2026 NFL Power Rankings Week 9: Broncos, Bears Make Moves After Big Wins

The last undefeated team in the NFL finally lost in Week 8, solving a huge problem for anyone doing Power Rankings. Because the Minnesota Vikings may have had the NFL’s best record, but they were clearly never the NFL’s best team. Now they are just part of the pack — one of the many with one or two losses nearly halfway through the season. And those teams understandably dominate the top 10. And yes, the previously undefeated Vikings are still there. For now. But things can change. Sometimes quickly. So take a look at my NFL Power Rankings for Week 9, in the calm before the second-half storm: *Super Bowl odds courtesy of DraftKings Super Bowl odds: +100000 (tied for 29th) Well, the Chargers are officially the worst team in Los Angeles now, but we already knew that. They’re also 0-7 now and somehow looked even worse after their bye week than they did before it. Presumably, they’re going to wake up and start firing coaches and selling off players before the trade deadline; otherwise, we need to seriously ask if anyone is paying any attention at all there. Honestly, all they have left to look forward to now is their Nov. 22 home game against the Jets. That’s their Super Bowl, and maybe the last thing their few remaining fans will care about until the 2027 draft. Next game: vs. Texans (Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET) Stat To Know: The Chargers have gone 27 straight drives without scoring a touchdown and have lost 11 straight games (including playoffs) dating back to last season. Super Bowl odds: +100000 (tied for 29th) The Jets scored points on their first six possessions Sunday — the first time they’ve done that in 18 years. Geno Smith threw for 290 yards. Braelon Allen ran for 147. The Jets even led by two scores late in the third quarter. And somehow they still lost. That’s what bad teams do, and the Jets ought to know. At this point, Jets fans are just hoping the Chargers win one of their next two games so they don’t lose to yet another winless team in three weeks. I mean, how much can one fan base take? Next game: @ Chiefs (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET) Stat To Know: The Jets’ young stars were on full display despite the loss to the Raiders. Adonai Mitchell caught seven passes for a career-high 142 yards and a touchdown, while Braelon Allen ran for a career-high 147 yards. Super Bowl odds: +100000 (tied for 29th) The Dolphins came out of their bye and beat the Jets last week and then led the Patriots 13-3 at halftime on Sunday, and honestly that’s a lot more than I expected out of them this season. They should get hats and T-shirts for that. No, of course it didn’t last, though they did hang tough against the Pats for most of the game. And that, too, is more than we could have expected. They’re playing well enough that maybe, just maybe, they can see the potential for two more wins with the Colts and the Jets (again) on their schedule in November. Next game: vs. Lions (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET) Stat To Know: The Dolphins allow opponents to convert 50.6% of their third downs, the second-highest rate in the NFL behind Dallas (51.4%). On offense, Miami ranks 30th in net passing yards per game. Super Bowl odds: +100000 (tied for 29th) Sure, it was a loss, but what a loss it was! The Titans took the mighty Bengals to overtime before losing 43-36. QB Cam Ward had the finest day of his career, throwing for 304 yards and two touchdowns and running for 41 yards. Yeah, OK, Robert Saleh’s defense gave up 510 yards and Joe Burrow shredded them for 462 passing yards and six touchdowns (including one on the ground). But hey, Titans safety Amani Hooker picked off Burrow three times! Can we focus on the positives, please? This 1-7 team has been through enough. Next game: BYE Stat To Know: With the Titans’ loss to the Bengals on Sunday, Cam Ward tied Bryce Young for the fewest wins by a No. 1 overall pick at quarterback through his first 25 career starts in the Common Draft Era, with four. Super Bowl odds: +80000 (28th) Last one left, turn out the lights. The Colts’ season is already over, the fire sale has begun, and if they do end up trading RB Jonathan Taylor this week, there’ll be absolutely no hope for this team for the rest of the season. Clearly, trading guard Quenton Nelson and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner signaled to the rest of the locker room that their white flag is up, because they effectually surrendered to the Jaguars in a 42-7 loss. It’s too bad, too, because they really have a soft schedule between