No. 1 — San Francisco 49ers (4-0) | (2nd) 📈 1 spot
The 49ers went into Denver and defeated the Broncos, 24-14. It was a defensive 3-3 game until the end of the third quarter, when Brock Purdy led a nine-play, 28-yard drive that ended in a one-yard touchdown to Deebo Samuel. The 49ers are now undefeated at 4-0, with wins against the Rams, Dolphins, Cardinals, and Broncos.
No. 2 — Kansas City Chiefs (4-0) | (3rd) 📈 1 spot
The Chiefs scored 21 points in the fourth quarter to secure a victory over Las Vegas in Week 4. The defense held the Raiders to two field goals in the fourth quarter, while forcing
a special teams fumble and an interception. It was a complementary win where all three phases did their duty, and Patrick Mahomes only had to complete 15 passes (of 30 attempts). Kansas City may reunite with Tyreek Hill too after the terrible injury to Tyquon Thornton. This was a strange, but important, win for the Chiefs against a quality 3-1 Raiders team.
No. 3 —Buffalo Bills (3-1) | (1st) 📉 2 spots
The New England Patriots came to play! The Bills’ defense surrendered 405 yards in the game, but a late Josh Allen interception, followed by a 12-yard Hunter Henry catch on third-and-ten, secured the victory for New England. The 49ers jump the Bills here, but Buffalo is still a top-three team in the NFL.
No. 4 — Seattle Seahawks (3-1) | SAME
The Seattle Seahawks defeated the Chargers, 30-23, with Emmanuel Wilson as the number one running back as Jadarian Price was placed on I.R. Seattle was up 27-3 and 30-13 in the game at the start of the fourth quarter, and Los Angeles was able to score 10 points to make the game slightly more interesting, but the Super Bowl champions controlled the game.
No. 5 — Los Angeles Rams (2-2) | SAME
The Rams went into Philadelphia and scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns while forcing two turnovers on downs from the Eagles. The Rams won 24-20 in a game with 10 punts. Puka Nacua caught nine passes for 125 yards on 12 targets.
No. 6 — Minnesota Vikings (4-0) | (7th) 📈 1 spot
The Vikings took down the Miami Dolphins, 15-10, in an uninspiring win led — of course — by Brian Flores’ defense. Kyler Murray threw for 247 yards, but it still left so much to be desired. The Vikings kicked five field goals to win the game. I don’t love having this team in the top-six, to be honest, but their defense is elite, and they’re a well-coached team that just needs more from their quarterback position.
No. 7 — Chicago Bears (3-1) | (9th) 📈 2 spots
Ben Johnson is fun! The Bears possessed the football for more than 42 minutes; the Jets had 157 total yards on just 32 plays! New York wasn’t disciplined, committing 12 penalties for 76 yards. Quarterback Tyson Bagent did enough to secure the win, but former Rutgers running back Kyle Monangai led the offense with 146 yards on 30 rushes and two scores. A funky, rainy Week 2 loss is the only thing keeping the Bears undefeated.
No. 8 — Jacksonville Jaguars (3-1) | (11th) 📈 3 spots
The Jaguars’ defense forced two turnovers and a turnover on downs for Cincinnati to end the game, but allowed 437 total yards, while Joe Burrow threw the ball 54 times without Ja’Marr Chase. Jacksonville had a long Bhayshul Tuten touchdown called back for a dubious penalty. Overall, Jacksonville is now 3-1, and they’re playing well under Liam Coen.
No. 9 — Baltimore Ravens (3-1) | (6th) 📉 3 spots
Baltimore handled its business against the Tennessee Titans, 24-18, with the Titans scoring 11 points in the second half; the story of the game, however, was Lamar Jackson leaving the game at halftime with an ankle injury. The severity of the injury is still unknown, which is why the Ravens fell in the rankings. If it’s an extended absence, they more than likely will continue to fall, asthe offense looked poor with Tyler Huntley at quarterback.
No. 10 — Dallas Cowboys (2-2) | (15th) 📈 5 spots
Dallas’ defense remains a problem. C.J. Stroud performed well, throwing for 347 yards and two touchdowns against Dallas, but Dak Prescott matched him with 335 yards and a score, while also completing 17 passes to CeeDee Lamb. Javante Williams punched in three rushing touchdowns. Dallas is 2-2, but they’re a solid team; if they can fix that defense, they’d be a threat in the NFC.
