There’s a new number one in my NFL power ratings! San Francisco moves ahead of Kansas City after Week 4, with Denver, Jacksonville and Minnesota completing the top five. The 49ers, Chiefs and Vikings are the three remaining unbeaten teams at 4–0.
Like last week’s post, this overview includes the full power rankings, the Elo top 10 and quick top-five looks at wins above average, team offense, team defense, quarterbacks and skill players. These tables preserve the Week 4 snapshot from my October 6 ratings update; the linked ratings pages will continue to update during the season.
Power Ratings
San Francisco takes first at 112.234 after beating Denver 24–14, improving to 4–0 with a 122–64 scoring advantage. Kansas City also stays unbeaten after a 30–27 win over Las Vegas, but slips to second at 111.102.
Denver remains third despite falling to 2–2 and being outscored 94–74. The Broncos have played the second-toughest schedule in these ratings, which continues to give their record important context. Jacksonville holds fourth, while Minnesota moves up from sixth to fifth after allowing just 51 points through four games.
| Rank | Team | Won | Lost | Tied | PF | PA | Rating | SOS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  SAN FRANCISCO |
4 | 0 | 0 | 122 | 64 | 112.234 | 101.913 |
| 2 |  KANSAS CITY |
4 | 0 | 0 | 118 | 77 | 111.102 | 102.622 |
| 3 |  DENVER |
2 | 2 | 0 | 74 | 94 | 108.131 | 108.826 |
| 4 |  JACKSONVILLE |
3 | 1 | 0 | 104 | 53 | 107.470 | 102.949 |
| 5 |  MINNESOTA |
4 | 0 | 0 | 86 | 51 | 107.386 | 99.117 |
| 6 |  CHICAGO |
3 | 1 | 0 | 112 | 65 | 105.016 | 100.296 |
| 7 |  LAS VEGAS |
3 | 1 | 0 | 115 | 84 | 104.670 | 99.842 |
| 8 |  LA RAMS |
2 | 2 | 0 | 85 | 83 | 104.499 | 104.484 |
| 9 |  CLEVELAND |
3 | 1 | 0 | 81 | 95 | 103.489 | 101.094 |
| 10 |  CAROLINA |
2 | 2 | 0 | 121 | 109 | 101.986 | 101.293 |
| 11 |  NEW ENGLAND |
2 | 2 | 0 | 65 | 77 | 101.186 | 101.680 |
| 12 |  PITTSBURGH |
2 | 2 | 0 | 77 | 87 | 100.086 | 100.602 |
| 13 |  NY GIANTS |
3 | 1 | 0 | 82 | 79 | 99.861 | 96.751 |
| 14 |  SEATTLE |
3 | 1 | 0 | 105 | 73 | 99.809 | 95.812 |
| 15 |  MIAMI |
0 | 4 | 0 | 46 | 101 | 99.438 | 108.848 |
| 16 |  BUFFALO |
3 | 1 | 0 | 127 | 107 | 99.355 | 95.737 |
| 17 |  CINCINNATI |
2 | 2 | 0 | 97 | 85 | 98.991 | 98.577 |
| 18 |  ATLANTA |
2 | 2 | 0 | 96 | 92 | 98.740 | 99.041 |
| 19 |  BALTIMORE |
3 | 1 | 0 | 116 | 96 | 98.737 | 95.520 |
| 20 |  INDIANAPOLIS |
2 | 2 | 0 | 102 | 104 | 98.247 | 99.080 |
| 21 |  DETROIT |
2 | 2 | 0 | 119 | 127 | 97.926 | 98.089 |
| 22 |  PHILADELPHIA |
2 | 2 | 0 | 75 | 93 | 97.708 | 98.614 |
| 23 |  GREEN BAY |
2 | 2 | 0 | 73 | 105 | 97.180 | 98.765 |
| 24 |  NEW ORLEANS |
1 | 3 | 0 | 105 | 128 | 96.911 | 100.018 |
| 25 |  DALLAS |
2 | 2 | 0 | 122 | 112 | 96.543 | 96.270 |
| 26 |  ARIZONA |
1 | 3 | 0 | 87 | 117 | 95.583 | 100.955 |
| 27 |  TAMPA BAY |
0 | 4 | 0 | 76 | 96 | 94.832 | 101.762 |
| 28 |  WASHINGTON |
1 | 3 | 0 | 88 | 122 | 94.563 | 98.077 |
| 29 |  NY JETS |
1 | 3 | 0 | 76 | 84 | 94.103 | 97.626 |
| 30 |  HOUSTON |
0 | 4 | 0 | 84 | 109 | 91.921 | 98.284 |
| 31 |  LA CHARGERS |
0 | 4 | 0 | 67 | 106 | 91.916 | 99.854 |
| 32 |  TENNESSEE |
0 | 4 | 0 | 55 | 83 | 90.380 | 97.602 |
Carolina climbs eight places, from 18th to 10th, after a 32–26 win over Detroit. Atlanta gains ten spots, moving from 28th to 18th after beating New Orleans 45–24. Buffalo falls from ninth to 16th, and Detroit drops from 11th to 21st.
