We are almost to the halfway point of the 2026 NFL Season, and it’s time for some end-of-October NFL Power Rankings. At this point in the season, contenders are beginning to separate themselves from the pack. We are getting a clearer look at these teams through their ups, downs, and injuries.
The 49ers have overcome a ton of injuries to key players, especially at WR. Many questioned whether they would be able to overcome that, and they have. Stellar play out of their offensive line, one of the best in the NFL, and QB Brock Purdy have helped them look fantastic.
Outside of a lackluster primetime loss against Seattle, Kansas City’s offense has looked dominant thanks to the award-worthy performance so far from offseason acquisition Kenneth Walker III.
The Vikings are the only remaining undefeated team in the NFL. They have earned high praise for their electric defense helmed by Brian Flores, but their offense leaves much to be desired. If the offense can get going, look out, because it is next to impossible to move the ball consistently on this team.
The Bills are the exact opposite of the Vikings above them. Once again, they have absolutely dominated on the offensive side of the ball, with their only struggles coming on untimely turnovers. Their defense, however, ranks at the bottom of the league. Luckily for them, Josh Allen knows how to operate in shootouts.
For the second straight year, it looks like Trevor Lawrence is very comfortable in Liam Coen’s offense. They’re taking advantage of a slightly weaker division, but have looked good in their wins.
Caleb Williams may be one of the most electric players in the sport, and his return has jump-started the Bears after a couple of rough weeks without him. Another quarterback who has benefitted greatly from an offensive-minded head coach.
The Broncos have never looked dominant this season, but you have to credit them for their ability to keep winning ugly games. Those teams are the ones that seem to stick around in the season longer than anyone expects. They do need to get more out of Bo Nix and the passing game.
Detroit, much like Buffalo, has had trouble holding opposing offenses down. They are able to score with the best of them, but the back end of their defensive unit has been a glaring weakness against good teams this season.
Aaron Rodgers is playing with a spark in his age-42 season, and a lot of that can probably be attributed to Mike McCarthy’s offensive scheme. They have looked good in a season where the expectations were not very high.
The Bengals have had a few big wins, and their losses have been highly competitive games. They could easily be 6-0 with a few scoring flips, a testament to how good the offense has played with a complementary defense.
The Ravens need Lamar Jackson to be a competitive football team. Thankfully for them, they are getting him back this week, hoping to put those last few lackluster weeks behind them.
The Seahawks had a lot of expectations coming off a Super Bowl win. Their offense has sputtered so far this season, leading to poor play against teams like Washington and Denver. Their defense has not missed a step, though, rating out among the best in the league.
It seemingly does not matter who the Giants plug in at quarterback; they just keep ripping off wins. The latest signal caller for the New York is JJ McCarthy, who has looked great after an abysmal tenure in Minnesota.
Green Bay has come on strong after a very disappointing start to the season. Jordan Love has almost single-handedly kept them in games, as they are historically bad in the run game. Their defense has played well recently too, even without some of their star players.
The Patriots looked bad to start the year, and QB Drake Maye was right at the center of that. Since then, his play has improved significantly, and the team’s morale has improved right along with it.
Cleveland is 5-2, but its record and team are still not to be trusted unless they can beat a couple of good teams. Their run differential is still in negative territory, and every game they have won has been by the thinnest margin. There’s something to be said about them winning all those close games, but don’t be surprised if they come back to earth soon.
Los Angeles continues to disappoint in a season where they were deemed a superteam. Special teams play has been at the center of their woes, as they are on their third kicker in the last few weeks.
Atlanta’s offense has been as boom or bust as they come. They have had multiple games where they dominate teams on that side of the ball, and in others, they look incapable of sustaining drives. Inconsistent quarterback play is mostly to blame. When Michael Penix Jr. plays, and plays well, Atlanta’s offense looks great.
The Buccaneers took advantage of a bad Carolina rush defense last week to run all over the Panthers. Baker Mayfield coming back has given them some juice. They have some momentum going into the middle of the season.
Carolina has gotten dominated in their last couple of games by Tampa and Green Bay. Their defense looks suspect, leading to the firing of their DC, and Bryce Young has shown some cracks when forced to come from behind in games.
Dallas has been incredibly mediocre so far, something all too common for them over the past several seasons. The offense has been decent, the defense has been poor, and that has combined for a thoroughly unimpressive start to the season.
After starting 3-0, the Raiders have lost four straight, and their quick descent back to earth isn’t really a shock as their schedule has gotten more difficult. Conversations are starting to happen about Fernando Mendoza, even though Kirk Cousins really hasn’t been the problem.
Houston has looked a lot better since their 0-4 start, playing well against Tennessee, Jacksonville, and New York. CJ Stroud has been slinging it while their defense has struggled.
The Saints looked very solid their first few weeks. Since then, their offense has really struggled, with their season-low in points coming last week against the Steelers. They really need to change up their philosophy if the losses keep coming, as Tyler Shough throwing 40+ times doesn’t seem to be working.
The Jets hit a season-low last week, giving division rival Miami their first win. The Jets’ only wins have come off Tennessee and Cleveland, which doesn’t exactly inspire confidence that they can turn it around.
The Colts have started a fire sale before the trade deadline, selling Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner already, with many more reportedly on the table. They have inspired no confidence so far this season, and are blowing parts of the team up.
Philadelphia has looked bad ever since Jalen Hurts went down for the year, but then again, they didn’t look great before that. They are trying to survive a year without their QB, and rumors suggest they might be looking towards next year as trade deadline sellers.
Even with Jayden Daniels starting, Washington has looked poor in almost every game this season. They have played sloppy all year, making head coach Dan Quinn’s seat very hot.
The Cardinals look content to play spoiler this season in a stacked division. They have played some good teams tough, even if they don’t have wins to show for it. They’ll receive a boost this week with the return of Jeremiyah Love.
Miami this season is reminiscent of an early-tenure Lions team under Dan Campbell. The wins aren’t there yet, but the vibes seem to be high, and the culture seems to be building under Jeff Hafley.
Tennessee has finally found a bit of offense the last couple of weeks. Tony Pollard especially has been running the ball well lately. They are starting to sell pieces as the deadline approaches, as they clearly are looking towards the future.
No one would have expected that the Chargers would be the last winless team this season. Justin Herbert looks checked out, and the rest of the team isn’t helping him out much. A nightmare season so far in Los Angeles.
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