now and Christmas. But it doesn’t matter. They’re done. Next game: vs. Cowboys (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET) Stat To Know: Since the Colts started 7-1 last season, they have gone 3-14 overall (1-8 to finish the 2025 season and 2-6 through Week 8 of the 2026 season). Super Bowl odds: +50000 (26th) They are just sad. That’s really the only way to describe it. I know no one is sad for them, but that’s still the state of their franchise. They have more key players injured than healthy. They are playing terrible defense and their offense is even worse. They are barely competitive anymore. And at this point, it’s fair to wonder if Nick Sirianni, who has been to two of the past four Super Bowls, will survive the bye week if his crumbling team loses at home to the division-leading Giants on Sunday. The mighty have fallen, and they have fallen far and hard. Next game: vs. Giants (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET) Stat To Know: The Eagles are the only team to allow 100-plus rushing yards in every game this season, their longest streak to start a season since 1968. Super Bowl odds: +20000 (25th) The Saints entered the bye week on a 1-4 slide, yet somehow they will come out of it just one game out of first place. Ah, life is grand in the NFC South. Yeah, the Saints still got a shot to win it, but they better start now with games at home against the Browns and the Panthers. They head to Chicago and Cincinnati after that and things could get ugly fast. There’s a good chance, though, that eight wins will be enough to win this division. So really, all New Orleans has to do is go 6-4 the rest of the way to fulfill my prophecy as one of the NFL’s biggest surprise teams. Next game: vs. Browns (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET) Stat To Know: Through Week 8, the Saints have averaged 4.81 yards per play and allowed 5.78, a differential of −0.97 yards per play that ranks third-worst in the NFL. Super Bowl odds: +12000 (22nd) The Commanders scored 27 unanswered points to beat a division rival on Sunday night, and ordinarily that would be cause for celebration. But the team they beat is the ghost of the Philadelphia Eagles, and it’s not like the Commanders needed much of an effort to do it. It certainly was a much-needed win for Dan Quinn, who miraculously managed to survive the bye week. He’ll need a lot more of those and a lot more from star QB Jayden Daniels, however, to keep his job after the season. And there are too many injuries and holes in the Commanders’ lineup to expect that. Next game: vs. Rams (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET) Stat To Know: Washington’s win over Philadelphia on Sunday was Jayden Daniels’ first win as the Commanders’ starter since Oct. 5, 2025. Super Bowl odds: +7400 (19th) I don’t even know what to say about what we witnessed from the Bucs the past two weeks. They’ve run the ball on 105 of their 120 plays over two games for a total of — checks notes — 580 yards. They just paid QB Baker Mayfield $165 million and they let him drop back to throw four passes on Sunday (0 for 3 with one sack). But it worked. They won 16-0. They’ve outscored their past two opponents by a combined 59-13. Heck, at this rate, they may never throw another pass and Todd Bowles will keep his job forever. Next game: @ Bears (Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET) Stat To Know: The Buccaneers became just the second team in the Super Bowl era to win a game without completing a pass, joining the Bills, who beat the Jets 16-12 on Sept. 29, 1974. Super Bowl odds: +5000 (tied for 15th) The Cowboys were up 17-3 with a little more than a quarter to go and they ended up losing 33-30 in overtime. They gave up 337 yards in the 23-plus minutes that Cardinals QB Gardner Minshew was in the game. I mean, is defensive coordinator Christian Parker trying to get fired? His defense is a mess. And look, it might not be great for anyone, but there are some good pieces and way too much talent for things to be as bad as they are. This defense is killing the Cowboys. Again. And it’s probably too late to save them. Somebody tell Jerry Jones to do something. Next game: @ Colts (Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET) Stat To Know: For the first time in franchise history, the Cowboys lost a home game after leading by at least 14 points in the fourth quarter. They had been 202-0-1 in those situations, including the playoffs before today. Super Bowl odds: +8400 (20th) That sure was a terrible way to come off a rousing win over the San Francisco 49ers. I don’t care how much rain there was or how wet the