Best NFL Teams Right Now: Week 9 Power Rankings

Record: 0-7
Last Game: L 24-9 at Los Angeles Rams
Next Game: vs. Houston
Previous week’s ranking: 30
Super Bowl Odds: +100000
The Chargers hired Jim Harbaugh after going 5-12 in the 2023-24 season. Harbaugh brought stability to the franchise as the team went 11-6 the past two seasons. At the start of the season, Justin Herbert and company hoped to take the next step with new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel helping them get there. But the results have been disastrous with McDaniel in danger of not surviving the season.

Record: 1-7
Last Game: L 43-36 at Cincinnati
Next Game: Bye
Previous week’s ranking: 32
Super Bowl Odds: +100000
The Robert Saleh era in Tennessee got off to a brutal start as the Titans were dumped by Saleh’s former team, the Jets, and then lost close ones to Philly the Giants, and Baltimore. More of a concern: 2025 first overall pick Cam Ward has regressed in season two before lighting up the scoreboard against a putrid Bengals defense in Week 8.

Record: 1-6
Last Game: L 24-19 vs. New England
Next Game: vs. Detroit
Previous week’s ranking: 31
Super Bowl Odds: +100000
It wasn’t too long ago that the Dolphins had one of the top WR rooms in the NFL, with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle leading the way. That is not the case these days as new QB Malik Willis’ primary targets will be 2022 third round pick Jalen Tolbert and 2026 third round pick Caleb Douglas.

Record: 2-6
Last Game: L 42-7 at Jacksonville
Next Game: vs. Dallas
Previous week’s ranking: 26
Super Bowl Odds: +100000
Chris Ballard was never able to replace Andrew Luck who retired unexpectedly prior to the 2019 season and it ended up costing the embattled GM his job. Questions remain for the Colts: Do they clean house at the trade deadline? Do they turn to Anthony Richardson Sr. at QB? Keep in mind, the Colts traded their 2027 first round pick to the Jets for cornerback Sauce Gardner, who has been a disappointment in Indianapolis.

Record: 2-6
Last Game: L 38-33 vs. Las Vegas
Next Game: at Kansas City
Previous week’s ranking: 29
Super Bowl Odds: +100000
First, the good news: The Jets have looked like a competent football team during Aaron Glenn’s second season as head coach. The team even got an interception, ending a 21 game streak without a pick! But the offense has been inconsistent. They’ve suffered injuries at key positions and while Geno Smith is an upgrade over Justin Fields and Tyrod Taylor, he’s not the long-term answer at the position. Related: The Jets have three first round picks in next April’s NFL Draft.

Record: 3-5
Last Game: W 33-30 (OT) at Dallas
Next Game: at Seattle
Previous week’s ranking: 28
Super Bowl Odds: +100000
The Cardinals had the biggest upset of Week 1 as they took down the heavily-favored Chargers. But the subsequent games are closer to the truth of what the Cards actually are: a rebuilding team with some young talent in search of a franchise quarterback.

Record: 2-6
Last Game: L 27-10 at Washington
Next Game: vs New York Giants
Previous week’s ranking: 27
Super Bowl Odds: +50000
The Eagles began the season in the Super Bowl conversation. They added on defense this offseason, signing former Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen to a one-year deal. Philly should have one of the better secondaries in the NFL this season with Woolen, Quinyon Mitchell, and Cooper DeJean in the fold. But the unit has regressed and the offense is still confounding and ineffective. Now must make a playoff push without Jalen Hurts who is out for the year following the discovery of blood clots in his lungs.

Record: 2-5
Last Game: Bye
Next Game: vs. Cleveland
Previous week’s ranking: 25
Super Bowl Odds: +20000
Kellen Moore didn’t exactly have a Mike Vrabel-esque impact on the Saints organization in his first season, but New Orleans did improve. Moore worked wonders with 2025 second round pick Tyler Shough, as Shough had a 10:6 TD:INT ratio in 11 games played.

