NFL Power Rankings takes stock of all 32 teams throughout the season.
This week, we find a reason for optimism for every club two weeks into the new season.
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1. Buffalo Bills (2-0)
Previous rank: 1
Josh Allen is even better. The Bills superstar has arguably been the NFL's most unstoppable quarterback in the past three years, but he might somehow be even better in 2026. The 2024 MVP has accounted for nine touchdowns with no interceptions in two games.
2. Seattle Seahawks (2-0)
Previous rank: 2
No Darnold, no problem. Seattle remains undefeated in its Super Bowl title defense despite playing basically two full games without Sam Darnold. Until the injured quarterback returns, the Seahawks can rely on an elite defense and an unstoppable Jaxon Smith-Njigba, among other strengths.
3. Kansas City Chiefs (2-0)
Previous rank: 5
Vintage Mahomes. Patrick Mahomes put on a show on Sunday Night Football, passing for three touchdowns to help the Chiefs win a thriller in overtime. It was a vintage Mahomes performance in his second game back from a torn ACL.
4. San Francisco 49ers (2-0)
Previous rank: 6
CMC's new workload. Christian McCaffrey is on pace to finish the season with 247 touches, down from an NFL-high 413 in 2025. If the 49ers can win games while keeping McCaffrey fresh and healthy in the regular season, they will be an even bigger threat in January.
5. Baltimore Ravens (1-1)
Previous rank: 3
Zay Flowers will be back. After a 41-point outburst in the season opener, the Ravens scored just 17 points in Week 2. But this offense doesn't have its full complement of weapons without injured receivers Flowers and Ja'Kobi Lane. The good news is that Flowers should be back soon, and we've seen what this team is capable of when Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry, and Flowers are firing on all cylinders.
6. Philadelphia Eagles (2-0)
Previous rank: 7
They keep finding ways to win. It wasn't pretty, but the Eagles managed to outlast the Commanders and Titans in one-score games to start their season with two wins. Now Philly has a bigger margin for error in a tough stretch that starts Monday against Chicago.
7. Los Angeles Rams (1-1)
Previous rank: 8
No more Australia game. After starting off on the wrong foot in Australia, the Rams defeated the Giants by 22 points at home. A questionable travel plan and long trip to Down Under affected L.A.'s star-studded roster, but the team doesn't have to worry about that anymore. Sean McVay and Co. are still missing key players (Puka Nacua and Myles Garrett didn't play Monday), but they remain one of the league's strongest teams.
8. Denver Broncos (1-1)
Previous rank: 9
Defense responds in Week 2. Denver's defense had a disastrous opener in Kansas City, struggling with missed tackles and allowing 31 points. However, the unit showed it's still solid in Sunday's win by holding a strong Jaguars team to three second-half points and under 100 total rushing yards.
9. Chicago Bears (1-1)
Previous rank: 4
Caleb Williams isn't done for the season. Every Bears fan feared that Williams sustained a season-ending injury in the fourth quarter Sunday. It turns out that the star quarterback's hamstring injury isn't major. He could miss some time, but head coach Ben Johnson hasn't even officially ruled him out for Monday's game versus Philadelphia.
10. New England Patriots (1-1)
Previous rank: 11
The defensive unit looks unbreakable. Granted, the quarterbacks the Patriots have faced so far are Sam Darnold (for a few minutes), Drew Lock, and a 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers. Still, the defense has impressed. The Patriots have allowed the league's fewest points (16), and they've been stout in pressure situations. New England has yet to give up a touchdown in the red zone and has only allowed 17.4% of third-down attempts to be converted.
11. Minnesota Vikings (2-0)
Previous rank: 12
Turner keeps getting better. Former first-round pass-rusher Dallas Turner has been a consistent difference-maker, recording 11 QB hits and three sacks in Minnesota's first two games. He put on a show Sunday, recording a walk-off sack to finish Brian Flores' defensive masterpiece against the Bears. Turner rebounded from a quiet rookie year with an eight-sack season in 2025, and he continues to take his game to new heights.
12. Cincinnati Bengals (2-0)
Previous rank: 14
Finally, a decent defense. The Bengals' defense ranked 30th in points allowed last year, and while it's only been two weeks, Al Golden's unit has surrendered the eighth-fewest points this year. Some of that might be the Dexter Lawrence effect, but Cincinnati's getting a tremendous collective effort aided by other newcomers like Boye Mafe and Jonathan Allen. Joe Burrow said this team reminds him of the early version of the 2021 squad that reached the Super Bowl. He's not alone in seeing the parallels.
13. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-1)
Previous rank: 10
They don't miss Devin Lloyd. The Jaguars look poised for another strong season defensively despite losing breakout linebacker Lloyd in free agency. Even without the Pro Bowl defender, Jacksonville allowed just 30 points across its first two games.
14. Houston Texans (0-2)
Previous rank: 13
Last season. Things haven't gone as planned for the winless Texans, but DeMeco Ryans' outfit has been in that situation before. Houston started last season 0-3 before gaining enough momentum to post a 12-5 record and reach the divisional round of the playoffs.
15. Dallas Cowboys (1-1)
Previous rank: 17
Caleb Downs. Dallas' biggest strength remains the passing game, while the defense is still struggling to get opponents off the field. The Cowboys need a defender who can occasionally make big plays. Enter Downs, who's shown promise as a first-round rookie. He's already racked up 17 tackles, two forced fumbles, one sack, and one pass breakup.
16. Green Bay Packers (1-1)
Previous rank: 19
Micah Parsons' return. The Packers are off to an iffy start; they collapsed against the Vikings and barely beat the Jets for their first victory since Parsons suffered a torn ACL in December. The star linebacker's return - projected to take place in October - can't come soon enough for Green Bay.
