4-2-1, 17)

I don’t get the Giants. Nothing about them screams “division winner,” but due to the NFC East being a dumpster fire and a shocking 4-2-1 start, here we are. 

The Giants being 4-2-1 is extra surprising given Jaxson Dart is out for the year and Jameis Winston was benched for – checks notes – J.J. McCarthy. And so far, that’s worked out! The offense is slightly above average, the defense is average and the Giants are winning the games they should. The John Harbaugh effect is at least working in that regard. 

I doubt the Giants can make serious noise in the playoffs, but this is a team that’s just winning games and taking advantage of a weak division. It’s hard to fault them there. 

16: Cleveland Browns (5-3, 16)

Speaking of a team I don’t really get, there’s the Browns. At 5-3, Cleveland has already won as many games as it did all of last year. The offense stinks, though, ranking 29th in scoring. But the defense, even after trading Myles Garrett, is a very capable group and is arguably a top-10 defense. 

At some point, I feel like things will collapse. The Deshaun Watson-led offense is bad, and there are too many exciting young players like Denzel Boston, KC Concepcion, Harold Fannin Jr. and Quinshon Judkins to be a bottom-five scoring unit. Are Shedeur Sanders or Dillon Gabriel the answer? Probably not. But Watson isn’t scoring many points, and the offense has 11 giveaways this year. That’s playing with fire when you’re already not scoring points. 

17: Las Vegas Raiders (4-4, 9)

The Raiders are a fun story, even if the early success is largely a product of the schedule. Vegas started the year 3-0 with wins over the Dolphins, Chargers and Saints before dropping four straight to the Chiefs, Patriots, Bills and Rams once the schedule started to heat up. 

But first-year head coach Klint Kubiak got his squad back on track with a win over the Jets last week in a shootout that got the Raiders their fourth win of the year. That’s notable as Vegas went 3-14 all of 2025. 

The big question is when – or if – the Raiders bench the veteran Kirk Cousins for Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 pick in this April’s NFL Draft. Cousins isn’t the reason the Raiders lost those four straight games, but at some point it has to be Mendoza’s time, right? We’re all watching that situation closely, as well as the Vegas run game as Ashton Jeanty has struggled and just saw rookie Mike Washington serve as the lead back in the win over New York. That’s another situation worth monitoring.

18: Baltimore Ravens (4-4, 10)

Are the Ravens the 18th-best team in football? Probably not. But this ranking stems largely from the fact that Lamar Jackson is out for at least four weeks with a thumb injury, and he may be out for even longer. The Ravens lost both Jackson and backup Tyler Huntley in a blowout loss to Buffalo last week, and that game likely put a major damper on Baltimore’s playoff hopes this year. 

Jackson has missed time already this year, but the team did OK without him. But that was also a short absence. He broke his right thumb in Week 8, and if he does return, there’s a chance he’ll be limited. Plus, this Baltimore defense is 22nd in points per game under first-year head coach and play caller Jesse Minter. There’s just too much going against this squad right now to put them above healthier squads.

19: Carolina Panthers (3-4, 26)

The Panthers are 3-4 and have a bottom-five defense. They’re also in first place in an awful NFC South. 

Bryce Young has played much better this year as it looks like he may be in Carolina’s long-term plans after all. He’s struggled the last two weeks in a pair of losses, but it’s hard to pin this sub-.500 start on him. The offense has intriguing enough pieces with Young, Tetairoa McMillan and Chuba Hubbard, and Carolina is ninth in points per game. 

That defense, though. Yikes. The team is bottom three against the run this season, which has been their biggest Achilles' heel. Could improvement be coming? Longtime defensive play caller Ejiro Evero was fired after a loss to Green Bay last week, so the Panthers’ defense is a unit to keep a very close eye on moving forward. If that group improves, the Panthers can be a sneaky dangerous team, much like they were last year when they gave the Rams all they could handle in the Wild Card Round. 

20: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-5, 29)

The Bucs are winners of three of their last four after starting 0-4. They also just won a game where they didn’t complete a single pass. The run game has come to life with Bucky Irving rushing for 106 or more yards in their three wins. 

Those five losses are hard to ignore, though, and Baker Mayfield has been awful this year – both pre- and post-injury. The run game helps negate that issue to a certain extent, and Todd Bowles’ defense has allowed 16, 13 and zero points in the three wins. But until we see Mayfield have to air it out and be successful in doing so, I’ve got to treat the Bucs with an air of caution. 