Record: 5-3
Last Game: L 27-6 at Pittsburgh
Next Game: at New Orleans
Previous week’s ranking: 22
Super Bowl Odds: +20000
Deshaun Watson’s NFL career isn’t over just yet. The much-criticized veteran has outperformed Baker Mayfield, Bryce Young, and Aaron Rodgers in successive weeks to lead Tampa to an impressive start. With the entire preseason discourse centered on the quarterback competition, one important thing went under the radar: The Browns have a ton of young talent on both sides of the ball.

Record: 2-4-1
Last Game: W 27-10 vs. Philadelphia
Next Game: vs. Los Angeles Rams
Previous week’s ranking: 24
Super Bowl Odds: +12000
A year ago at this time, the Commanders were seen by many as an up-and-coming team. Jayden Daniels was injured for much of the 2025-26 campaign, however, and Washington finished the season with a 5-12 record. David Blough takes over for Kliff Kingsbury as the Commanders’ OC. Daniels got hurt again but returned just in time to orchestrate a clock mismanagement debacle against the Giants that could result in people losing their jobs.

Record: 4-4
Last Game: W 38-33 at New York Jets
Next Game: at San Francisco
Previous week’s ranking: 23
Super Bowl Odds: +12000
Klint Kubiak turned Sam Darnold into a Super Bowl-winning quarterback. No small feat. Now, Kubiak reunites with Kirk Cousins in Las Vegas, as No. 1 overall draft pick Fernando Mendoza is waiting in the wings. Overall, though, the roster has holes and Las Vegas faces a rugged schedule. All signs seemed to point to another long season in Sin City, yet the Raiders have eclipsed their 2025 win total.

Record: 3-5
Last Game: L 16-0 at Tampa Bay
Next Game: vs. Cincinnati (in Madrid)
Previous week’s ranking: 17
Super Bowl Odds: +10000
Kevin Stefanski takes over as head coach in Atlanta, but he found himself with a less-than-ideal quarterback situation to start the season. Tua Tagovailoa won the job in training camp but suffered an oblique injury and Michael Penix was still recovering from his third ACL surgery. Third-stringer Cooper Rush started and was ineffective in Week 1 and Week 2 but the offense looks revitalized following Penix’s return. With Bijan Robinson leading the way, the Falcons might be the most dangerous team in the weak NFC South.

Record: 3-5
Last Game: W 16-0 vs. Atlanta
Next Game: at Chicago
Previous week’s ranking: 21
Super Bowl Odds: +7000
Todd Bowles is on the hottest of seats entering his fifth season as head coach. The team faded during the stretch in 2025 and got off to a listless start in 2026. But they survived the loss of Baker Mayfield after he missed some games with a thumb injury and remain within striking distance in the weak NFC South.

Record: 3-4
Last Game: L 27-19 at Green Bay
Next Game: vs. Denver
Previous week’s ranking: 19
Super Bowl Odds: +7000
It was difficult to understand what kind of a team the Panthers were after they lost 59-37 to the Bears in what was the highest-scoring season-opening game in NFL history. But the Panthers have rebounded and are sitting in first place in the NFC South. Starting QB Bryce Young is playing the best ball of his career and the defense has left that Week 1 debacle in the past.

Record: 4-2-1
Last Game: Bye
Next Game: at Philadelphia
Previous week’s ranking: 20
Super Bowl Odds: +6000
The Giants looked great, on paper, entering the season with Jaxson Dart at QB, Cam Skattebo at RB, and Malik Nabers at WR. For one week, at least, that trio stayed healthy and looked tremendous as the Giants rolled over the Cowboys, 28-20. But they came back down to Earth in Week 2 and lost Dart for the season with a knee injury. John Harbaugh’s team isn’t punting on the season though. They bolstered their quarterback room acquiring former top ten pick J.J. McCarthy from Minnesota for a third-day draft pick, and though it’s a small sample size, McCarthy has been a revelation, playing the best ball of his career so far.

Record: 3-5
Last Game: L 33-30 (OT) vs. Arizona
Next Game: at Indianapolis
Previous week’s ranking: 14
Super Bowl Odds: +5000
The Cowboys have been as advertised: a high-powered offense led by the Dak Prescott-CeeDee Lamb combination, a listless defense that can’t stop the run, and a coaching staff that still struggles with game management at the ends of halves and games.