Elo Ratings Top 10
Seattle stays first in Elo at 1625.919, followed by Jacksonville and San Francisco. New England moves into fourth, just ahead of Buffalo. Kansas City enters the top 10.
Seattle is 14th in power but first in Elo. As I noted last week, Elo carries forward from the previous season, so it brings a longer history into the rankings than the current-season power ratings.
| Rank | Team | Record | Elo |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SEATTLE |
3–1 | 1625.919 |
| 2 | JACKSONVILLE |
3–1 | 1583.244 |
| 3 | SAN FRANCISCO |
4–0 | 1577.046 |
| 4 | NEW ENGLAND |
2–2 | 1569.116 |
| 5 | BUFFALO |
3–1 | 1566.927 |
| 6 | LA RAMS |
2–2 | 1566.406 |
| 7 | CHICAGO |
3–1 | 1545.876 |
| 8 | MINNESOTA |
4–0 | 1543.654 |
| 9 | DENVER |
2–2 | 1539.973 |
| 10 | KANSAS CITY |
4–0 | 1527.519 |
Wins Above Average Top 5
Wins above average compares actual wins with the wins a league-average team would be expected to earn against the same opponents. These rankings use the version with home-field advantage included.
Kansas City remains first at +2.466, ahead of San Francisco at +2.295. Minnesota moves into third, followed by Jacksonville and Denver. An average team would be expected to win only 0.590 games against Denver’s schedule; the Broncos’ two wins still put them fifth here despite their .500 record.
| Rank | Team | Wins | Expected Wins (HFA) | WAA (HFA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | KANSAS CITY |
4.0 | 1.534 | 2.466 |
| 2 | SAN FRANCISCO |
4.0 | 1.705 | 2.295 |
| 3 | MINNESOTA |
4.0 | 2.182 | 1.818 |
| 4 | JACKSONVILLE |
3.0 | 1.467 | 1.533 |
| 5 | DENVER |
2.0 | 0.590 | 1.410 |
Full wins above average rankings
Team Offense Top 5
Scoring Average
Buffalo still leads in points per game at 31.75. San Francisco and Dallas share second at 30.50, followed by Carolina and Detroit. Scoring average is total points scored divided by games played, without an opponent adjustment.
| Rank | Team | Points Per Game |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BUF |
31.75 |
| T2 | SF |
30.50 |
| T2 | DAL |
30.50 |
| 4 | CAR |
30.25 |
| 5 | DET |
29.75 |
Adjusted Scoring
Chicago takes over first in adjusted scoring at +9.25, just ahead of Carolina at +8.75. San Francisco stays third, while Buffalo and Kansas City share a displayed rating of +7.42.
Adjusted scoring measures production relative to the defenses each team has faced. Chicago’s +9.25 means scoring 9.25 points per game above its opponents’ defensive benchmark. Higher values are better.
| Rank | Team | Points Per Game | Adjusted Scoring |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CHI |
28.00 | +9.25 |
| 2 | CAR |
30.25 | +8.75 |
| 3 | SF |
30.50 | +7.75 |
| 4 | BUF |
31.75 | +7.42 |
| 5 | KC |
29.50 | +7.42 |
Team Defense Top 5
Scoring Average Allowed
Minnesota takes the lead in fewest points allowed per game at 12.75, with Jacksonville close behind at 13.25. San Francisco, Chicago and Seattle round out the top five. Lower averages are better here.
| Rank | Team | Points Allowed Per Game |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MIN |
12.75 |
| 2 | JAX |
13.25 |
| 3 | SF |
16.00 |
| 4 | CHI |
16.25 |
| 5 | SEA |
18.25 |
Adjusted Scoring
Jacksonville moves to the top of the adjusted defense ratings, sharing a displayed +8.75 with New England. Minnesota is third at +8.58, followed by Chicago and Denver.