17. Detroit Lions (1-1)
Previous rank: 16
High-powered offense. It doesn't seem like coach Dan Campbell and coordinator Kelvin Sheppard are close to fixing the Lions' defense, so the offense needs to keep carrying the team. Detroit has increased running back Jahmyr Gibbs' workload and the offense looks great so far, ranking fourth in points.
18. New York Giants (1-1)
Previous rank: 15
Winnable games ahead. Jaxson Dart's availability is the main question for the Giants, but at least New York has its easiest stretch coming up. The club plays the Titans, Cardinals, and Commanders over the next three weeks.
19. New Orleans Saints (1-1)
Previous rank: 22
The hype is real. Teams led by unproven QBs don't always live up to high expectations from the preseason, but the perky Saints have our attention. They put together another strong fourth quarter to stun the Ravens on Sunday after nearly upsetting the Lions in Week 1. Second-year passer Tyler Shough leads the NFL with 662 passing yards.
20. Las Vegas Raiders (2-0)
Previous rank: 26
Klint Kubiak. The first-year head coach has helped the Raiders jump to 2-0 for the first time since 2021. They won just three games in 2025. Las Vegas seems to have finally found the right boss after several head coaching disappointments in recent years.
21. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1)
Previous rank: 20
Pass rush has juice. Aaron Rodgers has been subpar, DK Metcalf can't catch a football, the offensive line is a disaster, and the secondary looks shaky. But if there's an upside to the Steelers' middling 1-1 start, it's that the pass rush looks outstanding behind a fired-up T.J. Watt. He has 3.5 sacks and has lined up on both edges of the defense. Alex Highsmith also has three sacks.
22. Carolina Panthers (1-1)
Previous rank: 27
Prolific offense. Carolina is still an unbalanced team, but coordinator and play-caller Brad Idzik has helped Bryce Young elevate his game while building an explosive offensive unit. Young ranks seventh among quarterbacks in EPA/play, and the Panthers' average of 35.5 points per game ranks second in the league.
23. Arizona Cardinals (1-1)
Previous rank: 21
Their first six quarters this season. The Cardinals upset the Chargers in Week 1 and were tied with the Seahawks at halftime Sunday. Granted, the reigning Super Bowl champions pulled away for a comfortable win in the second half. Still, Arizona's victory over L.A. and the first two quarters versus Seattle showed that Mike LaFleur's outfit can punch above its weight even during a rebuilding campaign.
24. Los Angeles Chargers (0-2)
Previous rank: 18
It's a long season. The Chargers have been football's most disappointing team; even their best players have no answers for their offensive struggles. But there's a lot of season left, and that should give L.A. fans some optimism despite a terrifying stretch from Weeks 3-10.
25. Indianapolis Colts (0-2)
Previous rank: 23
JT remains unstoppable. The Colts are still working on their flawed roster, but one thing hasn't changed: Jonathan Taylor is one of the NFL's premier running backs, and he'll be the main reason Indy wins a few games. The three-time Pro Bowler led the league with 20 scrimmage touchdowns in 2025 and has picked up where he left off, recording four TDs from scrimmage.
26. Washington Commanders (0-2)
Previous rank: 24
New WRs. It's hard to find many reasons for the Commanders to be optimistic, especially after Jayden Daniels' latest elbow injury. At least new receiver Stefon Diggs and third-round rookie Antonio Williams have made their marks as the team's two leading pass-catchers. Diggs has caught three touchdowns, putting him on track for his highest-scoring season since 2023.
27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-2)
Previous rank: 25
The NFC South. Granted, Carolina and New Orleans have shown some promise this season, but the NFC South remains the NFL's worst division - and that should give Tampa Bay some hope despite its listless start. The NFC South is one of only two divisions whose current leader doesn't have a winning record.
28. New York Jets (1-1)
Previous rank: 28
They look like an actual football team. The Jets suffered a crushing loss to the Packers on Sunday. But there's a silver lining for Jets fans: It's much better to feel heartbreak and regret than the constant dread or apathy that typically comes with supporting this franchise. New York has put up 258 more yards than it's allowed, the team's best margin through two games since 1982.
29. Cleveland Browns (1-1)
Previous rank: 32
Watson's best start. Deshaun Watson just posted arguably his best start since joining the Browns, completing 80% of his passes and connecting for two touchdowns to help Cleveland upset Tampa Bay. He's completed 77% of his passes in the first two games of his contract year.
30. Tennessee Titans (0-2)
Previous rank: 29
Ward's lack of interceptions. Cam Ward is still a work in progress, but he's doing a better job of protecting the ball. The 2025 No. 1 pick hasn't turned it over yet this season, and he's been intercepted once in his past 11 games dating back to 2025.
31. Miami Dolphins (0-2)
Previous rank: 31
Only 15 games to go. This season was projected to be rough for the Dolphins, but managing your expectations can only do so much to cushion being outscored 62-26 over two games. At least Miami's young wideouts are getting significant work: Rookie Caleb Douglas has a team-high 113 yards, and Malik Washington is up to 96 yards.
32. Atlanta Falcons (0-2)
Previous rank: 30
A QB change is coming. No offense has looked worse than the Falcons' attack this season; Atlanta's used third-string quarterback Cooper Rush and undrafted rookie Jack Strand, who threw a pick-6 on his first NFL pass attempt Sunday. But Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. are nearing their returns from injury, with Penix expected to start Thursday. Neither one significantly raises Atlanta's ceiling, but they're both upgrades over Rush and Strand.