field was; losing 16-0 to a Bucs team that attempted four passes all game is disgraceful. And what happened to Michael Penix? Going 8 for 24 for 125 yards and four interceptions with all those weapons around him? Embarrassing. I take back all the nice things I’ve said about him and this team over the past few weeks. I didn’t mean any of them. Next game: vs. Bengals (Sunday, 9:30 a.m. ET) Stat To Know: The Falcons accounted for all eight completions in Sunday’s loss to the Buccaneers. The last NFL game with eight or fewer combined completions was on Dec. 17, 1978, when the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Colts combined for eight. Michael Penix Jr. threw four interceptions, one more than Baker Mayfield had pass attempts. Super Bowl odds: +70000 (27th) I am not wrong about a lot of things, usually, but I really misjudged Mike LaFleur and the Cardinals. I liked the raw potential of this young team, but with no quarterback and a tough schedule, I thought they had a shot to start 0-13. Instead, look at them now. They’re 3-5 and they beat the Cowboys and the Rams over the past three weeks. I jumped them fairly high in these rankings because things may soon get ugly, with a three-game stretch against the Seahawks, Rams and Chiefs. Then again, I’ve been wrong about the Cards before. But I think we’ve seen enough by now to know the future is bright in Arizona, if the club can find a franchise quarterback in the draft. Next game: @ Seahawks (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET) Stat To Know: With their win today, the Cardinals improved to 5-0 against the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium, extending their NFL record for the most wins without a loss at the stadium. Super Bowl odds: +10000 (21st) For the second year in a row, injuries to QB Lamar Jackson have ruined the Ravens’ season, and you have to wonder how much longer they’re going to play this risky game. This time it was a thumb injury, just one play into Jackson’s return from an ankle injury. The Ravens then lost backup Tyler Huntley to a toe injury, forcing undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano into action. That’s not going to cut it, so they’re going to have to trade for a quarterback, which won’t cut it either. They’re 4-4 now and have lost three straight with the Jaguars looming. In other words, see you next year. Next game: vs. Jaguars (Thursday, 8:20 p.m. ET) Stat To Know: Sunday’s game against the Bills marked the first time since Nov. 26, 2000, that the Ravens used three quarterbacks in a game. Joe Fagnano was the only one to gain a yard, finishing with 91 passing yards. Super Bowl odds: +3500 (14th) Here’s the good news for the Texans coming out of their bye: They’re in second place in the AFC South despite a 2-5 record. They’re 2.5 games out of a wild-card spot, but the point is that their division is pretty awful and they still have to play the two worst teams — the Titans and Colts — one more time each. They also get the Chargers, Ravens, Commanders and Eagles, so there are a lot of soft spots in the second half of their schedule. If they can get over their pre-bye loss to the Giants, they still have an outside chance to be OK. Next game: @ Chargers (Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET) Stat To Know: The Texans rank seventh in net passing yards per game (253.4) but fourth-worst in both rushing yards per game (84.7) and yards per carry (3.55). Super Bowl odds: +7000 (18th) It feels like yesterday that I had the Panthers in my top 10. Actually, it was only two weeks ago. And all I can really say about that is, my bad. Because the past two weeks they’ve made me look absolutely crazy for even thinking about putting them that high. They were better against the Packers than they were in their humiliating loss to the Bucs. But Bryce Young sure has dropped off a cliff of late. It’s as if the Panthers got near the top of the mountain and just couldn’t handle the rarefied air. No big deal. They can breathe easily now. It’s hard to imagine they’ll be back up high for a while. Next game: vs. Broncos (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET) Stat To Know: Through Week 8, the 3-4 Panthers sit atop the NFC South and are the only NFL team to lead its division with a losing record. Super Bowl odds: +15000 (tied for 23rd) The Raiders’ snapped a four-game losing streak thanks to another impressive performance from QB Kirk Cousins. And yeah, it was only against the Jets, but the Raiders again look like a team that just won’t go away. The best thing they did yesterday was finally bench RB Ashton Jeanty and give his job to