NFL Power Rankings, Week 4 2026: All 32 Teams, Updated Weekly

Updated: September 28

Learn where each NFL team stacks up in our updated power rankings and among the best NFL teams for the 2026 season.

2026 NFL Power Rankings: Best NFL Teams Week 4

Week 4 NFL Team Rankings:

1. Buffalo Bills

The Bills made it interesting against the Chargers with 5 turnovers, the first 3 of which let Los Angeles jump out to a 10-0 lead. Buffalo scored 2 touchdowns in the fourth quarter to complete the comeback and keep a perfect record, but it was far from a pretty win. The Patriots struggled themselves on Sunday, but Buffalo will need to play a cleaner game against their division rivals in Week 4.

2. Kansas City Chiefs

Things were certainly more interesting than Chiefs fans hoped for against the Dolphins, but Kansas City scored a late touchdown to cap a 24-10 win. The defense allowed Miami to convert half of their third-down attempts, but it also held the Dolphins to 4.9 yards per play while forcing 2 turnovers. The win sets up a matchup of undefeated AFC West rivals next week in Las Vegas.

3. San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers survived a late Cardinals comeback thanks to another great game by Brock Purdy, who threw for 297 yards and 4 scores. Unfortunately, they lost Mike Evans, Trent Williams, and Dre Greenlaw to their ever-growing injury list. How long can they keep rolling despite their injury issues, especially at receiver? The Broncos and Seahawks will test the 49ers in the next two weeks.

4. Denver Broncos

The Broncos need to figure out how they can adjust the rules so every game consists of two second halves. Denver is dead last with a -30-point margin in the first half, but they are fifth with a +20-point margin in the second half. Things were not as dramatic last season, but Denver was 13th in first-half margin and fourth in second-half margin in 2025. The offense is dead last with 10 first-half points this year. It ranks sixth with 50 second-half points. I would say this is not sustainable, but the Broncos finished 14-3 last season, and they are 2-1 with half of their nightmare start to the season over.

5. Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars bounced back from their tough loss in Denver by demolishing the Patriots 35-6. The secondary did give up 8 yards per pass to Drake Maye, but it also forced 3 turnovers from the Patriots quarterback and sacked him 3 times. Despite their one loss, the Jaguars are second in the league in point differential through three games and have a league-best 42-point first-half margin. The Jaguars get the Bengals this week before back-to-back London games against the Eagles and Texans.

6. Seattle Seahawks

The story of the Seahawks' Week 3 loss to the Commanders was turnovers. Seattle outgained Washington 437 yards to 260, and the defense held the Washington offense to 4.0 yards per play. Unfortunately for the Seahawks, the Commanders defense had a pick-six and set up two other scores with takeaways. Those turnovers are obviously a concern, but it is also important not to overreact to one loss. Seattle hosts the 0-3 Chargers next week.

7. Baltimore Ravens

I went to grab a drink after the Cowboys scored, assuming I would come back to overtime. Instead, Lamar Jackson connected with Zay Flowers deep over the middle, Baltimore got the timeout off with 1 second remaining, and the Ravens left Rio with a thrilling win. Those heroics were only necessary because the Ravens once again struggled to close the door despite a second-half lead. Baltimore's defense now ranks 26th in points per drive allowed (3.1) and 25th in yards per play allowed (5.9) in the second half.

8. Los Angeles Rams

I don't really know what happened between the Rams and Broncos on Sunday night. The Rams lost despite playing better in most meaningful categories and leading 16-0 at one point in the third quarter. Even after a pick-six gave the Broncos the lead in the fourth, the Rams quickly answered with a 48-yard touchdown throw from Matthew Stafford to Konata Mumpfield, who was forced into a major role by injury. The good news is the Rams played well enough to win on the road against a good team while missing several key pieces due to injury. The bad news is they are now 1-2 with games against the Eagles and Bills the next two weeks. It is getting late early for the preseason Super Bowl favorites.

9. Cincinnati Bengals

After a strong start to the season, the Cincinnati defense struggled against the Steelers, allowing Aaron Rodgers to throw for 8.6 yards per attempt and Jaylen Warren to run for 7.5 yards per carry. The Bengals still had their chances to win, which is the positive, but they face another tough test against the Jaguars next week. The defense will need to look more like it did the first two weeks of the season in that one.

10. Detroit Lions

The Lions won and are now 2-1. That is the important thing. The story, though, remains their struggles on defense. Geno Smith completed 31 of 37 passes for 321 yards and 3 touchdowns, despite missing his No. 2 receiver due to injury. To be fair, that defense forced Smith into a game-ending fumble, but it was still another tough showing. Detroit ranks 30th in success rate, 24th in yards per play allowed, and 31st in points per drive allowed through three games. This is just not tenable for a team with Super Bowl aspirations. The Lions have what look like winnable games against the Panthers and Cardinals before their bye, but both offenses have shown enough this season to raise concerns.

11. Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings are 3-0 and have a great shot at 4-0 with a date against the Dolphins coming up on Sunday afternoon. The defense is once again among the best in the league, ranking first in success rate and points per drive allowed with the second-highest pressure rate in the league through three weeks. Questions remain on offense. Justin Jefferson left the win over the Bucs with an ankle injury, and aside from hitting Jordan Addison on a couple of big plays, Kyler Murray did little in his first full game with the team. The Vikings have some time to get Jefferson back and Murray settled in before the schedule ramps up.

12. New England Patriots

The Patriots' 35-6 loss to the Jaguars in Week 3 was as demoralizing as their 20-3 win over the Steelers in Week 2 was promising. Drake Maye turned the ball over 3 times before being pulled in the fourth quarter. Among 32 qualified quarterbacks this year, he ranks 29th in EPA per play, 30th in touchdown rate, and dead last in interception rate. He has taken a sack on 21.4% of his pressure dropbacks (29th) and ranks 27th in off-target rate. The jury remains out on the Jaguars, but Maye has played at least two elite defenses through three weeks, to give him something of a pass, and A.J. Brown has not played since Week 1. Still, Maye simply has to be better, and that needs to start this week against the Bills.

13. Pittsburgh Steelers

A week after a dismal offensive performance against the Patriots, the Steelers averaged 7.0 yards per play against what had been an improved Bengals defense. Pittsburgh's defense also struggled to slow down Joe Burrow, but the pass rush forced a game-sealing fumble to take the team to 2-1. The question moving forward will be whether the offense figured something out – there were plays left on the field the first two weeks – or if this was a one-week aberration. A game against the Browns on Thursday night could tell the story.

14. Chicago Bears

Ben Johnson deserves a lot of credit for setting up Case Keenum for success against a tough Eagles defense, but Dennis Allen also deserves praise for the turnaround by the Bears defense after giving up a lot of yards and points to the Panthers in Week 1. The weather helped in Week 2, but Chicago's defense forced 3 turnovers and made life difficult for Jalen Hurts on Monday night. That defense will need to keep playing at a high level with Caleb Williams likely to miss at least a couple more games. The Bears get the Jets this week and then have a big game against the Packers in Week 5.

15. Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles played with fire in the first couple of games this season, then got burned on Monday night. Case Keenum shredded the defense, but the bigger story is the offense struggling again, this time despite a good effort from Saquon Barkley and the running game. Perhaps things would have been different if not for an early lost fumble or if Jalen Hurts had been medically cleared to return to the game on a goal-line possession in the first half. The reality, though, is Philly scored 7 points, with Hurts averaging 6.1 yards per throw. After what should have been a relatively easy start to the season, the Eagles get the Rams and Jaguars (in London) in the next two weeks. They could go from 2-1 to 2-3 real quick.

16. Dallas Cowboys

Dak Prescott and the Dallas offense did everything they could to win in Rio, including a 9-play, 60-yard drive to set up a game-tying field goal with just 7 seconds left. Instead of overtime, though, the defense gave up one big play and the game-losing field goal. The Cowboys defense now ranks 31st in success rate, 27th in yards per play allowed, and 30th in points per drive allowed. The injury issues in the secondary are officially a crisis, and the defense that offered promise before the season was not good even with everyone healthy. This is starting to look a lot like last season. This week, the Cowboys get the Texans in a game both teams are desperate to win.

17. Houston Texans

The Texans have a few things they can hold on to. The offense looked much better in Week 1 with a healthy Nico Collins, who could return this week, and they rebounded from a 0-3 start in 2025 to finish 12-5 and make the Divisional Round. That said, Houston's Week 3 performance against the Colts was dismal. The offense averaged just 4.4 yards per play against a defense that had allowed a league-worst 7.2 yards per play through the first two weeks. The offense has averaged just 1.0 points per drive over the last two games. Getting Collins back and facing the Cowboys and Titans in the next two weeks should help, but real and justified questions remain about OC Nick Caley.

18. Las Vegas Raiders

It is time to talk to your children about the Raiders being real playoff contenders. After an expected win over the Dolphins, Las Vegas has beaten the Chargers and Saints on the road to open the season 3-0. Kirk Cousins is tied with Brock Purdy for the league lead with 9 touchdown passes, and Brock Bowers looked like his usual self in his first game back from injury. Through three weeks, the defense ranks 11th in success rate and fourth in points per drive allowed. Things do get a lot tougher moving forward. The Raiders face the Chiefs this week before games against the Patriots, Bills, and Rams. We should know a lot more after that stretch.

19. New Orleans Saints

The Saints feel like they should be better than 1-2 after beating the Ravens and pushing the Lions to overtime, but that's exactly where they stand following a back-and-forth loss to the Raiders in Week 3. The defense has been the real concern through three games, ranking 29th in success rate and 24th in points per drive allowed. They need to get better on that side of the ball, but even at 1-2, the Saints have played well enough this season to be a real threat for the NFC South crown and a playoff berth.

20. Cleveland Browns

Deshaun Watson did not have a great game, but he capped a 65-yard touchdown drive with a throw to Harold Fannin to give the Browns their second win in a row. The defense shut down what had been a strong Panthers passing game, consistently pressuring Bryce Young, and now has two strong showings in a row after being shredded by Trevor Lawrence in the season opener. Cleveland has what suddenly looks like a pivotal division game against the Steelers on Thursday night.

