The San Francisco 49ers are the consensus best team in football heading into Week 6. After a 32-29 win in Seattle moved them to 5-0, they sit No. 1 on five of the six major national power rankings we tracked, including the lists from Nick Shook and Pete Prisco. They are also No. 1 in the WHYNFL Power Index.
Only one of those national lists keeps the 4-0 Kansas City Chiefs on top, with the 49ers second. Kansas City is No. 2 almost everywhere else, coming off a bye before hosting the winless Chargers.
Where the top five land
| Ranking | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WHYNFL Power Index | 49ers | Chiefs | Vikings | Patriots | Jaguars |
| Nick Shook | 49ers | Chiefs | Seahawks | Ravens | Jaguars |
| Pete Prisco | 49ers | Chiefs | Vikings | Jaguars | Bills |
The Jacksonville Jaguars, 4-1 after Cam Little’s 57-yard field goal beat the Eagles in London, are the steadiest name in the group, sitting between third and fifth on every list we checked.
The 5-0 Vikings still have doubters
Minnesota is one of three unbeaten teams, but the experts disagree on how much to trust it. Prisco has the Vikings third. Shook moved them up four spots to seventh, writing that the defense is “truly special” and that the offense finally showed signs of life in the second half against the Saints, when Kyler Murray found Justin Jefferson for a touchdown. Across the six national lists, Minnesota ranges from third to eighth.
The WHYNFL Power Index, which ranks teams only on opponent-adjusted scoring margin, yardage margin and win percentage, puts Minnesota third with a +4.8 adjusted scoring margin.
The Patriots are the biggest split
New England’s 45-17 rout of the Raiders produced the widest range of opinions. The Power Index jumps the Patriots eight spots to fourth, driven by an opponent-adjusted yardage margin of +53, the best in the top five. Shook moved them up eight spots to 10th, and across the six national lists New England ranges from seventh to 13th.
Shook pointed to the 536 yards of offense and big days from Drake Maye, Efton Chism III, Kyle Williams and DeMario Douglas.
Packers climb, Cowboys and Eagles slide
The Green Bay Packers were the week’s big riser after a 31-7 win over the Bears. They climbed 11 spots in the Power Index to 14th. Shook also moved them up 11 spots, to 16th, and Prisco moved them up 10, to 14th. Shook called it “the Packers offense I expected to see in 2026” after Jordan Love threw for 367 yards and two touchdowns to Christian Watson.
Dallas went the other way after a Thursday loss to the 1-4 Buccaneers. Shook dropped the Cowboys 10 spots to 18th, and the Power Index moved them down seven to 23rd.
Philadelphia also tumbled after the loss in London. Shook has the 2-3 Eagles 26th, down five, and the Power Index has them 27th. One national panel is kinder, keeping them 16th.
The bottom of the league
The 0-5 Tennessee Titans are last in the Power Index and on two of the national lists. The other winless teams, the Dolphins and Chargers, sit in the 29th-to-31st range on most lists. One national panel is tougher on several one-win and two-win clubs, with the Jets, Saints, Buccaneers, Commanders and Cardinals in spots 25 through 29.
For the full 32-team order and the reason behind every move, see the WHYNFL Power Index on the power rankings page.
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