the more impressive Mike Washington Jr., who ran for 83 yards on 25 carries. Jeanty did have three catches for 45 yards, so he still has a role. He just can’t be the lead back anymore. Next game: @ 49ers (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET) Stat To Know: Despite the win over the Jets, the Raiders have now allowed at least 27 points in six consecutive games, setting a new franchise record. Super Bowl odds: +15000 (tied for 23rd) The Browns fumbled on their first two drives, couldn’t run the football, and had 129 total yards through the first three quarters. So despite their frantic, ill-fated attempt at a comeback in the fourth quarter and the 324 passing yards Deshaun Watson ended up with, their loss in Pittsburgh was a pretty thorough beatdown. They were due, though. Todd Monken’s spunky team hadn’t been spanked like that since Week 1. But they better snap back quickly next week in New Orleans before the division becomes out of reach. Next game: @ Saints (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET) Stat To Know: The Browns now have lost 23 straight regular-season games at Pittsburgh, tying the NFL record for most consecutive road regular-season losses vs. a team that the Lions held, losing 23 straight games at Green Bay from 1992 through 2014. Super Bowl odds: +3000 (13th) The Packers really can’t run the ball, and that’s going to be a problem for them, unless they ditch RB Josh Jacobs (as they should) and trade for Jonathan Taylor. But they showed in their Week 8 win over the Panthers that all the other elements are in place. QB Jordan Love is playing at an elite level. He has strong receivers. The defense is playing well, and they’re about to get pass-rusher Micah Parsons back. And Matt LaFleur is a pretty good coach. If they could run the ball even a little, they’d have a much better shot in the loaded NFC North. Next game: @ Patriots (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET) Stat To Know: The Packers are the first team in NFL history with a winning record (5-3) and under 500 rushing yards through eight games. Super Bowl odds: +6500 (17th) I don’t really love moving teams up this much during their bye week, but the truth is the Giants were probably a little undervalued to begin with. They are clearly the best team in the NFC (L)East, they are spunky, they run well, and they are coached as well as anybody in the entire league. That last part is huge for a team that hasn’t been well-coached in a while. They also have a huge opportunity with division games against the Eagles and the Commanders in the next two weeks. Anyone who watched those teams play this past Sunday night knows they both stink. Next game: @ Eagles (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET) Stat To Know: The Giants are the only team in the NFC East with a winning record. Super Bowl odds: +5000 (tied for 15th) RB Jaylen Warren has just exploded in recent weeks, and he added another 157 rushing yards in a rout of the Browns on Sunday. And it’s a good thing, too, because the Steelers are really not getting much out of Aaron Rodgers and the passing attack. The Steelers can win a lot of games like that, though, especially with a defense that sacked Browns QB Deshaun Watson eight times on Sunday. It’s not a typical Mike McCarthy team, to be sure. But it’s working and it might be good enough to get them to the playoffs. Next game: BYE Stat To Know: The Steelers rank third in the NFL in yards per carry (4.89) and second in rushing first-down rate (30.1%). Jaylen Warren has led the way with a league-best 5.92 yards per carry. Super Bowl odds: +1100 (7th) The Rams officially won the battle of L.A., which of course isn’t saying much considering the state of their co-tenants at SoFi Stadium. They gave a pretty middling performance both offensively and defensively, and it was a bit shocking that they trailed 9-3 late in the first half. It’s OK to sleepwalk in a game against the Chargers, of course. But it’ll take a lot more than that to prove their season is back on track. They better wake up before they face the Packers, Chiefs, 49ers and Seahawks after Thanksgiving. Next game: @ Commanders (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET) Stat To Know: The Rams went three-and-out on their first five drives today for the first time under Sean McVay. Before today, they had never gone three-and-out on even four consecutive drives under McVay. And it’s the first time under McVay the Rams have not gotten a first down on their first five drives of the game. Super Bowl odds: +1050 (6th) The Seahawks are now at .500 and have lost three of their last four, which