Record: 6-2
Last Game: W 27-6 vs. Cleveland
Next Game: Bye
Previous week’s ranking: 18
Super Bowl Odds: +4500
Aaron Rodgers seemed to no longer be a difference-maker. Aside from a Week 3 explosion against division-rival Cincinnati, the Steelers have played uninspired football so far in 2026—and yet the aging and expensive Steelers remain in the mix in the loaded AFC North.

Record: 2-5
Last Game: Bye
Next Game: at Los Angeles Chargers
Previous week’s ranking: 16
Super Bowl Odds: +3500
The Texans already had arguably the best defense in the NFL. Houston doubled-down on that side of the ball this offseason, signing safety Reed Blankenship and bringing back defensive end Jadeveon Clowney. They also drafted defensive tackle Kayden McDonald. The big question with the Texans is whether or not CJ Stroud can bounce back from a horrific playoff performance against New England. But the problems go beyond Stroud: a struggling defense, a beat up receiver corps, and trouble closing tight games.

Record: 5-3
Last Game: W 27-19 vs. Carolina
Next Game: at New England
Previous week’s ranking: 15
Super Bowl Odds: +3000
The Packers haven’t played good football all season and the vibes on the sidelines were not good early on. But they haven’t bottomed out. Josh Jacobs returned in Week Seven but the team still desperately misses injured pass rusher Micah Parsons, who hasn’t played a snap this season. Jordan Love has rebounded though and is pushing the ball downfield.

Record: 4-4
Last Game: L 36-10 at Buffalo
Next Game: vs. Jacksonville (11/5)
Previous week’s ranking: 8
Super Bowl Odds: +2500
The Ravens also have a new head coach as former Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter takes over. Baltimore, which underwhelmed last season with an 8-9 record, added two leaders on defense in veterans Trey Hendrickson and Calais Campbell. But Lamar Jackson is injured again and headed to the IR. Has he played his last game in Baltimore?

Record: 6-1
Last Game: L 19-15 at Detroit
Next Game: vs. Buffalo (11/9)
Previous week’s ranking: 10
Super Bowl Odds: +2500
The Vikings were a complete wild card heading into the season. The thinking was, If Kyler Murray worked out at QB, the Vikes could find themselves in the playoffs and potentially win a postseason game or two. Well, Murray and the Vikings offense has struggled this season. How are the Vikings winning? Brian Flores is the best defensive coordinator in the NFL and has the Vikings defense shutting down opponents.

Record: 5-3
Last Game: W 24-19 at Miami
Next Game: vs. Green Bay
Previous week’s ranking: 13
Super Bowl Odds: +2000
The Patriots won an ugly one against the Steelers in Week 2, taking a 20-3 victory. New England’s defense looked legit, but gave up 35 points against Jacksonville in Week 3. Drake Maye struggled to begin the season. Through three games he threw just 1 TD pass and 6 INTs. But he played his best game of the season in a must-win against division rival Buffalo and has since backed it up with four TD passes against Las Vegas and division wins over the Jets and Fins.

Record: 5-2
Last Game: W 19-15 vs. Minnesota
Next Game: at Miami
Previous week’s ranking: 12
Super Bowl Odds: +1800
The Lions are getting plenty of “bounceback year” buzz after going 9-8 last season. Detroit dealt with plenty of injuries last season and was just 2-5 in games decided by 7 points or fewer. Former Arizona Cardinals OC Drew Petzing takes over as offensive coordinator after John Morton did not work out last season.

Record: 6-2
Last Game: W 28-24 vs. Kansas City
Next Game: at Carolina
Previous week’s ranking: 11
Super Bowl Odds: +1600
Had Bo Nix not fractured his ankle in the closing moments of the Broncos’ Divisional Round win over the Bills this past January, we are likely talking about Denver as the defending AFC champions—and possibly even the defending Super Bowl champions. Nix is back, and he will have help in the form of new WR Jaylen Waddle. But Nix has struggled mightily this season, jeopardizing his status as the long-term answer at QB.

