NFL Power Rankings, Week 8 2026: All 32 Teams, Updated Weekly

Updated: October 27

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 8

Week 8 NFL Team Rankings:

1. Buffalo Bills

The Bills had a pretty solid bye week with both the Patriots and Chiefs picking up losses. They should return from the break with a healthy D.J. Moore, who should help a passing game that struggled somewhat in the couple of games before the break. That is good news with the Ravens and Vikings on deck.

2. Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks needed a big win after falling to 3-3, and they got it with a comprehensive 20-3 victory against the Chiefs on Sunday night. Sam Darnold threw another interception in that game, giving him a league-high 8 for the season, but the defense shut down Kansas City. The Seahawks defense ranks first or second in every important metric this season. The formula is pretty clear. If Darnold and the offense avoid mistakes, Seattle can beat any team in the league.

3. Kansas City Chiefs

There is no reason to overreact to the Chiefs' loss on Sunday night. The Seahawks desperately needed the win, were at home, and remain one of the league's best teams, even if their record does not reflect it. The real concern was what happened to the offense once Kenneth Walker was shut down. The passing game looked as toothless as it did last season, albeit against one of the best defenses in the league. Getting Rashee Rice back will help, but questions remain about whether Patrick Mahomes has the receiver talent he needs.

4. San Francisco 49ers

The injuries on offense may have finally caught up to the 49ers. Christian McCaffrey ultimately returned to the game, but his time in the locker room in the second quarter seemed to be a turning point against the Falcons, with Jordan James and Kaelon Black fumbling on back-to-back plays. San Francisco ended the day with 4 turnovers. They get a bye to heal up before facing the Raiders in Week 9.

5. Jacksonville Jaguars

Despite their disappointing Week 6 loss to the Texans, the Jaguars emerge from the bye week in a commanding spot in the division and sporting the league's third-best point differential. On defense, Jacksonville ranks seventh in points per drive allowed, but they are 27th in yards per play allowed and 30th in explosive play rate allowed. Even if they keep forcing turnovers at a high rate (9th in takeaways per game), they will need to limit big plays moving forward.

6. Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals seemed headed toward a post-bye flop before scoring 35 unanswered points in the second half for an easy win over the Ravens. Zay Flowers carved up the secondary, as he does to every secondary, but otherwise the defense held up well against the Lamar Jackson-less Ravens. The Bengals have bounced back nicely from their back-to-back losses earlier in the season, and they will look to keep that good run going this week against the Titans.

7. Denver Broncos

It is too much to say Denver's offense is fixed after their win over the Cardinals. They averaged 6.7 yards per play in that game, but two big plays inflated that average. One of those was a 62-yard touchdown run by Bo Nix. The other was a 52-yard score on a screen pass by RJ Harvey. Denver also saw Jaylen Waddle leave late after an ill-advised play call led to an injury. The Broncos are in a good spot at 5-2, but a date with the Chiefs this week should be a better benchmark.

8. Minnesota Vikings

I don't know what to do with this team. The defense is clearly elite, ranking first or second in every important defensive metric. By contrast, the offense ranks 32nd in success rate and 31st in EPA per play. The Vikings are 6-0. They have wins over the Packers and Bears. I also would not be shocked if they are 6-4 after a run at the Lions, Bills, Packers, and 49ers simply because at some point the offense is going to have to pull its weight. For now, though, we can only go by what they have done, and that is win.

9. Detroit Lions

Detroit's defense finally showed up in a 20-17 win over the Packers, playing its best game of the season. Time will tell if that performance was a one-off or the start of the trend. If you're betting on the latter, you could point to the performance coming after a bye week and the team getting back Brian Branch, who logged an important fourth-quarter interception. Next up, the Lions have another pivotal divisional matchup against the Vikings.

10. Los Angeles Rams

The Rams got back on track with a comfortable 35-21 win over the Raiders in Week 7. The Rams still turned the ball over twice, bringing them to 11 for the year. Their -5 turnover margin ranks 29th in the league. They rank 23rd in offensive penalty EPA and 27th in defensive penalty EPA, areas that were once again issues against the Raiders. The Rams are clearly talented and should get back Myles Garrett soon. They also have a nice run against the Chargers, Commanders, and Cardinals (even though Arizona just beat them) before the bye week. Still, they need to start limiting mistakes to reach their ceiling.

