Despite the fact the NFL has only played two games of the 2026 season thus far, nothing was going to stop analysts and prognosticators from revealing their first Power Rankings of the regular season. Some call it “Week 0” and use the endeavor as a means to discuss expectations and rank accordingly. Others? It’s it’s their own version of the wild west borne out of quota needs.
That doesn’t mean we should focus only on those that are observably button-up, since sometimes the off-the-beaten-path offerings
are far more entertaining. If you’ve followed along with me in prior seasons, you’ll know I try to remain consistent in sharing the same group of “rankers” each week. You may see some outfits join in or drop off, depending on vibes. That’s to be expected because we all know how important it is to give such an opinionated exercise the level of seriousness it deserves.
One thing’s clear in looking over this batch: Everyone LOVES the Los Angeles Rams. We get it, they have the reigning NFL MVP in Matthew Stafford, made a massive trade for edge rusher Myles Garrett (injured, mind you), and someone convinced a well-retired Aaron Donald to come back and play defensive tackle. Plus they have some guys who are good at catching the football.
Los Angeles is the easy pick. Well, it was until they took a flight just to mail in a game in Australia. Someone has to be crowned the premiere team (The Athletic crowned them a “superteam”), and the Rams made the most sense. But their Week 1 effort should serve as a reminder that crowning a champion in September is foolish.
In a similar way, any success a team finds early in the season should be dealt with in measured praise. Though quick to pass in our timeline, it’s a long season and very little reveals itself until after the Turkey (maybe Tofurkey or even lobsters) is (are) carved. We saw this play out last season when the Bills beat teams the experts didn’t view as a real threat. They wanted to see more out of Buffalo, only content to buy in once the playoffs began. Well, we know what happened on that front.
Anyway… power rankings. It’s not that serious. Or is it? Seriously, power rankings are fun! We’re at almost 2,700 words with this one — featuring 20 outlets (plus one) — so this article should help dissolve away some of those Friday office blues in no time. This list may shrink in any given week, but this season’s first at-bat is swinging for the fences. No one aggregates Buffalo Bills power rankings data like Buffalo Rumblings!
Let’s get to it, to see where the experts place the Buffalo Bills, shall we?
SB Nation NFL
3 via: 2027 Super Bowl Chances by James Dator and Mark Schofield
4 via: Tim Lynch with Mile High Report
4 via: Brandon Lee Gowton with Bleeding Green Nation
NFL.com: 4
“The vibes are generally high in Buffalo, although receiver Khalil Shakir’s health status is worth monitoring prior to the season opener in Houston. The potential for a honeymoon campaign with WR DJ Moore — oh, and the commencement of Joe Brady’s first season as a head coach — begins against an elite defense, which should inform us on where the Bills stand offensively.— Nick Shook
The Athletic: 3
“(Austin) Mock’s projected win total: 10.8”
The defense is undergoing a significant change, entering a 3-4 scheme with six new starters, and that’s part of the reason for hope. The other is a fresh start with coach Joe Brady that could get this team over the hump and into the Super Bowl. Even if last season didn’t go as planned, it’s hard to keep a Josh Allen-led team out of the top five entering the season.” — Chad Graff/Josh Kendall
ESPN: 3
“Milestone to watch: Josh Allen surpassing Patrick Mahomes for the most combined passing and rushing yards by a quarterback in his first nine NFL seasons.”
“This would take Allen close to the end of the season, but it is well within reach. Allen is 3,782 yards away from eclipsing Mahomes (38,604), and Allen has not missed a start since his rookie season. He averages 590.1 rushing yards and 3,762.8 passing yards per season, so he could pass Mahomes with multiple games to spare. Breaking records is a common occurrence for Allen, and with new No. 1 receiver in DJ Moore added to the mix, he’s primed to set many marks yet again.” — Alaina Getzenberg
Sports Illustrated: 5
“Perpetually a team embodying the Atlas statue, the questions for the Bills are myriad. Can Josh Allen continue to play his style of football and get through a season relatively healthy? Will new head coach Joe Brady represent the right kind of vibe switch for Buffalo? Is Jim Leonhard’s defense finally going to provide Allen with some teeth on the other side of the ball and lessen the burden on his back? This is a team that we can almost assuredly believe will be there at the end of the year, though getting over the hump remains the eternal obstacle.” — Conor Orr
FOX Sports: 7
Ralph Vacchiano is smart listing his rankings in descending order, that way you have to scroll all the way down to see who’s the top dog. No one scrolls an entire article to read who’s holding court in the basement, right? You do? Oh. Moving on…
Vacchiano’s comments on Buffalo should serve as a warning, at least enough to give you pause about what president of football operations/general manager Brandon Beane built. However, most teams can’t endure the amount of injuries to one position that the Bills managed with their wide receivers this summer.