21: Atlanta Falcons (3-5, 21)

What to make of the Falcons? On one hand, Atlanta is 3-2 with Michael Penix Jr. at quarterback since he returned to the lineup in Week 3. On the other hand, the Falcons just lost 16-0 in a game where the Bucs didn’t complete a single pass. Yikes. 

Now, weather was a major factor there, and it’s unlikely Atlanta will play another game like that. But you’re only as good as your most recent game, and in that regard, the Falcons were the NFL’s biggest loser in Week 8. 

I like the makeup of this team, though, particularly on offense with Penix, Drake London and Bijan Robinson leading the way. But the floor, as we saw in Weeks 1 and 2 and this last weekend, is dreadfully low. This is the most dangerous team in the NFC South, but it can also look like the worst team in the division.

22: Arizona Cardinals (3-5, 24)

The Cardinals have proven pesky this year. They’ve kept things close much of the season and have picked up wins over the Rams and Cowboys over the last three weeks. The win in Dallas is particularly noteworthy as Gardner Minshew led the comeback effort while the team benched Jacoby Brissett, and Minshew will start this Sunday in Seattle. 

The Cardinals’ offense is trying to find a rhythm, but there’s a lot of talent there. The defense, though, is the NFL’s worst and is allowing nearly 30 points per game. This was never going to be a big year in the desert, but it’s clear there are pieces to like on offense. The defense, however, needs to show up over the last half of 2026. 

23: Dallas Cowboys (3-5, 20)

The Cowboys have three wins, but all came with asterisks of sorts. They beat a Commanders team that lost Jayden Daniels during that game, took down a Texans team that’s looked like a shell of itself this year and then defeated an Eagles team that’s without its quarterback in what’s looking like a lost season. 

The defense has remained an issue, and the Cowboys suffered a humiliating overtime loss to the Cardinals by blowing a late lead. The defense is not at all fixed after an awful 2025 showing, and the offense, while good, is not quite as potent as it was last year, either. 

This is a team with talent, but the results aren’t there. I think the Cowboys have a run in them just based on talent alone, but I also have serious doubts about whether that run will happen based on what they’ve shown on tape this season. 

24: Houston Texans (2-5, 19)

The Texans looked to be getting on track after winning two straight following an 0-4 start, but then came a 27-21 loss to the J.J. McCarthy-led Giants. It’s clear the Texans have talent on offense, but the defense has taken a massive step back after being one of the two to three best units in football last year. 

I feel good about Houston long term given the offense looks far more cohesive in the passing game than it did the last two years, and I love the addition of Marvin Harrison Jr. to serve as WR2 and reconnect with his college quarterback. But the run game is a disaster and has not been rejuvenated by the trade for David Montgomery. Be it the offensive line or the running back room, changes have to be made at some point. And this defense has to find its groove again after ranking in the bottom half of football in scoring defense through Week 8. 

25: Washington Commanders (2-4-1, 25)

The Commanders have had a very weird 2026 season. They started 0-2, beat the Seahawks with backup Marcus Mariota, got blown out by a bad Colts team, had awful clock management to tie with the Giants in a game they should have won and then beat the Eagles after nearly pulling off a comeback win over the 49ers. 

Washington is clearly a better team with Jayden Daniels at quarterback, but he’s also trying to find his rookie year magic. The run game has a lot of faces, but no one has really established himself as the lead guy. The passing game will be fun to watch with an eye towards the future with Terry McLaurin out for the year, so this is an opportunity for rookie Antonio Williams to showcase chemistry with Daniels. 

Defensively, it’s another bad unit for Dan Quinn’s squad. Washington is the seventh-worst defense in football in points per game. It looks like 2024 was a flash in the pan, and the Commanders probably will be making some tough decisions as the season winds down. 

26: New York Jets (2-6, 23)

The Jets have had a few highs but mostly lows this year. They hung tough with the Lions, Packers and Bears but gave the Dolphins their lone win of the year and fell to the Raiders last week. Their two wins were over the Titans and Browns.

The passing game has been a bright spot, really, with Geno Smith playing well and the mix of Garrett Wilson, Omar Cooper, Adonai Mitchell and Kenyon Sadiq all having their moments. There’s a talented running back tandem in New York as well between Breece Hall and Braelon Allen. That being said, New York has the eighth-fewest points per game on offense. 

