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2026 NFL Power Rankings Week 9

by Robert Ferringo - 11/3/2026

NFL power rankings Week 9 Brock Purdy San Francisco 49ers

Oh my god it is finally over.

I’m so thankful that Election Day is here. That means that my weekend football orgies will no longer be infected with political ads, my phone will quit blowing up with texts begging for more, and I will no longer be threatened by media bobbleheads telling me that the fate of civilization hangs in the balance.

Give me point spreads instead of political polls. Give me injury reports over attack ads. Give me coaches lying about quarterback injuries instead of politicians lying about everything else.

At least in the NFL, we know who's full of $h#t by Sunday night.

Election season is over. Football season is just getting interesting. Eight weeks down. Nine weeks to go.

Here's where the bodies are buried.

Doc’s Sports offers NFL expert picks for every game on our NFL predictions page.

Here are my Week 9 NFL Power Rankings:

1. San Francisco 49ers (6-1) — The 49ers had an extra week to stew over their first loss, a 29-20 setback at Atlanta. San Francisco still leads the NFL in yards per play (6.36) and yards-per-play differential (+1.62). Kyle Shanahan is 6-1 straight up and 4-3 against the spread in his last seven games after a bye week.

2. Chicago Bears (6-2) — The last two weeks, Chicago has absolutely dominated last year’s two Super Bowl participants. They are undefeated in games that Caleb Williams has finished and they have finished three straight games scoring 30+ points without committing a turnover. Chicago’s newly formed defensive line will have a tough test against Tampa Bay team that has all but abandoned the forward pass. This week will be Chicago’s third straight primetime game

3. Kansas City Chiefs (5-2) — Look, if not for one Jaylon Moore flinch, the Chiefs win that game in Denver. Patrick Mahomes has now lost back-to-back games just eight times in his career. But he’s never lost three in a row. I don’t think that will be a problem this week against the Jets. But we know how bad the Chiefs have been as a big favorite. Do we trust them laying this many points?

4. Buffalo Bills (6-1) — Buffalo hammered Baltimore 36-10, although Lamar Jackson's early injury certainly helped. The Bills are 5-2 ATS and averaging 33.3 points per game. But this is a massive test this week heading to a very difficult venue

5. Jacksonville Jaguars (5-2) — Jacksonville has now won 14 of their last 17 regular-season games. They are just 4-3 ATS this season, though, and it is tough to trust this group laying that monster number on the road at Baltimore on a short week. That said, this team is a legit Super Bowl contender in the AFC.

6. Denver Broncos (6-2) — The Broncos are 6-2 ATS, tied for the league lead, and they have now won 15 straight one-score games. The bill will come due on that mark in close games at some point. But this feels like some karmic balance for Sean Payton, whose career in New Orleans was defined by gut-wrenching close losses. Also, Bo Nix sucks. But he has gone five straight games without throwing an interception. Denver is 10-2 SU and 9-3 ATS against the NFC over the last three seasons.

7. Minnesota Vikings (6-1) — OK, I may have been wrong about Kyler Murray. He kind of blows. That said, I’m still not bailing on this team. Kevin O’Connell is as much to blame for that loss on Sunday. He butchered that fourth quarter with his decision not to take the points early and then, bizarrely, punting late. The Vikings are 5-2 SU and ATS as a home underdog since the start of 2024. The Vikings are 15-8 ATS in that role over the last 10 years.

8. Seattle Seahawks (4-4) — Laying 11.5 points this week off a MNF loss seems a little strong. Seattle is coming off a stretch of three straight emotional, high-profile primetime games. They did wreck Arizona 31-7 on the road back in September, though, and Seattle is 10-0 SU and 9-1 ATS.

9. New England Patriots (5-3) — Last week was all about composure and coaching. Games like THAT are why Mike Vrabel is an elite football coach. New England was down 13-3 at halftime, had a ton of breaks go against them – drops, bad calls, missed field goals, etc. A lesser team would’ve folded and gotten upset on the road by a division rival. The Patriots held it together and dominated the second half. Can’t say enough good things about Vrabel.