No. 11 — Las Vegas Raiders (3-1) | (14th) 📈 3 spots
Sure, they lost, but Kirk Cousins has the Raiders playing well, and defensive coordinator Rob Leonard has done well all season. Patrick Mahomes only completed 15 passes, and the Raiders had one too many errors in the second half, but they played well. Klint Kubiak has this team sitting at 3-1.
No. 12 — Cincinnati Bengals (2-2) | (10th) 📉 2 spots
The Bengals lost to the Jaguars at home and also lost Ja’Marr Chase to a head injury. The Bengals still had a 437-yard offensive performance. Cincinnati just could not run the football; Chase Brown gained 10 yards on nine carries — abysmal! Tee Higgins caught 11 passes for 157 yards on 16 targets without Chase. The Bengals defense was solid again, but Zac Taylor’s squad didn’t do enough to secure the home win.
No. 13 — Denver Broncos (2-2) | (10th) 📉 3 spots
The Broncos’ offense looks inept for far too long in these games. Bo Nix’s team had three points until the fourth quarter, and San Francisco was able to put 21 fourth-quarter points on the Broncos. There’s no denying Denver’s talent level, but the Broncos disappear offensively too much.
No. 14 — New England Patriots (2-2) | (27th) 📈 13 spots
The Patriots are moving all over this board. New England looked terrible for three weeks, despite defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 2, but they went into Buffalo and defeated the Bills 29-26. Drake Maye still made mistakes, but he found Romeo Doubs for two touchdowns, and Mike Vrabel’s defense did enough to stop the Josh Allen train. They host the Raiders next week.
No. 15 — Carolina Panthers (2-2) | (22nd) 📈7 spots
Am I being fooled by the prime-time victory — maybe! But the Panthers’ free-agent defensive additions are proving successful. They’re 2-2, and just beat the Lions 32-26, with Bryce Young throwing for 329 yards and two scores. Tet McMillan caught 14 passes for 192 yards. The Panthers are looking solid early in 2026.
No. 16 — Detroit Lions (2-2) | (12th) 📉 3 spots
The Lions are 2-2 with losses against the Panthers and Bills. They won their two home games against the Jets and Saints. Kelvin Sheppard’s defense is an issue, but the offensive firepower is undeniable. Brighter days are ahead for Detroit, with the Packers, Cardinals, Dolphins, and Buccaneers on the schedule over the next six games.
No. 17 — Atlanta Falcons (2-2) | (25th) 📈 8 spots
The Falcons have won two in a row after a 0-2 start where Cooper Rush was their starting quarterback. Michael Penix Jr. didn’t do much against the Saints, but he provides the Falcons with a much-needed level of competency at quarterback. Atlanta has a strong defense and a solid offensive line, so they jumped up the rankings significantly after their Week 4 road victory against the Saints.
No. 18 — Cleveland Browns (3-1) | (24th) 📈 6 spots
The Browns are on a three-game winning streak, and Todd Monken has this team playing a physical style of football that suits the NFC North. Deshaun Watson is playing competent football, and the offensive line is doing a solid job up front. Defensively, the Browns forced two interceptions. The Browns defeated Pittsburgh, 27-24. I feel strange putting the Browns this high, but they defeated Carolina and Pittsburgh at home over the last two weeks.
No. 19 — New York Giants (3-1) | SAME
The Giants are a resilient team. They went down 14-3 and adjusted on defense to stop the Cardinals’ rushing attack. They also received the Jameis Winston Experience: a three-touchdown, two-interception affair full of inaccurate throws and incredible efforts that helped move the chains. Winston had above a 12% big-time throw rate in Week 4. My concerns, though, are the Giants’ struggles running the football without Jaxson Dart. With Winston, they’ve been one-dimensional on offense. There’s no denying, however, that the Giants have a coaching edge under John Harbaugh’s staff.