“Summer injuries to WRs Keon Coleman and Khalil Shakir were a dangerous reminder that receiver is still a problem for this team. Man, if they can properly address that position, look out.” — Ralph Vacchiano
Bleacher Report: 5
We’re good with B/R these days, no? I am. They’ve come a long way, and to be clear they offer a very slick power rankings presentation. That’s the most important thing in all of this, yes? Well, it’s close to the most important thing. Remember, we’re having fun, folks!
Gary Davenport makes a lot of key points about the Bills that fans of the team are woefully aware of, and which some are fearful may never change. He’s pretty spot on here, revealing that once again that most of this won’t matter if they lose in the postseason.
“There isn’t a team east of Los Angeles more in Super Bowl-or-bust mode than the Buffalo Bills.
The Bills dismissed their highly successful coach because he couldn’t get the team over the hump. They are led by Josh Allen, who has more playoff wins than any quarterback in NFL history without a Super Bowl appearance.
The good news is the team should be in the thick of it in the AFC. The offense has the league’s reigning rushing king and a new No. 1 wide receiver in D.J. Moore. The defense ranked seventh in the league last year.
The bad news is that the Bills have been in the thick of it for the better part of a decade, but for whatever reason they come up short in the postseason. — Gary Davenport“
The Ringer: 5
With genuine and obvious applause to SB Nation and Buffalo Rumblings: Find a better overall sports-focused digital website better than The Ringer, I dare you. The Ringer looks and reads like one of those glossy European-specific car magazines short on advertisements, and that cost $30 dollars in a famous bookstore.
It’s true that The Athletic’s playoff odds/playoff simulator can’t be beat (here are both from last season/if you’re curious), but that’s about the only place The Ringer comes up short. I get nothing for such endorsements, mind you. I’d be shocked if either outfit even knew I existed.
As Dante Lee points out, their rankings will come monthly, which means we won’t see them again in these spaces until October. Lee’s thoughts on Buffalo, should they pan out, would leave little doubt about the Bills’ ability to get where it wants early next year. It won’t be long now before we learn more about what Brady brings to the table as the guy tabbed with doing what Sean McDermott could not accomplish. No pressure!
“Of all the teams that have made major coaching or personnel changes, the Bills seem to have kept the lowest profile in the lead-up to the regular season. After the disastrous press conference that team owner Terry Pegula and team president Brandon Beane gave this offseason (in the wake of firing Sean McDermott), the Bills quietly went about trading for receiver D.J. Moore, adding depth on both sides of the ball, and handing the defense over to highly reputable coordinator Jim Leonhard.
Last year felt like a step backward for Buffalo; it lost the division to New England and beat itself against the Broncos in the postseason. Now that coaching changes have been made and Josh Allen has a no. 1 receiver again, I want to see Buffalo leave no doubt about its place in the NFL hierarchy this year. That means winning at least three of its first four games (against the Texans, Lions, Chargers, and Patriots), looking like a well-oiled machine around Allen, and making it clear that it should be discussed with the same kind of certainty that we have about Los Angeles and Seattle. If this team stumbles out of the gate and starts the year under .500, first-year head coach Joe Brady may be bound for disappointment, and the pressure will ratchet up.” — Diante Lee
CBS Sports: 4
Pete Prisco is back with his succinct musings about where each team stands entering Week 1. Though I’d argue that Brady isn’t the key aggressive mind to focus on here, the point, in general, is understood.
“New coach Joe Brady will bring a much more aggressive approach to this team. That’s something that is badly needed.” — Pete Prisco
USA Today: 4
Nate Davis pulls no punches in his endorsement for the Bills, offering the following ahead of Week 1 in Houston:
“The feel-good vibes in Western New York are hard to ignore, even amid all the changes for what’s become a perennial AFC power … and, perhaps for the first time in more than three decades, the AFC’s preeminent force.” — Nate Davis
Pro Football Focus: 3
The Bills find themselves near the top of Bradley Locker’s rankings to begin the season. Will they prove him right, and eventually finishing as the top team in the AFC?
“Odds to make the playoffs: 77%”
“Odds to win the Super Bowl: 8%”
“For the first time since 2017, the Bills will have a leader other than Sean McDermott — but promoting former offensive coordinator Joe Brady to head coach should retain Buffalo’s hyper-efficient offense with Josh Allen and James Cook. All eyes are on Jim Leonhard as the Bills’ new defensive coordinator, looking to round out a unit with question marks but talent at all three levels. Buffalo enters the season with the highest division odds (56%) of any team, with a weaker AFC East making the Bills seem like a near-playoff lock for the eighth straight season.” — Bradley Locker
Sportsnaut: 6
It’s difficult to disagree with Matt Johnson saying that no team is under more pressure to win it all. Bills Mafia has only been waiting for a Super Bowl win since they were known as Bills Country — back long before anyone was even thinking about the world ending at midnight of Y2K.