11. Chicago Bears

Chicago's offense continued to look good with Caleb Williams at quarterback, averaging 6.1 yards per play against the Patriots in a 30-24 win. Unfortunately, the secondary was once again shredded, and Chicago now ranks dead last in yards per pass attempt allowed (8.7). They rank 31st in explosive play rate allowed. The good news is they have faced the fewest plays per game in the league, partly because they have by far the biggest time-of-possession margin. They rank eighth in down set conversion rate, which is how often a team turns a first down into another first down or score, and second in average plays per drive. That formula is working, but it could be an issue if they face a defense that can get the offense off the field. One like, perhaps, the Seahawks, whom they play on Monday night.

12. New England Patriots

The Patriots came up on the wrong side Thursday night in a close game against the Bears, but it was a respectable loss on the road against a good team. Drake Maye gave away a scoring chance with an end-zone interception in the first half, but he averaged 10.4 yards per pass attempt. On the other side of the ball, the defense struggled with missed tackles and getting the ball back to its offense in the second half. Thursday was a setback, but New England will look to get back on track this week against the Dolphins.

13. Baltimore Ravens

Even with Lamar Jackson missing another game, things looked good for the Ravens through one half against the Bengals. That changed dramatically after the break, with Cincy scoring 35 in the second half for an easy win. That is a worrying trend for the Ravens. Baltimore leads the league with a +65-point margin in the first half of games this season. They are dead last with a -70 margin in the second half. They have led at the half in all three of their losses. Now they face the Bills and Jaguars over the next two weeks, and Jackson's availability remains a mystery.

14. Green Bay Packers

Green Bay's resurgence was slightly derailed by a 20-17 loss to the Lions, but it was a competitive road game against a division rival. Josh Jacobs‘ return did not fix the running game, but he did make some big plays as a receiver and showed the ability to create yards on his own, something that had been missing from the backfield. The real concern on Sunday was a defense that allowed Jared Goff to throw for 9.5 yards per attempt, something they will need to clean up moving forward. The Packers face a tough schedule (Panthers, Patriots, Vikings) before their Week 11 bye.

15. Pittsburgh Steelers

It would have been good to see the Steelers offense do a little more on Sunday morning, but another great performance from Jaylen Warren was enough to pull out the win in Paris. Pittsburgh is now 5-2 and has a chance this week to avenge one of those losses against the Browns. They will have a good chance to do that if the defense keeps playing at a top-10 level.

16. Carolina Panthers

At least it was over quickly. The Panthers were pummeled by the Buccaneers on Sunday, losing 43-13 in a game that was over at halftime. Bryce Young turned the ball over 3 times, and Tampa did whatever they wanted on the ground. Tampa's backs combined for 246 rushing yards. That is a troubling development for a run defense that had been much better since their Week 1 disaster against the Bears. The Panthers still lead the division, but they have tough games against the Packers and Broncos the next two weeks.

17. Cleveland Browns

The Browns continued their Houdini season with a 27-24 win over the Titans. For this trick, they spotted the Titans 14 points and gave up a game-tying touchdown with less than a minute on the clock, all before going 55 yards in 58 seconds for the game-winning field goal. I would say they can't keep getting away with this, but they continue to get away with this. This week, they get a Steelers team that they beat a few weeks ago and is traveling home from Paris.

18. Houston Texans

Houston's defense is in the running for the NFL's most disappointing unit this season. Heading into the bye, they rank 25th in EPA per play allowed, 21st in success rate allowed, 16th in yards per play allowed, 22nd in points per drive allowed, and 29th in explosive play rate allowed. The Giants averaged 6.5 yards per play against them and 5.5 yards per carry. The defense gave up back-to-back big runs in overtime. Cam Skattebo went 42 yards, and then the next play, Devin Singletary had a 30-yard, game-winning touchdown. The offense has its own issues to work out over the bye, but the defense was supposed to be this team's strength.

19. Atlanta Falcons

Down 14-3 at one point, the Falcons looked headed for a big loss to the 49ers, but they rallied to a 29-20 win over the previously unbeaten team. The defense gave up 6.2 yards per play to the 49ers, but it also logged 4 takeaways, which ultimately changed the game. That defense has had an interesting start to the season. After ranking second in success rate allowed over the first three games, the Falcons are 30th in that same metric over the last four.

20. Dallas Cowboys

Dallas did what they needed to do on Monday night, pulling away from the injury-ravaged Eagles in the second half for an easy win. Dak Prescott got back on track, averaging 7.9 yards per attempt and tossing 3 touchdowns. The defense still carries a lot of question marks, but those might not be fully tested in the next two weeks against the Cardinals and Colts.

