San Francisco stays on top of my NFL power ratings after Week 5, but Kansas City is right behind. Minnesota moves into third, with Jacksonville and Denver completing the top five. The 49ers and Vikings are 5–0, while the Chiefs remain unbeaten 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 5 snapshot from my corrected October 13 ratings update; the linked ratings pages will continue to update during the season.
Power Ratings
San Francisco holds first at 108.339, just 0.176 ahead of Kansas City at 108.163. The 49ers have outscored their opponents 154–93 through five games. Minnesota climbs from fifth to third at 106.946, with only 64 points allowed in its 5–0 start.
Jacksonville stays fourth at 106.373. Denver drops from third to fifth despite improving to 3–2; the Broncos still have the second-toughest schedule in these ratings.
| Rank | Team | Won | Lost | Tied | PF | PA | Rating | SOS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  SAN FRANCISCO |
5 | 0 | 0 | 154 | 93 | 108.339 | 99.660 |
| 2 |  KANSAS CITY |
4 | 0 | 0 | 118 | 77 | 108.163 | 100.116 |
| 3 |  MINNESOTA |
5 | 0 | 0 | 109 | 64 | 106.946 | 99.290 |
| 4 |  JACKSONVILLE |
4 | 1 | 0 | 123 | 70 | 106.373 | 101.638 |
| 5 |  DENVER |
3 | 2 | 0 | 97 | 111 | 104.699 | 103.432 |
| 6 |  NEW ENGLAND |
3 | 2 | 0 | 110 | 94 | 103.970 | 102.698 |
| 7 |  BUFFALO |
4 | 1 | 0 | 164 | 141 | 102.753 | 98.570 |
| 8 |  CHICAGO |
3 | 2 | 0 | 119 | 96 | 102.563 | 101.242 |
| 9 |  GREEN BAY |
3 | 2 | 0 | 104 | 112 | 101.978 | 101.086 |
| 10 |  PITTSBURGH |
3 | 2 | 0 | 111 | 109 | 101.679 | 100.817 |
| 11 |  CAROLINA |
2 | 2 | 0 | 121 | 109 | 101.633 | 100.997 |
| 12 |  CLEVELAND |
3 | 2 | 0 | 93 | 112 | 101.608 | 101.250 |
| 13 |  SEATTLE |
3 | 2 | 0 | 134 | 105 | 101.395 | 99.159 |
| 14 |  LAS VEGAS |
3 | 2 | 0 | 132 | 129 | 101.290 | 99.881 |
| 15 |  LA RAMS |
2 | 3 | 0 | 119 | 120 | 101.001 | 102.095 |
| 16 |  CINCINNATI |
3 | 2 | 0 | 128 | 109 | 100.906 | 99.269 |
| 17 |  DETROIT |
3 | 2 | 0 | 164 | 148 | 100.458 | 99.152 |
| 18 |  BALTIMORE |
4 | 1 | 0 | 146 | 119 | 100.130 | 96.193 |
| 19 |  ATLANTA |
2 | 3 | 0 | 119 | 122 | 99.357 | 100.635 |
| 20 |  NY JETS |
2 | 3 | 0 | 93 | 96 | 98.646 | 99.237 |
| 21 |  INDIANAPOLIS |
2 | 3 | 0 | 124 | 138 | 98.242 | 99.869 |
| 22 |  TAMPA BAY |
1 | 4 | 0 | 100 | 112 | 97.919 | 101.495 |
| 23 |  NEW ORLEANS |
1 | 4 | 0 | 118 | 151 | 97.754 | 101.636 |
| 24 |  NY GIANTS |
3 | 1 | 1 | 109 | 106 | 97.678 | 95.363 |
| 25 |  PHILADELPHIA |
2 | 3 | 0 | 92 | 112 | 97.007 | 98.949 |
| 26 |  MIAMI |
0 | 5 | 0 | 70 | 132 | 96.233 | 105.129 |
| 27 |  DALLAS |
2 | 3 | 0 | 138 | 136 | 96.035 | 97.020 |
| 28 |  WASHINGTON |
1 | 3 | 1 | 115 | 149 | 95.233 | 98.071 |
| 29 |  ARIZONA |
1 | 4 | 0 | 108 | 162 | 94.972 | 100.231 |
| 30 |  HOUSTON |
1 | 4 | 0 | 110 | 112 | 94.138 | 97.502 |
| 31 |  LA CHARGERS |
0 | 5 | 0 | 84 | 129 | 93.284 | 101.022 |
| 32 |  TENNESSEE |
0 | 5 | 0 | 58 | 109 | 89.576 | 97.520 |
Green Bay makes the biggest climb, jumping 14 places from 23rd to ninth. Buffalo rises from 16th to seventh, and New England moves from 11th to sixth. Miami falls from 15th to 26th, while the Giants drop from 13th to 24th with a 3–1–1 record.