On defense, positive adjusted scoring means holding opponents below their usual scoring output. The sign is reversed from points allowed, so higher adjusted ratings are better. Jacksonville’s +8.75 represents holding opponents 8.75 points per game below their scoring benchmark.
| Rank | Team | Points Allowed Per Game | Adjusted Scoring |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | JAX |
13.25 | +8.75 |
| 2 | NE |
19.25 | +8.75 |
| 3 | MIN |
12.75 | +8.58 |
| 4 | CHI |
16.25 | +8.17 |
| 5 | DEN |
23.50 | +4.42 |
For a visual comparison of all 32 teams, see my NFL offense and defense charts, which update alongside the ratings.
Quarterback Ratings Top 5
Brock Purdy remains first in my Quarterback Efficiency Ratings (QER), improving from 99.5 to 99.9. He has 1,007 passing yards, 11 touchdown passes and one interception through four games. Lamar Jackson and Jared Goff hold second and third, while Bryce Young moves into fourth ahead of Josh Allen.
QER combines passing efficiency and production with a bonus for qualifying rushing performance. The current minimum is 56 pass attempts.
| Rank | Quarterback | Team | QER | Pass Yards | Pass TD | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brock Purdy | |
99.9 | 1007 | 11 | 1 |
| 2 | Lamar Jackson | |
93.2 | 967 | 6 | 1 |
| 3 | Jared Goff | |
84.6 | 1214 | 9 | 0 |
| 4 | Bryce Young | |
77.7 | 1268 | 9 | 2 |
| 5 | Josh Allen | |
77.6 | 1039 | 6 | 3 |
Full quarterback ratings and methodology
Skill Player Ratings Top 5
My Scrimmage Performance Ratings (SPR) compare players within their positions using production, per-game output, efficiency and ball security. Each position gets its own top five.
Kenneth Walker III overtakes Jahmyr Gibbs among running backs, with 621 scrimmage yards, six touchdowns and a 93.1 SPR. Jaxon Smith-Njigba remains first among receivers, while CeeDee Lamb climbs from fourth to second. George Kittle moves from third to first among tight ends with 244 scrimmage yards and four touchdowns.
Running Backs
| Rank | Player | Team | Scrimmage Yards | TD | SPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kenneth Walker III | |
621 | 6 | 93.1 |
| 2 | Jahmyr Gibbs | |
540 | 7 | 89.0 |
| 3 | Bijan Robinson | |
614 | 5 | 86.4 |
| 4 | Derrick Henry | |
418 | 7 | 73.0 |
| 5 | Kyren Williams | |
467 | 4 | 70.7 |
Wide Receivers
| Rank | Player | Team | Scrimmage Yards | TD | SPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jaxon Smith-Njigba | |
481 | 6 | 92.8 |
| 2 | CeeDee Lamb | |
492 | 4 | 86.3 |
| 3 | Chris Olave | |
491 | 1 | 76.3 |
| 4 | Zay Flowers | |
372 | 2 | 70.3 |
| 5 | Christian Watson | |
331 | 4 | 66.3 |
Tight Ends
| Rank | Player | Team | Scrimmage Yards | TD | SPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | George Kittle | |
244 | 4 | 83.0 |
| 2 | Brock Bowers | |
202 | 2 | 79.6 |
| 3 | Travis Kelce | |
246 | 2 | 75.6 |
| 4 | Juwan Johnson | |
232 | 3 | 74.4 |
| 5 | Dalton Kincaid | |
270 | 1 | 70.4 |
Full skill player ratings and methodology
Strength of Schedule
Miami and Denver have played the two toughest schedules in my power ratings, with SOS ratings of 108.848 and 108.826. The Rams, Jacksonville and Kansas City complete the top five.
Baltimore has played the easiest schedule so far, followed by Buffalo, Seattle, Dallas and the Giants. These ratings describe games already played, not the remaining schedule. Four games still leave plenty of room for movement as we learn more about each opponent.
All of the team and player rankings are available on the 2026 NFL rankings page.