10. Los Angeles Rams (4-4) —Los Angeles opened last week’s game with five consecutive three-and-outs, something that had never happened under Sean McVay. The Rams are 20-12 ATS in their last 32 games in games played on Eastern Standard Time.

11. Detroit Lions (5-2) — The Lions are hoping that wasn’t a Pyrrhic victory on Sunday, beating the Vikings but potentially losing Jack Campbell for the season. The Lions defense has definitely turned a corner, though, allowing an average of just 17.7 points per game over the last three weeks.

12. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2) — The Steelers snapped a seven-game ATS losing streak by teams that played their previous game internationally without taking a bye week. Now the Steelers have a week off to gear up for the stretch run.

13. Cincinnati Bengals (5-2) — Joe Burrow had about as bad of a game as you can have for a guy that scored four touchdowns. Burrow’s third interception, badly underthrowing Jamarr Chase, was as horrid of a throw as you will ever see Burrow make. I still have no idea how Zac Taylor has a job, and coming out of a bye and falling behind 13-0 at home to the Titans is not a great look. We will see how organized Taylor has hit group as they head to Madrid this week.

14. Green Bay Packers (5-3) — Anyone that has read this space knows how I feel about Jordan Love. That guy is awesome. He is absolutely carrying his entire team right now and should be on the MVP short list. The Packers are now on a 5-0 ATS run and Love has kept them afloat in a division where all four teams are currently in the top seven in the NFC. Green Bay went just 1-4 ATS against the AFC last season.

15. Las Vegas Raiders (4-4) — Las Vegas finally snapped its four-game losing streak with a 38-33 victory over the Jets. The Raiders are now 6-2 ATS, making them one of the most profitable teams in football. They're also 6-2 to the ‘over’, which is not surprising with wunderkind Klint Kubiak leading the way. But Las Vegas can’t stop anyone. They have allowed an average of 34.8 points per game over their last five.

16. Houston Texans (2-5) — The Texans are coming off a bye, which is THE most overrated handicapping angle in football. Teams off a bye generally underperform. They come out slow and sluggish and having “extra rest” is not nearly the advantage everyone acts like it is. Honestly, it’s like going on vacation and then coming back to work. How sharp are you on your first day back to work after a vacation?

17. New York Giants (4-2-1) — The Giants are 2.5-point road favorites against Philadelphia. The Giants haven't been favored in Philadelphia since 2005. That tells you everything you need to know about how dramatically the balance of power has shifted in this rivalry. John Harbaugh is 15-3 SU after a bye week. Harbaugh is 10-0 SU and 7-3 ATS after a bye week when facing an NFC opponent.

18. Baltimore Ravens (4-4) — The Ravens were three-point favorites against Jacksonville on the lookahead line; now they're getting more than a touchdown. That's how much Lamar Jackson (and Tyler Huntley) mean to this team. Joe Fagnano is not an NFL-caliber quarterback. And he’s hurt. And he still may be starting on Thursday. Not great.

19. Atlanta Falcons (3-5) — Atlanta followed its upset of San Francisco with an absolutely pathetic 16-0 loss at Tampa Bay. Michael Penix Jr. completed eight passes to Falcons receivers and four passes to Buccaneers defenders. This is one of the most erratic teams in the NFL and there’s just no telling which version of the Falcons is going to show up from week to week.

20. Carolina Panthers (3-4) — Remember what I said about the Falcons? About how you never know what team is going to show up from week to week? I guess you could just extrapolate that out to the entire NFC South. Carolina does have a situational advantage this week, catching Denver off an emotional game against the Chiefs. If the Panthers are at all for real they will at least be competitive against the Broncos. I’m not holding my breath.

