THE WHY BEHIND THE GAME
NFL power rankings.
All 32 teams, ranked by the evidence. Every move explained.
WHYNFL Power IndexCalculated from verified results, not an opinion poll. Every move comes with the reason.How it works ↓
UPDATED Updated Oct 10, 2026, 3:53 pm EDT
2026 regular season · Weeks 1–5 · 50 completed games · Movement compared with the ranking through Week 4
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1—
SF- Beat the Arizona Cardinals 36–30 in Week 3.
- Holds at No. 1.
- Driven by an opponent-adjusted scoring margin of +6.7 points per game.
- Index
- 77.2
- Adj. margin
- +6.7
- Adj. yards
- +51
-
2—
KC- Beat the Miami Dolphins 24–10 on the road in Week 3.
- Holds at No. 2.
- Driven by an opponent-adjusted scoring margin of +5.0 points per game.
- Index
- 74.0
- Adj. margin
- +5.0
- Adj. yards
- +54
-
3—
CHI- Beat the Philadelphia Eagles 27–7 in Week 3.
- Holds at No. 3.
- Driven by an opponent-adjusted scoring margin of +6.2 points per game.
- Index
- 70.9
- Adj. margin
- +6.2
- Adj. yards
- +36
-
4—
SEA- Lost to the Washington Commanders 31–33 on the road in Week 3.
- Holds at No. 4.
- Driven by an opponent-adjusted yardage margin of +68 yards per game.
- Index
- 68.0
- Adj. margin
- +2.9
- Adj. yards
- +68
-
5—
LV- Beat the New Orleans Saints 35–27 on the road in Week 3.
- Holds at No. 5.
- Driven by an opponent-adjusted scoring margin of +4.1 points per game.
- Index
- 63.6
- Adj. margin
- +4.1
- Adj. yards
- -3
-
6—
BUF- Beat the Los Angeles Chargers 24–16 in Week 3.
- Holds at No. 6.
- Driven by an opponent-adjusted scoring margin of +2.6 points per game.
- Index
- 62.5
- Adj. margin
- +2.6
- Adj. yards
- +13
-
7—
JAX- Beat the New England Patriots 35–6 in Week 3.
- Holds at No. 7.
- Driven by an opponent-adjusted scoring margin of +5.7 points per game.
- Held back by an opponent-adjusted yardage margin of -14 yards per game.
- Index
- 62.2
- Adj. margin
- +5.7
- Adj. yards
- -14
-
8▲ 1
MIN- Beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23–16 on the road in Week 3.
- Up 1 from No. 9.
- Driven by an opponent-adjusted scoring margin of +5.0 points per game.
- Held back by an opponent-adjusted yardage margin of -39 yards per game.
- The results have outpaced the yardage, a gap the model treats as less durable.
- Index
- 60.4
- Adj. margin
- +5.0
- Adj. yards
- -39
-
9▼ 1
BAL- Beat the Dallas Cowboys 34–31 on the road in Week 3.
- Down 1 from No. 8.
- Driven by an opponent-adjusted scoring margin of +1.9 points per game.
- Index
- 59.8
- Adj. margin
- +1.9
- Adj. yards
- +28
-
10—
LAR- Lost to the Denver Broncos 26–30 on the road in Week 3.
- Holds at No. 10.
- Driven by an opponent-adjusted yardage margin of +63 yards per game.
- Held back by a 1–2 record.
- The yardage suggests better results than the record shows.
- Index
- 58.2
- Adj. margin
- +0.3
- Adj. yards
- +63
-
11—
NO- Lost to the Las Vegas Raiders 27–35 in Week 3.
- Holds at No. 11.
- Driven by an opponent-adjusted yardage margin of +23 yards per game.
- Held back by a 1–2 record.
- The yardage suggests better results than the record shows.
- Index
- 53.2
- Adj. margin
- +0.7
- Adj. yards
- +23
-
12—
CIN- Lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers 27–30 on the road in Week 3.
- Holds at No. 12.
- Driven by an opponent-adjusted scoring margin of +1.9 points per game.
- Held back by an opponent-adjusted yardage margin of -21 yards per game.
- The results have outpaced the yardage, a gap the model treats as less durable.
- Index
- 52.9
- Adj. margin
- +1.9
- Adj. yards
- -21
-
13—
NE- Lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars 6–35 on the road in Week 3.
- Holds at No. 13.
- Driven by an opponent-adjusted yardage margin of +22 yards per game.
- Held back by a 1–2 record.
- The yardage suggests better results than the record shows.
- Index
- 51.6
- Adj. margin
- 0.0
- Adj. yards
- +22
-
14—
CAR- Lost to the Cleveland Browns 18–21 on the road in Week 3.
- Holds at No. 14.
- Driven by an opponent-adjusted yardage margin of +16 yards per game.
- Held back by a 1–2 record.
- The yardage suggests better results than the record shows.
- Index
- 50.7
- Adj. margin
- 0.0
- Adj. yards
- +16
-
15—
DET- Beat the New York Jets 31–24 in Week 3.
- Holds at No. 15.
- Driven by a 2–1 record.
- Held back by an opponent-adjusted yardage margin of -14 yards per game.
- Index
- 49.6
- Adj. margin
- 0.0
- Adj. yards
- -14
-
16—
NYJ- Lost to the Detroit Lions 24–31 on the road in Week 3.
- Holds at No. 16.
- Driven by an opponent-adjusted yardage margin of +25 yards per game.
- Held back by an opponent-adjusted scoring margin of -1.2 points per game.
- The yardage suggests better results than the record shows.