Record: 5-2
Last Game: W 43-36 vs. Tennessee
Next Game: vs. Atlanta (in Madrid)
Previous week’s ranking: 9
Super Bowl Odds: +1400
The Bengals have been stuck in neutral for several seasons now. In fact, you could make the case that last season they went in reverse. Zac Taylor’s seat is extremely hot entering the season after producing a 9-8 record in 2023-24, another 9-8 record in 2024-25, and a 6-11 record last season. Having Joe Burrow healthy for once would go a long way in righting the ship.

Record: 4-4
Last Game: L 34-17 vs. Chicago
Next Game: vs. Arizona
Previous week’s ranking: 5
Super Bowl Odds: +1300
The defending champs lucked out when Sam Darnold avoided major injury in the opener against New England. The defense carried them for two games but they couldn’t get a stop in the final minutes of their shocking loss in the nation’s capital. Darnold looked much better against the Chargers in Week 4. But the lack of a running game is starting to catch up with them and stripping the offense of their best weapon: the play-action pass.

Record: 4-4
Last Game: W 24-9 vs. Los Angeles Chargers
Next Game: at Washington
Previous week’s ranking: 4
Super Bowl Odds: +1200
The Rams’ team travel director could be on the unemployment line soon as LA’s decision to arrive in Melbourne, Australia just 28 hours before kickoff against the 49ers proved to be costly. New acquisition Myles Garrett is set to miss at least four games as he is undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery and Puka Nacua missed his second straight game with a groin/soft-tissue injury. The team now heads into a soft stretch of the schedule desperate for a winning streak that can save their season.

Record: 5-2
Last Game: L 28-24 at Denver
Next Game: vs. New York Jets
Previous week’s ranking: 3
Super Bowl Odds: +1000
The Chiefs got a vintage Patrick Mahomes performance in Week 2 against Indy, as the QB threw for 382 yards and 3 TDs in a 33-30 overtime victory. Kenneth Walker III continued his hot start to the season in Week 3 as he ran for 70 yards and a touchdown. Mahomes magic returned in Week 4 against the Raiders. They looked like one of the best teams in the NFL before road losses to Seattle and Denver derailed them.

Record: 5-2
Last Game: W 42-7 vs. Indianapolis
Next Game: at Baltimore (11/5)
Previous week’s ranking: 7
Super Bowl Odds: +950
Thus far, the Liam Coen-Trevor Lawrence marriage is going swimmingly. Coen helped Lawrence post a 4,000-plus yard, 29 TD season this past season, and the Jags recorded their most wins in a regular season (13) since the Bill Clinton administration. Jacksonville did lose starting RB Travis Etienne and linebacker Devin Lloyd in free agency this offseason, however.

Record: 6-2
Last Game: W 34-17 at Seattle
Next Game: vs. Tampa Bay
Previous week’s ranking: 6
Super Bowl Odds: +800
Bears head coach Ben Johnson said prior to the start of the season that his team’s goal was not only to win the Super Bowl but to also break the Denver Broncos’ 2013 record for most points in an NFL season. Johnson’s squad got off a great start in accomplishing both goals in Week 1 as they beat the Panthers in Charlotte, 59-37. Dodged a bullet in Week 2 with Caleb Williams’ injury not looking serious and have since won games with both their backup QB (Tyson Bagent) and their third-stringer (Case Keenum). Williams has looked outstanding since returning in Week 6.

Record: 6-1
Last Game: Bye
Next Game: vs. Las Vegas
Previous week’s ranking: 1
Super Bowl Odds: +600
The 49ers quickly put an end to the Rams’ “superteam” status in Week 1 as they coasted to a 27-7 win in Australia over their NFC West rival and haven’t looked back since. Brock Purdy is an MVP candidate and Kyle Shanahan is the best offensive scheme guy not named Andy Reid but the injuries are piling up.

Record: 6-1
Last Game: W 36-10 vs. Baltimore
Next Game: at Minnesota (11/9)
Previous week’s ranking: 2
Super Bowl Odds: +550
Is this the year the Bills finally kick down the door? Josh Allen and friends have been knocking at the door of a Super Bowl for years now but have still never reached the Big Game. Former offensive coordinator Joe Brady takes over as head coach after owner Terry Pegula sent the defensive-minded Sean McDermott packing after nine seasons.