makes this a good time to remind everyone of the grief I took for not ranking the defending champs No. 1 to start the season. It’s because the best team from last year is almost never the best team this year. Repeating is hard. Also, they let RB Kenneth Walker go, which wasn’t smart. In fairness to the Seahawks, three of their losses are to the Bears, 49ers and Broncos. The schedule does get easier, so all is not lost. But they’re not the kings of the NFC anymore. And they can’t be in my top 10 this late without a winning record. Next game: vs. Cardinals (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET) Stat To Know: The 34 points scored by the Bears on Monday night were the most points the Seahawks have allowed in a game this season. Super Bowl odds: +1900 (tied for 11th) The Patriots had to shake off an ugly first half before they finally started to pull away from the awful Dolphins. They were playing without their top two receivers and one of their two best running backs, so it probably was never going to be easy.  With the Packers and the Lions coming up before the bye week, they better get healthy soon. It would really help if they could get No. 1 WR A.J. Brown back since they’ll need a lot more out of Drake Maye and the passing game to beat either of their next two opponents. Next game: vs. Packers (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET) Stat To Know: With their win over the Dolphins, the Patriots are now 8-1 vs. divisional opponents since the start of last season. Super Bowl odds: +1800 (10th) It took a Herculean effort from RB Jahmyr Gibbs for the Lions to beat the Vikings, but they get points for running for 230 yards (153 from Gibbs) against the best defense in the league. The Lions’ supposedly revived defense had a few too many lapses against awful Vikings QB Kyler Murray, and that bears watching going forward. They’ll need to do much better against the Patriots in two weeks and even better than that two weeks later against the Bears, in a game that might determine who controls their destiny in the NFC North. Next game: @ Dolphins (Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET) Stat To Know: The Lions have allowed 17.7 points per game over their last three games, their best three-game stretch since Weeks 11 through 13 of the 2024 season, when they allowed 10.7 per game. Super Bowl odds: +1400 (8th) Ignore the fact that Joe Burrow was picked off three times by the Titans in Week 8. Instead, look at what he and the Bengals offense have done the past six quarters: He’s completed 81.8% of his passes for 711 yards and nine TDs while the Bengals have scored 78 points in 93 minutes of play. Seriously, if you see the Bengals offense coming, get out of the way. And with the Falcons, Steelers, Commanders and Saints up next, don’t expect them to slow down. This team has plenty of flaws. But that offense can outscore anyone, no matter how high the total goes. Next game: vs. Falcons (Sunday, 9:30 a.m. ET) Stat To Know: The Bengals have a 5-2 record, their best start through seven games since 2021. Super Bowl odds: +950 (tied for 3rd) The Colts are a dead team walking and the Jaguars barely had to break a sweat to beat them yet delivered a thorough butt-kicking nonetheless. Jacksonville held star RB Jonathan Taylor to just 47 total yards and produced a defensive touchdown. It was a nice pick-me-up for a unit that struggled against the Texans before the bye. Additionally, QB Trevor Lawrence threw for three touchdowns, including one to forgotten WR Brian Thomas Jr. (perhaps as one last showcase before he’s traded). The Jags now have a chance to cruise for the next month before they open December in Chicago. They are for real. Next game: @ Ravens (Thursday, 8:15 p.m. ET) Stat To Know: With their win over the Colts on Sunday, the Jaguars are 14-3 over their past 17 regular-season games (spanning from November 2, 2025 through November 1, 2026). This is their best regular-season record over a 17-game span since the 1999-2000 seasons. Super Bowl odds: +1900 (tied for 11th) Kyler Murray is terrible, and I don’t care what his numbers were or how few interceptions he’s thrown this season. He constantly threw too high or too low to his receivers and he was tentative in the pocket. Even a team that seems to have one of those really special defenses can’t keep winning like this. Yes, the Vikings are still 6-1, but Murray is a drag on their championship dreams. If he could just be mediocre, they might be the best team in the NFC, but that feels like several levels above where he’s currently at. There probably won’t be any good QBs available before next week’s