21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-5) — I absolutely love what Tampa Bay is doing. Love it. They are the first team in over a half-century to win an NFL game without completing a single pass and they have only thrown 14 times over the last two games. They won both by a combined 59-13 and will take the fight to Chicago’s ballyhooed defensive front this weekend. Underdogs of 5.0+ are now 25-12 ATS in the NFL this season. They are 9-4 ATS over the last three weeks.

22. New Orleans Saints (2-5) — New Orleans returns from its bye just one game out of first place in the NFC South. That says more about the division than it does about the Saints. New Orleans is averaging only 4.81 yards per offensive play while allowing 5.78, one of the worst differentials in football. The Saints are off a bye and hosting a Browns team that is playing its third consecutive road game.

23. Dallas Cowboys (3-5) — Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha. Losers.

24. Cleveland Browns (5-3) — Despite a superior record, the Browns are underdogs at 2-5 New Orleans. That tells you everything you need to know about the Browns. I’ve been saying in this space for weeks: this team isn’t nearly as good as its record.

25. Washington Commanders (2-4-1) — Washington scored 27 unanswered points to beat Philadelphia 27-10, finally giving Jayden Daniels another victory as the Commanders' starting quarterback. Washington is 3-4 ATS, and injuries remain a major problem. The Commanders have struggled badly as divisional home favorites in recent seasons, but they bucked that trend against the Eagles. Now the Rams come to town laying approximately five points. Washington has a chance to build some momentum, although the defense will need another strong performance to keep the game competitive.

26. Arizona Cardinals (3-5) — I love Gardner Minshew as a dude. But he’s not really going to be an upgrade over Jacoby Brissett. Arizona has responded to its three previous ATS wins by losing the next week by 24, 12 and 14 points. Arizona is 3-10 ATS in its last 13 games after an ATS win.

27. Philadelphia Eagles (2-6) — The Eagles are now 1-7 ATS and the defense has surrendered at least 100 rushing yards in every game, something the franchise hadn't done through eight games since 1968. The Eagles won’t do it – because they have too much pride – but they should lean into the tank.

28. Miami Dolphins (1-6) — This group is improving. And they are catching the Lions in a tricky spot, with Detroit coming off an emotional home win over the Vikings. Miami is allowing opponents to convert 50.6 percent of third downs, the second-worst mark in football. Their front four is solid but their back seven just can’t get them off the field.

29. Indianapolis Colts (2-6) — Indianapolis was annihilated 42-7 by Jacksonville, and since their 7-1 start last year they are now 3-14 SU. I really don’t think this team has quit on the season. They were just in the wrong place at the wrong time last week and I expect a much stronger effort this week.

30. New York Jets (2-6) — The Jets scored on their first six possessions against Las Vegas and still managed to lose 38-33. According to Jets X-Factor: “The Jets are the 99th team in the Super Bowl era to post a passer rating of 104.0 or better over their first eight games. Of those 99 teams, they are just the third to start 2-6 or worse, joining the 2020 Houston Texans and the 2000 San Francisco 49ers. The average team in that bunch had 5.7 wins at this point of this season.”

31. Los Angeles Chargers (0-7) — The Chargers are the only winless team in football and dating back to last season they are 0-10 SU and ATS.

32. Tennessee Titans (1-7) — The Titans are becoming a sneaky ‘over’ team. They’ve sailed the total in three straight. The offense has managed to score 28.7 points per game in their last three and the defense has allowed an average of 26.0 in their last five.

Robert Ferringo has posted seven of 11 winning football seasons, including an astounding +10,660 football run in 2024. Robert banked nearly +40,000 in profit between 2010-2019 for a 10-year average profit of nearly +4,000. He has earned 11 of 17 overall winning years and 73 of 121 winning months while also going 27-10 with his football futures rated 5.0+ and earning 17 of 20 winning Super Bowls. He is a member of the Football Writers Association of America and he is set for another amazing football season. SIGN UP HERE TODAY AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR 3-FOR-1 FOOTBALL SPECIALS!

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