21. New York Giants

I had been hesitant about the Giants despite their solid record. Since their surprising but quality win over the Cowboys in Week 1, nothing had suggested they were one of the league's top teams. That changed a bit in Houston. They needed overtime to win, but the Giants were clearly the better team on Sunday, and J.J. McCarthy had an outstanding game. I am still not sure about the defense, but it ranks, at worst, as a mid-pack unit across the board heading into the bye week. Given the state of the division, the Giants have to like their chances of making a real playoff push.

22. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Baker Mayfield only had to throw 11 passes in his return as the Buccaneers smashed the Panthers 43-13 for their second win of the season. Bryce Young turned the ball over twice in the pivotal second quarter, including a scoop-and-score for Tampa's defense, and the Bucs capitalized with 26 points. Bucky Irving, Kenneth Gainwell, and Sean Tucker combined for 246 rushing yards. After four losses to open the season, the Bucs have now won two of their last three.

23. Las Vegas Raiders

The Raiders made the score look better with 15 points in the fourth quarter, but the Rams ran them out of the building on Sunday for their fourth straight loss. The headlines will focus on Kirk Cousins vs. Fernando Mendoza, but the Raiders have a brewing situation at running back. Ashton Jeanty continues to struggle as a runner, while Mike Washington Jr. keeps creating big plays when given the opportunity.

24. New Orleans Saints

The running game remains a black hole for the New Orleans offense. Tyler Shough led the team with 7 rushing yards against the Steelers, and the running backs combined for just 11 yards on 14 carries. Saints running backs are averaging 3.4 yards per carry this season (30th) and rank dead last in the rate of their runs that gain at least five yards. Travis Etienne is eligible to return from injured reserve after the bye week.

25. Philadelphia Eagles

Despite injuries throughout the offense, the Eagles hung around for a half against the Cowboys on Monday night. That is promising, but this team is clearly not going anywhere this season, especially if the defense can't carry the load. That defense did not look up to the task against the Cowboys.

26. Washington Commanders

The bye week came at a good time for the Commanders, who faced even more questions about in-game decision-making after their Week 6 loss to the 49ers. The coaching staff likely spent much of their bye on time management, and they should have a decent chance to beat the reeling Eagles on Sunday.

27. Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals were not completely embarrassed by the Broncos, but it was not a great performance either. Sitting at 6-6 in the second quarter, the defense allowed Bo Nix to scramble nearly untouched for a 62-yard touchdown. After the half, they allowed RJ Harvey to go 52 yards on a screen pass for another score. Trey McBride did his best to keep the Cardinals in the game, but those two plays pretty much sealed the loss. It is important to remember Arizona did just beat the Rams in Week 6, but it has become clear this offense is not going anywhere with Jacoby Brissett at quarterback.

28. Tennessee Titans

Fresh off their first win of the season, the Titans showed well in a close loss to the Browns, who needed a last-second field goal to win. Even through this solid two-week run, the offense has continued to struggle. Tennessee ranks 24th in success rate, 25th in EPA per play, and 26th in yards per play over the last two weeks. Until that changes, this team will struggle to win consistently.

29. Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins were always going to move up on the back of their first win, but the nature of the win was more impressive. Miami's offense ranked dead last in success rate and 30th in points per drive over the first five games. They ranked eighth and fourth in those two metrics in Week 7, scoring on three of their first four possessions. It remains to be seen if that performance was a sign of things to come or just the team taking advantage of a floundering Jets team, but it was a great performance coming out of the bye week.

30. New York Jets

They rallied in the second half to make it a game, but the Jets lost to a previously winless Dolphins team. More concerningly, they gave up 28 points to a team that had averaged half that over their first five games. After ranking dead last in success rate over their first five games, the Dolphins ranked eighth in that metric in Week 7. The Jets do not have a stacked roster, but they have too much talent on both sides of the ball to lose to the Dolphins.

31. Indianapolis Colts

The Colts are probably better than some of the teams ahead of them on this list, but this team is clearly headed for a hard reset. The general manager is already gone, the head coach will be soon, and it sounds like there will be a fire sale of talented veterans before the trade deadline. Indy has a respectable showing against the Vikings, taking a lead into the fourth quarter, but the offense did almost nothing after its opening touchdown drive.

32. Los Angeles Chargers

The good news is the Chargers could not lose during their bye week. The bad news is they are the only winless team in the league since Miami got on the board against the Jets. Surprisingly, the team made no coaching changes during the off week, but the seat is red hot under Mike McDaniel.