“No team in the AFC is under more pressure than the Buffalo Bills. Brandon Beane wasn’t just spared being terminated for the team’s repeated playoff failures; he was promoted to president of football operations, and offensive coordinator Joe Brady was named head coach. It’s great to see Buffalo finally add a viable pass-catcher in DJ Moore to support Josh Allen, and there’s ample intrigue in Buffalo surrounding defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard. Allen and Co. could easily be the AFC’s representative in the Super Bowl come February, but we just like the Ravens and Texans slightly more head-to-head.” — Matt Johnson
The Sporting News: 2
No one has the Bills ranked higher this week than Vinnie Iyer, who sold on Joe Brady being the right hire as head coach. Finding out if he’s right will take some time. Regardless, Iyer is on Buffalo’s wagon right now thanks to the “shakeup” at One Bills Drive. Failing to do anything wasn’t the answer this season.
“The Bills pushed the right buttons in keeping Joe Brady to lead the offense while also staying as head coach and flipping to a more aggressive defense under Jim Leonhard. Buffalo’s shakeup can pay off big-time in Josh Allen’s prime.” — Vinnie Iyer
yahoo!sports: 3
Dalton Kincaid is the focus here, with Frank Schwab recognizing how important a healthy Kincaid is to the Bills’ passing game. No argument there!
“The biggest news of August for the Bills was that tight end Dalton Kincaid was healthy. Injuries have cost Kincaid eight games over the past two seasons. Kincaid had a scorching 2.7 yards per route run last season, a fantastic mark for a tight end. Now he just needs to stay on the field to run more routes with Josh Allen.” — Frank Schwab
theScore: 4
Addressing questions about the wide receivers and defense overall doesn’t weigh Buffalo down much here thanks to Josh Allen.
“Buffalo has lingering questions throughout the defense and at wide receiver, even after adding DJ Moore to the roster. Still, as long as Josh Allen’s under center, the Bills have a chance to finish the season hoisting the Lombardi Trophy.” — theScore Staff
NFL Trade Rumors: 9
Here’s a site that’s terrible. Awful, in so many ways, really, but often unavoidable due to the nature of their content. The pop-ups and copy gatekeeping (don’t even think of right-clicking) are circa 2005-era internet levels, so they’ll begin the season here on a very short leash. I struggle even linking to their page, but journalistic integrity prevails for the effort by Ethan Woodie and their “website’ish.”
Thankfully a dual-monitor setup makes referencing their content here a breeze (though I’ve removed the extra space between sentences, because… so 2005). Here’s the rather interesting take that Woodie had to say about Buffalo’s somewhat low ranking:
“The Bills lost in overtime to the Broncos in the divisional round last year and moved on from longtime HC Sean McDermott, promoting OC Joe Brady in his stead. Buffalo might have the best offense in the league this year, with QB Josh Allen getting an upgrade at receiver with D.J. (sic) Moore. The defense, however, leaves much to be desired. The Bills have serious questions at linebacker, defensive tackle, and safety. Allen could run roughshod through the league all year then get let down in the playoffs by his defense once again.” — Ethan Woodie
Computer Cowboy/Ben Baldwin: 4
Look at the rest of the AFC East!
“The Rich Eisen Show”: 5
Do we love Rich Eisen still? I think it’s a yes, and I for one enjoy his annual “Run, Rich, Run” 40-yard dash for charity during the NFL Draft. Eisen’s fun, but he’s also a bit unhinged in the way he ranks teams. His brand of unhinged works, unlike select others who’ve seen fit to rank teams based on their fans’/random social media posts in past seasons (or worse, a zero effort from PFT’s Mike Florio). Eisen also doesn’t bore folks with the bottom two-thirds-plus of the league.
“I have them winning the AFC, the Buffalo Bills are here… …Listen, if I’ve got ‘em winning the Super Bowl, I mean in the Super Bowl, I can’t have ‘em not on my power rankings… I’ve come around on it. Josh Allen’s my MVP choice, I’ve bought in.”
Interestingly, Eisen has the Denver Broncos at three despite saying the Bills will win the AFC and play in the Super Bowl. Power rankings: fun and games!
That’s it for this edition of Buffalo Rumblings’ Bills power rankings round-up.