Elo Ratings Top 10
Seattle remains first in Elo at 1618.259, followed by Jacksonville and San Francisco. New England and Buffalo complete the top five. Houston and Baltimore enter the top 10, while Chicago and Kansas City drop out.
Seattle is 13th in power but first in Elo. 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 |
3–2 | 1618.259 |
| 2 | JACKSONVILLE |
4–1 | 1586.779 |
| 3 | SAN FRANCISCO |
5–0 | 1584.706 |
| 4 | NEW ENGLAND |
3–2 | 1578.885 |
| 5 | BUFFALO |
4–1 | 1573.540 |
| 6 | LA RAMS |
2–3 | 1559.792 |
| 7 | MINNESOTA |
5–0 | 1552.413 |
| 8 | DENVER |
3–2 | 1547.212 |
| 9 | HOUSTON |
1–4 | 1535.197 |
| 10 | BALTIMORE |
4–1 | 1531.679 |
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. Ties count as half a win. These rankings use the version with home-field advantage included.
Minnesota takes first at +2.354, narrowly ahead of San Francisco at +2.346. Kansas City slips to third, followed by Jacksonville and Denver. An average team would be expected to win 1.763 games against Denver’s schedule; the Broncos’ three wins put them fifth here.
| Rank | Team | Wins | Expected Wins (HFA) | WAA (HFA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MINNESOTA |
5.0 | 2.646 | 2.354 |
| 2 | SAN FRANCISCO |
5.0 | 2.654 | 2.346 |
| 3 | KANSAS CITY |
4.0 | 1.991 | 2.009 |
| 4 | JACKSONVILLE |
4.0 | 2.121 | 1.879 |
| 5 | DENVER |
3.0 | 1.763 | 1.237 |
Full wins above average rankings
Team Offense Top 5
Scoring Average
Buffalo and Detroit share the scoring lead at 32.80 points per game. San Francisco is third at 30.80, followed by Carolina and Kansas City. Scoring average is total points scored divided by games played, without an opponent adjustment.
| Rank | Team | Points Per Game |
|---|---|---|
| T1 | BUF |
32.80 |
| T1 | DET |
32.80 |
| 3 | SF |
30.80 |
| 4 | CAR |
30.25 |
| 5 | KC |
29.50 |
Adjusted Scoring
Buffalo takes over first in adjusted scoring at +10.85, ahead of Carolina and San Francisco. Detroit and Cincinnati complete the top five. Chicago, last week’s leader, falls to eighth.
Adjusted scoring measures production relative to the defenses each team has faced. Buffalo’s +10.85 means scoring 10.85 points per game above its opponents’ defensive benchmark. Higher values are better.
| Rank | Team | Points Per Game | Adjusted Scoring |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BUF |
32.80 | +10.85 |
| 2 | CAR |
30.25 | +7.94 |
| 3 | SF |
30.80 | +7.00 |
| 4 | DET |
32.80 | +6.67 |
| 5 | CIN |
25.60 | +5.25 |
Team Defense Top 5
Scoring Average Allowed
Minnesota continues to allow the fewest points per game at 12.80, followed by Jacksonville at 14.00. San Francisco and New England are next. Chicago and the Jets tie for fifth at 19.20, so both are included below. Lower averages are better here.
| Rank | Team | Points Allowed Per Game |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MIN |
12.80 |
| 2 | JAX |
14.00 |
| 3 | SF |
18.60 |
| 4 | NE |
18.80 |
| T5 | CHI |
19.20 |
| T5 | NYJ |
19.20 |
Adjusted Scoring
New England moves into first in adjusted defense at +9.70, just ahead of Minnesota at +9.55. Jacksonville is third, followed by Denver and Chicago.