The defense has taken a step forward after a trying 2025 showing and is essentially league average. That’s a win.

While this season won’t be a “success” when it comes to record, the Jets are a top team to watch this offseason. They have their own first-round pick as well as the Colts’ and Cowboys’. If the season ended today, New York would have three picks in the top 10. With the 2027 NFL Draft being loaded at the top, the Jets are in prime position to really reshape their roster in the next calendar year.

27: New Orleans Saints (2-5, 22)

The Saints were viewed as a sneaky playoff contender after a strong finish to 2025, but things haven’t gone to plan.

The offense is average in points scored, but the Saints simply cannot run the football. The other side of the ball is where the main struggles lie as New Orleans is 29th in points allowed per game. 

It’s clear the Saints are a weak team, and Tyler Shough has been too up-and-down to take the team seriously, even in an awful NFC South. 

28: Miami Dolphins (1-6, 32)

I have the Dolphins above a few two-win teams due both to injury concerns and just the overall fight we’re seeing. After a rough start to the season, Miami finally won a game over the Jets, and the Dolphins’ three most recent losses all came by one score. 

Now, is the team set to take a step forward the rest of the way? That’s doubtful. It’s also doubtful Malik Willis is the long-term guy even if he’s playing with a lackluster supporting cast. But the defense has been better than you may think under new head coach Jeff Hafley, and there’s fight here we’re not seeing with a few teams below the Dolphins in these rankings. 

29: Philadelphia Eagles (2-6, 14)

The Eagles were once the NFL’s most confounding 2-0 team. But things have fallen apart as Philadelphia has lost six in a row. 

Injuries are the name of the game here. Jalen Hurts is out for the year, Lane Johnson retired and both Saquon Barkley and DeVonta Smith have missed notable time. This is a team that feels lifeless and just playing things out the rest of the way. 

Could Nick Sirianni be let go just a few years after winning a Super Bowl? Even with injuries as a valid excuse, that could be the case. It’s not like the team played well before Hurts’ blood clot issues and Barkley and Smith’s injuries. 

30: Indianapolis Colts (2-6, 18)

U-G-L-Y. That’s the best word to describe the Colts. 

The team just lost by 35 to the Jags after trading guard Quenton Nelson to Seattle and D-tackle DeForest Buckner to San Francisco. That came after the organization fired longtime GM Chris Ballard, and there’s no reason to think the Colts won’t make more changes in the near future, be it coaching-wise or trading top players like Jonathan Taylor. Additionally, Daniel Jones’ time as QB1 may be ending. 

The Colts have basically failed every large decision the last few years from paying Jones to shipping two first-round picks for Sauce Gardner. At this point, stockpiling picks while determining which players and/or coaches are part of the future is a sensible plan. 

31: Tennessee Titans (1-7, 31)

The Titans scored 36 points for a season-high mark last week. Unfortunately for Robert Saleh’s squad, that came in a loss where his defense gave up 43.

The Titans were never going to contend this year, but it’s been a trying start so far. The defense had actually been fine ahead of Week 8, and the offense was one of the worst in football with Cam Ward looking lost. Could that unit at least be turning a corner heading into their Week 9 bye? 

The team waved the white flag, so to speak, by trading star D-tackle Jeffrey Simmons to Chicago for a pair of first-round picks. That’s a smart move as this team desperately needs to strengthen the roster while also figuring out if Ward is worthy of starting next year. 

For now, it’s a bad team that at least showed some life on offense the last three weeks, so there’s that. 

32: Los Angeles Chargers (0-7, 30)

What a disaster it’s been in L.A. The Chargers are the NFL’s last winless team, and while they have a chance to change that soon with the Texans, Ravens and Jets all upcoming, there’s no denying this is the NFL’s worst and most disappointing squad. 

Justin Herbert leads the NFL in interceptions after being so efficient for most of his career. Mike McDaniel’s “run game guru” title has not come to fruition at all as the team is not dangerous on the ground at all. The Chargers overall are last in points per game at 14.1. Ouch. The defense is 20th, which is a bright spot given what’s going on with the offense. 

The team has a lot of questions to answer as it pertains to the future of the coaching staff as well as the front office and Herbert and other key players. Who saw that coming ahead of Week 1?