No. 20 — Pittsburgh Steelers (2-2) | (16th) 📉 2 spots
Pittsburgh came from behind to tie the Browns, but a last-second field goal gave Cleveland the victory; well, Aaron Rodgers had a chance to get the Steelers into quick field goal range with 10 seconds left in the game, but he threw an interception. Rodgers looked solid, though, throwing for 299 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions. Pittsburgh is 2-2.
No. 21 — Indianapolis Colts (2-2) | (26th) 📉 3 spots
Indianapolis defeated Washington 30-13 after a strong second-half effort. Washington’s offense stagnated after Marcus Mariota’s knee injury, forcing Rutgers alum Athan Kaliakamanis into the quarterback role. Daniel Jones struggled against Washington, but the Colts still secured the win.
No. 22 — Philadelphia Eagles (2-2) | (13th) 📉 9 spots
The Eagles behind the Giants — yes! The Eagles have not looked right all season. They’re 2-2, Saquon can’t stay healthy, they have been plagued by injuries, their offense doesn’t have an identity, Jalen Hurts has looked bad in stretches, and Philadelphia could easilybe 0-4 right now. Hurts threw for just 93 yards in this 24-20 home loss against the Rams.
No. 23 — Houston Texans (0-4) | (18th) 📉 5 spots
I don’t like having a winless 0-4 team in the top-23, but the Texans are talented and just can’t put it all together. Their offense scored 30 points against Dallas and looked good, but the defense surrendered 34 points. It is quite the frustrating season for Demeco Ryans, but Houston isn’t as inept as its record suggests.
No. 24 — Washington Commanders (1-3) | (21st) 📉 3 spots
Washington looks set to get Jayden Daniels back for their home game against the Giants. They’re traveling back from England, where they lost 30-13 to the Colts. The game got out of hand after Mariota left the game. Dan Quinn has this defense playing physical; Daniels’ return could change Washington’s fortunes.
No. 25 — New Orleans Saints (1-3) (21st) 📉 4 spots
The Saints hosted the Falcons and lost badly on Monday Night Football. The Saints are now 1-3, with a good victory against the Ravens. Their defense has struggled — they’ve surrendered more than 30 points in three of their four games, each of them being a loss. New Orleans has played a strong schedule that doesn’t get much better next week with the Vikings at home.
No. 26 — Green Bay Packers (2-2) | (28th) 📈 3 spots
Green Bay has disappointed all season and barely held on against a Jalon Daniels-led Buccaneers team. Green Bay is 2-2, but the Packers have looked bad offensively. At least they got something out of their rushing attack, as Kaleb Johnson rumbled for a 31-yard gain, but only gained 11 yards on his other seven carries.
No. 27 — Arizona Cardinals (1-3) | (26th) 📉 1 spot
Arizona started HOT against the Giants, taking a 14-3 lead, but second-half adjustments and reckless hero ball were too much for the Cardinals to handle, as Jacoby Brissett threw a last-second pick-six to Tae Banks. The Giants won, 36-24.
No. 28 — New York Jets (1-3) | (23rd) 📉 5 spots
The Jets offense ran an incredibly low 32 plays against the Chicago Bears on Sunday. Geno Smith threw 15 passes, completing eight passes for 119 yards, most of which came on Isaiah Williams’ 58-yard touchdown reception.
No. 29— Los Angeles Chargers (0-4) | SAME
The Chargers remain defeated. Justin Herbert completed 19 of 31 passes for 189 yards, one touchdown, and a pair of interceptions. Both sides of the football have been flat-out bad.
No. 30 — Tennessee Titans (0-4) | (31st) 📈 1 spot
Tennessee made the game interesting against the Ravens after Lamar Jackson left the game, but the Titans still lost 24-18. At least rookie Carnell Tate got going, catching nine passes for 145 yards on 12 targets.
No. 31 — Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-4) | (30th) 📉 1 spot
Tampa Bay started Jalon Daniels with Baker Mayfield out. They kept it close against Green Bay but lost 17-14. It is a season to forget for the Buccaneers so far.
No. 32 — Miami Dolphins (0-4) | SAME
Credit to the Miami Dolphins for pushing the Minnesota Vikings, but they ultimately lost. Minnesota’s offense relied on field goals due to its own struggles, but Miami may have found something in Ollie Gordon II, who rushed for 100 yards on nine carries with a 53-yard touchdown.