- Index
- 49.3
- Adj. margin
- -1.2
- Adj. yards
- +25
-
17—
DEN- Beat the Los Angeles Rams 30–26 in Week 3.
- Holds at No. 17.
- Driven by a 2–1 record.
- Held back by an opponent-adjusted yardage margin of -36 yards per game.
- The results have outpaced the yardage, a gap the model treats as less durable.
- Index
- 46.7
- Adj. margin
- +0.2
- Adj. yards
- -36
-
18—
PIT- Lost to the Cleveland Browns 24–27 on the road in Week 4.
- Holds at No. 18.
- Held back by an opponent-adjusted scoring margin of -1.6 points per game.
- Index
- 45.6
- Adj. margin
- -1.6
- Adj. yards
- -5
-
19▲ 2
CLE- Beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 27–24 in Week 4.
- Up 2 from No. 21.
- Driven by a 3–1 record.
- Held back by an opponent-adjusted yardage margin of -34 yards per game.
- The results have outpaced the yardage, a gap the model treats as less durable.
- Index
- 45.3
- Adj. margin
- -1.1
- Adj. yards
- -34
-
20—
ATL- Beat the Green Bay Packers 35–14 on the road in Week 3.
- Holds at No. 20.
- Driven by an opponent-adjusted yardage margin of +15 yards per game.
- Held back by an opponent-adjusted scoring margin of -2.4 points per game.
- Index
- 45.2
- Adj. margin
- -2.4
- Adj. yards
- +15
-
21▲ 5
TB- Beat the Dallas Cowboys 24–16 on the road in Week 5.
- Up 5 from No. 26.
- Held back by a 1–3 record.
- Index
- 44.1
- Adj. margin
- -0.6
- Adj. yards
- -12
-
22—
PHI- Lost to the Chicago Bears 7–27 on the road in Week 3.
- Holds at No. 22.
- Driven by a 2–1 record.
- Held back by an opponent-adjusted scoring margin of -2.6 points per game.
- Index
- 44.1
- Adj. margin
- -2.6
- Adj. yards
- -12
-
23—
NYG- Beat the Tennessee Titans 12–7 in Week 3.
- Holds at No. 23.
- Driven by a 2–1 record.
- Held back by an opponent-adjusted scoring margin of -2.2 points per game.
- The results have outpaced the yardage, a gap the model treats as less durable.
- Index
- 43.5
- Adj. margin
- -2.2
- Adj. yards
- -22
-
24—
ARI- Lost to the San Francisco 49ers 30–36 on the road in Week 3.
- Holds at No. 24.
- Held back by an opponent-adjusted scoring margin of -1.7 points per game.
- Index
- 42.7
- Adj. margin
- -1.7
- Adj. yards
- -13
-
25▼ 6
DAL- Lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 16–24 in Week 5.
- Down 6 from No. 19.
- Held back by an opponent-adjusted yardage margin of -36 yards per game.
- Index
- 40.1
- Adj. margin
- -0.8
- Adj. yards
- -36
-
26▼ 1
WAS- Beat the Seattle Seahawks 33–31 in Week 3.
- Down 1 from No. 25.
- Held back by an opponent-adjusted scoring margin of -2.9 points per game.
- Index
- 38.8
- Adj. margin
- -2.9
- Adj. yards
- -21
-
27—
HOU- Lost to the Indianapolis Colts 17–19 on the road in Week 3.
- Holds at No. 27.
- Held back by an opponent-adjusted scoring margin of -3.2 points per game.
- Index
- 36.7
- Adj. margin
- -3.2
- Adj. yards
- -9
-
28—
IND- Beat the Houston Texans 19–17 in Week 3.
- Holds at No. 28.
- Held back by an opponent-adjusted yardage margin of -49 yards per game.
- Index
- 35.5
- Adj. margin
- -2.5
- Adj. yards
- -49
-
29—
GB- Lost to the Atlanta Falcons 14–35 in Week 3.
- Holds at No. 29.
- Held back by an opponent-adjusted scoring margin of -5.6 points per game.
- Index
- 34.0
- Adj. margin
- -5.6
- Adj. yards
- -12
-
30—
LAC- Lost to the Buffalo Bills 16–24 on the road in Week 3.
- Holds at No. 30.
- Held back by an opponent-adjusted scoring margin of -4.5 points per game.
- Index
- 32.0
- Adj. margin
- -4.5
- Adj. yards
- -21
-
31—
MIA- Lost to the Kansas City Chiefs 10–24 in Week 3.
- Holds at No. 31.
- Held back by an opponent-adjusted scoring margin of -5.5 points per game.
- Index
- 32.0
- Adj. margin
- -5.5
- Adj. yards
- -5
-
32—
TEN- Lost to the New York Giants 7–12 on the road in Week 3.
- Holds at No. 32.
- Held back by an opponent-adjusted scoring margin of -4.7 points per game.
- Index
- 29.6
- Adj. margin
- -4.7
- Adj. yards
- -34
How the WHYNFL Power Index works
The index ranks every team from verified completed regular-season games in the active data edition. It recalculates automatically whenever new results are published. No writer adjusts the order.
- Opponent-adjusted scoring margin — 50% of the index.
- Opponent-adjusted yardage margin — 30% of the index.
- Win percentage — 20% of the index.
Scoring and yardage margins are adjusted for the strength of each opponent. Single-game margins are capped at 21 points and 250 yards so one blowout does not dominate. Every team is also regressed toward league average by 3 average games, so early-season rankings stay cautious. Each component is standardized across the league before weighting; the index centers on 50.
There is no home-field adjustment, no injury or roster input and no betting-market input. The explanation for each team is generated from the same numbers shown here. This is a model of results to date, not a prediction or a betting recommendation.