The Green Bay Packers jumped into the top 10 of USA Today's NFL power rankings for the first time during the 2026 season after beating the New England Patriots convincingly on Sunday at Gillette Stadium.
The 45-27 win over the defending AFC champs and the elite play of quarterback Jordan Love prompted Nate Davis to move the Packers up four spots to No. 7 entering Week 10.
From Davis: "Just when it seems like it's all coming together − OLB Micah Parsons nearing his return, the running game nearing its return − RB Josh Jacobs is going back on the shelf for a group that's won six of seven. But if mad bomber Jordan Love keeps launching precision munitions, the rest may not matter."
Davis wasn't alone. Five of the other six power rankings reviewed had
the Packers moving up into the top 10. It seems Matt LaFleur's team has finally won over detractors with five victories in the last six weeks.
But even sitting at 6-3, the Packers are in last place in the NFC North and holding the No. 7 seed in the NFC playoff race, so there's plenty of work to be done with eight games to go. Starting Sunday in Green Bay.
The Packers host the Minnesota Vikings in Week 10. Kevin O'Connell's team dropped out of the top 10, falling to No. 11, after a deflating home loss in primetime to the Buffalo Bills to end Week 9. The Vikings have a major quarterback issue and will be coming to Lambeau Field with a rest disadvantage on Sunday. Can the Packers keep piling up big wins? Any chance of winning the NFC North in 2026 probably rests on beating the visiting Vikings this week.
Packers-Vikings in November football at Lambeau Field. "Let the show begin," as Micah Parsons said last week.
Packers power rankings by week (USA Today)
- Week 1: No. 16
- Week 2: No. 22
- Week 3: No. 20
- Week 4: No. 26
- Week 5: No. 26
- Week 6: No. 19
- Week 7: No. 17
- Week 8: No. 12
- Week 9: No. 11
- Week 10: No. 7
Here's where the Packers rank in other national power rankings entering Week 10:
ESPN: No. 11 (up 3 spots)
From Rob Demovsky on most important game left: "How can it not be one of the remaining NFC North games, you ask? Yes, next Sunday against the Vikings is huge. So is Week 16 at the Bears. So is Week 18 against the Lions. But given the likelihood that one of those other teams will win the NFC North, the Packers might need to make sure the Rams don't catch them for an NFC wild-card spot. As damaging as a loss to a division team would be, so would a loss to another NFC team they might need the head-to-head tiebreaker against."
SI.com: No. 5 (up 3 spots)
From Conor Orr: "Here’s why I love what I do (honestly): I spent all offseason studying the run game, heavier personnel packages and the increased usage of 21 personnel. Jordan Love is going to come out and throw for 5,000 yards (seriously) with no running game to speak of whatsoever and the Packers are one of the best teams in the NFL."
Yahoo Sports: No. 8 (up 6 spots)
From Frank Schwab: "Whatever was happening the first three weeks of the season with the Packers, they're far beyond that. Green Bay is 5-1 since a slow start. Since Week 4 it is fifth in EPA per play on offense and third in EPA per play allowed on defense. The Packers take a jump in the rankings for two reasons: The offense looked great again against the Patriots on Sunday, and Micah Parsons' return is looming for the defense. It is very easy to forget that when Parsons tore his ACL last season the Packers were 9-3-1 and leading in the second half at Denver. And Green Bay has been playing much better on defense the past six games. Josh Jacobs' broken finger could have a negative effect. He will have finger surgery and miss a maximum of three weeks, according to CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz. The Packers' running game has been horrible all season but a little better with Jacobs. Taking a step back in the run game could also affect the passing game, which has been cooking with Jordan Love turning Matthew Golden and Christian Watson into one of the NFL's top receiving duos."
CBS Sports: No. 10 (up 2 spots)
From Pete Prisco: "Jordan Love and the passing game get a lot of the attention, but that defense has really impressed. When they get Micah Parsons back, look out."
The Athletic: No. 9 (up 5 spots)
From Josh Kendall and Chad Graff on midseason grade: "A-. The Packers’ pass defense has quietly been among the best in the league, and they soon get to welcome back arguably the sport’s best pass rusher in Micah Parsons. It’s still fair to wonder if their lack of a running game will haunt them, but Jordan Love is playing like an MVP, and Matthew Golden and Christian Watson are a heck of a receiving duo.
FOX Sports: No. 9 (up 6 spots)
From Ralph Vacchiano: "It’s a big jump, but the Packers earned it by pounding the Patriots in New England. More than that, they are playing outstanding on defense, and they are showing off a passing game that might just be the best in the league (or at least outside of Cincinnati). It’s hard to find a quarterback playing better than Jordan Love, and it’s impossible to find a receiving tandem better than Christian Watson and Matthew Golden at the moment. If this team had a running game — I mean, any semblance of a running game at all — they might be the best team in the NFC. As it is, they’re getting closer."
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Packers soar into top 10 of NFL power rankings after dominant win in NE