On defense, positive adjusted scoring means holding opponents below their usual scoring output. Higher adjusted ratings are better. New England’s +9.70 represents holding opponents 9.70 points per game below their scoring benchmark.
| Rank | Team | Points Allowed Per Game | Adjusted Scoring |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NE |
18.80 | +9.70 |
| 2 | MIN |
12.80 | +9.55 |
| 3 | JAX |
14.00 | +8.50 |
| 4 | DEN |
22.20 | +3.60 |
| 5 | CHI |
19.20 | +3.35 |
Quarterback Ratings Top 5
Brock Purdy remains first in my Quarterback Efficiency Ratings (QER) at 94.9, with 1,196 passing yards, 13 touchdown passes and two interceptions. Lamar Jackson and Jared Goff stay second and third. Joe Burrow moves into fourth, while Josh Allen holds fifth and Bryce Young falls to sixth.
QER combines passing efficiency and production with a bonus for qualifying rushing performance. The current minimum is 70 pass attempts.
| Rank | Quarterback | Team | QER | Pass Yards | Pass TD | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brock Purdy | |
94.9 | 1196 | 13 | 2 |
| 2 | Lamar Jackson | |
88.5 | 967 | 6 | 1 |
| 3 | Jared Goff | |
86.0 | 1485 | 12 | 0 |
| 4 | Joe Burrow | |
78.0 | 1361 | 11 | 3 |
| 5 | Josh Allen | |
74.6 | 1249 | 7 | 4 |
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.
Jahmyr Gibbs retakes first among running backs with 747 scrimmage yards, nine touchdowns and a 96.4 SPR. Jaxon Smith-Njigba stays first among receivers at 96.8, while Christian Watson climbs from fifth to second. Brock Bowers moves ahead of George Kittle among tight ends, with Sam LaPorta taking second.
Running Backs
| Rank | Player | Team | Scrimmage Yards | TD | SPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jahmyr Gibbs | |
747 | 9 | 96.4 |
| 2 | Kenneth Walker III | |
621 | 6 | 82.3 |
| 3 | Bijan Robinson | |
732 | 5 | 81.2 |
| 4 | Derrick Henry | |
538 | 8 | 72.2 |
| 5 | Kyren Williams | |
543 | 5 | 68.0 |
Wide Receivers
| Rank | Player | Team | Scrimmage Yards | TD | SPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jaxon Smith-Njigba | |
599 | 7 | 96.8 |
| 2 | Christian Watson | |
474 | 6 | 78.3 |
| 3 | CeeDee Lamb | |
501 | 4 | 75.1 |
| 4 | Chris Olave | |
537 | 1 | 72.0 |
| 5 | Davante Adams | |
441 | 4 | 69.9 |
Tight Ends
| Rank | Player | Team | Scrimmage Yards | TD | SPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brock Bowers | |
312 | 3 | 90.2 |
| 2 | Sam LaPorta | |
316 | 3 | 79.8 |
| 3 | George Kittle | |
268 | 4 | 76.3 |
| 4 | Isaiah Likely | |
284 | 4 | 76.2 |
| 5 | Trey McBride | |
308 | 3 | 72.6 |
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 105.129 and 103.432. New England, the Rams and Jacksonville complete the top five.
The Giants have played the easiest schedule so far, followed by Baltimore, Dallas, Houston and Tennessee. These ratings describe games already played, not the remaining schedule. Five weeks 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.