1. Seattle Seahawks ▲ 1 place

A 14-3 record and a Super Bowl title earned this spot at the top of the rankings. No other team can claim that combination heading into 2026, and 0.3001 EPA per play — blended from this season and last — reflects a team that has backed up its championship with continued production on the field.

Both sides of the ball are pulling their weight here, which is what separates this roster from most of the field. Seattle carries one of the league's best offenses and one of the league's best defenses, a combination that is genuinely rare at any point in a season. There is no clear weak link to exploit, and no single unit deserves more credit than the other for where this team stands.

Dismantling the Cardinals 31-7 on the road made a statement, but holding the top spot through Week 3 means handling a trip to Washington against the Commanders. A similarly dominant performance would reinforce the case for this ranking, while a stumble on the road would hand critics the ammunition they need to push back. At 2-0, there is no margin yet to read too much into, and the Commanders game will sharpen the picture considerably.

2. San Francisco 49ers ▲ 2 places

A 35-13 home win over the Dolphins keeps the 49ers at 2-0, with 62 points scored and only 20 allowed through two weeks. The Cardinals come to Santa Clara in Week 3.

3. Los Angeles Rams ▲ 5 places

With one of the league's best defenses and a top-eight offense, the Rams carry 0.2419 EPA per play blended across this season and last, a figure that puts them within striking distance of the very top. What separates them from the teams above is thin — a conference championship loss last season showed they can compete at that level, and the current numbers suggest the gap has narrowed further.

A 28-6 home win over the Giants gives the Rams a boost after an uneven start, with the offense finally pulling away cleanly. They head to Denver in Week 3 for a road test that will say a lot about whether this team is finding its footing.

4. Kansas City Chiefs ▼ 1 place

A 33-30 home win over the Colts keeps the Chiefs undefeated at 2-0, with 64 points scored against just 40 allowed through two games. They travel to face the Dolphins in Week 3.

5. Los Angeles Chargers ▲ 17 places

A 14-26 home loss to the Raiders leaves the Chargers at 0-2, and the overall point margins this season tell a bleak story. They travel to face the Bills in Week 3 with little room for error if they want to avoid falling deeper into a hole.

32. Washington Commanders ▼ 6 places

Neither unit is carrying this team right now. Washington runs a below-average offense and pairs it with one of the league's weakest defenses, leaving no side of the ball to compensate for the other. The gap between the two units is narrow only because both are struggling, not because either has found its footing.

28. Philadelphia Eagles ▼ 17 places

A 24-20 road win over the Titans keeps Philadelphia unbeaten at 2-0. The Bears are next, with the Eagles heading to Chicago in Week 3.

29. New York Jets ▲ 1 place

30. Dallas Cowboys ▼ 10 places

31. Cleveland Browns ▲ 1 place

A 23-19 road win over the Buccaneers gives Cleveland its first victory of the season and some much-needed momentum heading into a home date against the Panthers in Week 3.

12. Las Vegas Raiders ▲ 17 places

A 26-14 road win over the Chargers keeps the Raiders unbeaten at 2-0, and the scoring margins so far suggest a team playing with genuine confidence on both sides of the ball. They head to New Orleans in Week 3 to face the Saints.

16. Miami Dolphins ▲ 12 places

A 12-spot climb this large demands explanation, and the answer is a meaningful shift in recent performance pulling the blended picture upward. The Dolphins carry -0.0069 EPA per play across this season's play blended with last season, a figure that remains slightly negative but has moved enough to lift them out of the bottom tier. Miami still fields a middling offense and a below-average defense, so the jump reflects improvement from a very low starting point rather than arrival among the contenders.

A 13-35 road loss to the 49ers continued a difficult stretch for a team that has yet to win through two games. The Chiefs come to Miami in Week 3, giving the Dolphins a home game to try to turn things around.

18. Carolina Panthers ▲ 9 places

17. Jacksonville Jaguars ▼ 16 places

A collapse this steep demands explanation, and the answer is defensive breakdown. Jacksonville carries an above-average offense, but a below-average defense has been unable to hold leads or limit opponents, dragging the team's overall production to -0.0136 EPA per play when this season's results are blended with last season's. That defensive vulnerability is the engine behind a 16-spot slide.

22. New York Giants ▼ 7 places

Both units have let the Giants down in recent weeks, and the numbers reflect it. They carry -0.0725 EPA per play blended across this season and last, a figure that points to a team struggling on both sides of the ball. The offense has settled into middling territory while the defense has fallen into one of the league's weakest units — a combination that makes it very hard to win games and explains the seven-spot slide from last week.

25. Green Bay Packers ▼ 12 places

A 20-17 road win over the Jets provides a much-needed confidence boost after a difficult start to the season. The Atlanta Falcons come to town in Week 3 for what shapes up as a critical home test.