NFL Power Rankings, September 8: Los Angeles Rams at No. 1
Movement compares each team with where it finished last season. Ratings are published once a week, on Tuesday mornings. No 2026 games have been played, so this opens on last season's form. Expect it to move slowly through September.
Biggest Movers Up
4. Buffalo Bills up 4 places
Jumped four spots from eighth, powered by one of the league's best offenses heading into 2026 — though a middling defense keeps a ceiling on how high this roster can climb.
11. San Francisco 49ers up 4 places
Jumped four spots from 15th on the strength of one of the league's best offenses, though a below-average defense remains the concern heading into 2026. Last season's 12-5 record ended in a divisional-round exit, leaving plenty to prove.
20. Dallas Cowboys up 4 places
Jumped four spots to land at 20, driven by expectations around a top-eight offense heading into 2026. The concern remains one of the league's weakest defenses, the same unit that helped produce a 7-9-1 record and a missed playoff berth last season.
7. Indianapolis Colts up 3 places
Jumped three spots on the strength of a top-eight offense paired with a middling defense — a team balanced enough to compete but not dominant enough to scare anyone. The Baltimore Ravens come to town in Week 1 for an early test of whether that offense can carry the load.
3. New England Patriots up 2 places
Ranked third heading into 2026, the Patriots carry a top-eight offense from a 14-3 campaign that ended in a Super Bowl loss — enough to make them a genuine contender again despite only a middling defense.
21. New York Giants up 2 places
Moved up a couple of spots after going 4-13 and missing the playoffs last year, the Giants carry a middling offense and a below-average defense into 2026. They open at home against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 1.
27. Cincinnati Bengals up 2 places
Coming off a 6-11 season and another missed playoff appearance, the Bengals enter 2026 looking like one of the league's bottom teams — a below-average offense paired with one of the league's weakest defenses is a tough combination to build around.
Biggest Movers Down
12. Philadelphia Eagles down 6 places
Dropped six spots to sit at 12, the Eagles head into 2026 with questions about a middling offense outweighing the confidence that comes with a top-eight defense. An 11-6 record last season ended in a wild card exit, and that early postseason failure is part of what's driving the skepticism here.
23. Minnesota Vikings down 6 places
Dropped six spots heading into 2026, driven by an offense that ranks among the league's weakest dragging down one of the league's best defenses. Minnesota went 9-8 and missed the playoffs last season, and that same imbalance is the concern going forward.
6. Houston Texans down 3 places
One of the league's best defenses carries a middling offense into 2026 — that imbalance is the defining tension for Houston this year. The Texans went 12-5 in 2025 before losing in the divisional round, and closing that gap on the offensive side may determine how far they go.
24. New Orleans Saints down 3 places
An above-average defense carries most of the weight here, while the offense ranks among the league's weakest — a tough imbalance for a team that went 6-11 and missed the playoffs a year ago.
30. Cleveland Browns down 3 places
A 5-12 finish last season and a missed playoff berth set a grim baseline, and the outlook for 2026 is no brighter. One of the league's weakest offenses paired with a top-eight defense is a tough imbalance to overcome.
Top of the League
1. Los Angeles Rams no change
Sitting at the top of the preseason rankings, the Rams pair one of the league's best offenses with a top-eight defense — a combination that carried them to a 12-5 record last year before falling in the conference championship.
2. Seattle Seahawks no change
Defending Super Bowl champions with a 14-3 record last season, Seattle bring one of the league's best defenses into 2026 alongside an above-average offense — a combination that keeps them near the top of the league.
3. New England Patriots up 2 places
Ranked third heading into 2026, the Patriots carry a top-eight offense from a 14-3 campaign that ended in a Super Bowl loss — enough to make them a genuine contender again despite only a middling defense.
4. Buffalo Bills up 4 places
Jumped four spots from eighth, powered by one of the league's best offenses heading into 2026 — though a middling defense keeps a ceiling on how high this roster can climb.
5. Jacksonville Jaguars down 1 place
Went 13-4 last season but lost in the wild card round, leaving something to prove heading into 2026. The Cleveland Browns come to town in Week 1 to face a team that pairs an above-average offense with a top-eight defense.
Bottom of the League
28. Miami Dolphins no change
Sitting at 28th with no movement, Miami projects as a tough watch in 2026 — a below-average offense paired with one of the league's weakest defenses after a 7-10 campaign that missed the playoffs entirely.
29. Tennessee Titans up 1 place
Came out of a 3-14 season near the bottom of the league, and not much has changed heading into 2026 — both sides of the ball project as below average. The home opener against the New York Jets offers an early chance to look more competitive than last year's finish suggested.
30. Cleveland Browns down 3 places
A 5-12 finish last season and a missed playoff berth set a grim baseline, and the outlook for 2026 is no brighter. One of the league's weakest offenses paired with a top-eight defense is a tough imbalance to overcome.
31. Las Vegas Raiders no change
Sitting just outside the very last spot, the Raiders carry one of the league's weakest offenses into 2026, paired with only a middling defense — a combination that held them to a 3-14 finish last season.
32. New York Jets no change
Last season's 3-14 record and a missed playoff berth tell the story — both the offense and the defense are projected among the league's weakest heading into 2026.
All 32 teams, with movement for every one of them, are on the NFL Team Power Rankings page.