21. Carolina Panthers

Bryce Young and the Panthers came back to earth a bit in Cleveland. Young threw 1 interception, and the offense had two other drives end on fourth down, including back-to-back possessions in the second quarter. Young faced near-constant pressure, which has been an issue so far this season despite the good start. The passing game will try to get back on track against the Lions in Week 4, a defense that has been giving to opposing quarterbacks thus far this season.

22. Atlanta Falcons

Last week, I wrote that we could not draw any real conclusions about the Falcons because their quarterback play had been astoundingly bad. Atlanta looked like a different team on Thursday night, scoring 35 points in a blowout win. Bijan Robinson rushed for 194 yards and 2 scores, and Drake London caught 9 passes for another 194 yards. The defense only logged 1 sack, but the pass rush pressured Jordan Love on nearly half of his dropbacks.

23. Green Bay Packers

I was very down on the Packers last week, dropping them a few spots despite their comeback win. One of the main reasons for my pessimism was the offensive line, and that was on full display Thursday night. Jordan Love was pressured on almost half of his dropbacks against the Falcons. That rate is now 44.7% for the season, and Love has completed 36% of his throws under pressure with zero touchdowns and 2 interceptions. The line appears to be an offense-breaking problem that Green Bay simply has to fix.

24. Indianapolis Colts

After pushing the Chiefs to the brink in Week 2, the Colts got their big win over the Texans in Week 3. Despite rough showings in the first two weeks, the defense stepped up in a big way against Houston, and the offense did just enough for the 2-point win. Even so, this team still has questions. Was the defense actually good in Week 3, or are the Texans just bad on offense without Nico Collins? Can the offense consistently do enough to win without anything resembling a downfield passing game? Just 4.1% of Daniel Jones‘ pass attempts have traveled at least 20 yards in the air, dead last in the league. Perhaps Darius Slayton can help in that department once he is up to speed, and the offense does have a good matchup this week against the Commanders in London. Still, I have questions about this team's ceiling.

25. Washington Commanders

The Commanders' win over the Seahawks was somewhat fluky. They were outgained by 177 yards, averaged just 4.1 yards per play on offense, and allowed 6.8 yards per play on defense. That said, Washington decisively won the turnover battle, including a pick-six in the fourth quarter, and the offense converted two big third downs to seal the win. I am not convinced this is the start of a big turnaround for the Commanders, even with Jayden Daniels expected back soon, but it was a good win for a team that needed it.

26. Los Angeles Chargers

You could take an optimistic approach with the Chargers: they pushed the Bills to the edge on the road, and it was a moral victory even if it wasn't a real one. The other point of view, which I lean toward, is that they lost despite forcing 5 turnovers and taking a 13-10 lead into the fourth quarter. Now 0-3, the Chargers play the Seahawks, Broncos, and Chiefs the next three weeks.

27. New York Jets

For the second week in a row, the Jets pushed a team most consider better than them to the brink. The defense was understandably less stout in Detroit, but Geno Smith played well before his game-ending fumble in the fourth quarter. I think that's the kind of season the Jets will have. They are certainly better than the worst teams in the league, but I am not sure they are quite good enough to really make a run at the playoffs. Either way, the front office deserves some credit for the work they did this offseason.

28. Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals looked headed toward their second straight non-competitive loss, but they roared back from a 23-6 deficit to push the 49ers into a close game. Sunday actually looked a lot like what we saw from Arizona at the end of last season. The defense allowed 8.7 (!) yards per play to the 49ers, but the passing game had enough juice to make things interesting. The defense should have an easier time next week against the Giants in a winnable game.

29. New York Giants

The Giants did enough to win an ugly game against the Titans in Week 3 and now sit at 2-1. Jameis Winston once again struggled, though, prompting the Giants to trade for former first-round pick J.J. McCarthy. He was available for a reason, and it remains to be seen how quickly McCarthy can pick up the offense and take over as the starter. Even at 2-1, I remain pessimistic about the Giants making a real push this season, but I have been wrong many times in my life.

30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Bucs are 0-3. Baker Mayfield is set to miss at least three weeks because of a thumb injury suffered late against the Vikings. The defense is playing well enough, but the offense was not doing enough with a healthy Mayfield. Now they are turning to undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels to face at least the Packers, Cowboys, and Steelers. This is shaping up as a lost season for the Bucs, one that could cost Todd Bowles his job sooner rather than later.

31. Tennessee Titans

Our concerns about Tennessee's offense and Cam Ward specifically from the preseason appear to have been warranted. The weather played a role, but the Titans managed just 7 points against the Giants to fall to 0-3. Ward ranks 29th in yards per attempt and 26th in EPA per play among qualified quarterbacks through three games. The offense ranks 26th in yards per play, 28th in points per drive, and 30th in down-set-conversion rate. Things don't get easier with the Ravens and Texans next up on the schedule.

32. Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins kept things impressively close against the Chiefs, who scored 10 in the fourth quarter to finally pull away. That is the good news. The bad news is the Dolphins will be without De'Von Achane for the rest of the season following a torn ACL. Achane was easily the most talented player on an offense that was already struggling.