trade deadline. But they really should look, just in case. Kirk Cousins, Daniel Jones, Jacoby Brissett … I mean, someone has to be better than what they have. Next game: vs. Bills (Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET) Stat To Know: Of the 98 NFL teams to start 6-1 since 1985, the Vikings rank dead last in both yards per game (279.4) and points per game (20.0) through seven games. Super Bowl odds: +1000 (5th) That was a decent bounce-back game from the Chiefs after they got pounded by the Seahawks. They were literally inches away from beating the Broncos. Two losses in a row isn’t great, nor is the fact that Kenneth Walker III and their rushing attack struggled again. But Patrick Mahomes is playing his best football since his 2022 MVP season. That’s going to be enough to keep the Chiefs in the Super Bowl hunt. And if they add a receiver before the trade deadline, they might be the AFC favorites. Next game: vs. Jets (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET) Stat To Know: The Chiefs are one of only two NFL teams to rank in the top five in both total offense and scoring defense. They rank fifth in both categories, averaging 383.1 yards per game and allowing 18.7 points per game. Super Bowl odds: +950 (tied for 3rd) The Bears’ Monday night win over the defending champs felt like a passing of the torch in the NFC. They are just clicking on all cylinders now, offensively and defensively. The return of Caleb Williams has rejuvenated them and restored their momentum, and I still think this offense has another gear. Williams hasn’t started running like his old, pre-injury self yet. But he will. And when he does, I really think they might be the best team in football when everybody is healthy. They’ve got a minefield of a schedule after Thanksgiving, so it won’t be easy. But this team is going to be hard for anyone to beat. It feels like only a matter of time before they hit No. 1. Next game: vs. Buccaneers (Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET) Stat To Know: The Bears have not trailed in 3 games since Caleb Williams returned from injury. Furthermore, Williams is the first QB in Bears history to lead his team to 30-plus points and not turn it over in three straight games. Super Bowl odds: +580 (best) The bye week really might be the best thing that happened to this battered team, because they sure did need a chance to rest and get some people healthy. It remains to be seen if they did, but at least nobody else got hurt while they were watching TV this past weekend (presumably). They get the Raiders and the Cowboys coming out of their break, giving them a chance to ease back into action before back-to-back home games against the Vikings and the Seahawks. Health is the Niners’ key, though, and so far that’s mostly been bad. Next game: vs. Raiders (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET) Stat To Know: Through Week 8, the 6-1 49ers lead the NFL in both offensive yards per play (6.36) and yards per play differential (+1.62). Super Bowl odds: +1600 (9th) I’ve still got my worries about Bo Nix. At some point, the Broncos are going to need a lot more from him. But he’s doing enough right now, especially for a team that can’t run the ball effectively. He makes enough big plays — though usually they are short passes that someone turns into a big play — and doesn’t make many big mistakes. In fact, he’s gone five straight games without an interception. With a coach like Sean Payton and a defense playing as well as the Broncos’ is, that’s more than enough. For now. Next game: @ Panthers (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET) Stat To Know: Including the regular season and playoffs, Sean Payton won his 200th career game as a head coach, which is now 12th all-time among NFL head coaches. Super Bowl odds: +600 (2nd) It’s OK to be impressed with the Bills’ thorough beatdown of the Ravens this past Sunday and also wonder if things might have been different if Baltimore hadn’t lost Lamar Jackson on its first play from scrimmage. But Josh Allen and Co. did what they had to do, in their usual strong and efficient fashion. They’ve got a tough test in Minnesota on Monday, but that’s just an appetizer for the main course: a Thanksgiving clash with the Chiefs. That’s what everyone is looking forward to now. And it’s probably another playoff preview. Next game: @ Bills (Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET) Stat To Know: The Bills are averaging 33.3 points per game through Joe Brady’s first seven games as head coach, the fifth-highest scoring average in NFL history through a head coach’s first seven games.