Unexpected shootouts and disappointing key matchups were the storylines for Week 9 of the 2026 NFL season, with the BUF-BAL matchup failing to live up to the pre-game billing and the NYJ-LV, DAL-AZ, and CIN-TEN games putting up 213 total points between the three.
Check out ClutchPoints’ Week 9 NFL Power Rankings to see where your team lands.
1. Buffalo Bills (+1)
A 319-yard day from Josh Allen (289 passing) helped push the Buffalo Bills to a 36-10 win over the Baltimore Ravens. Allen connected with Dalton Kincaid and DJ Moore for touchdowns, with his connection to Moore breaking Jim Kelly’s franchise record for passing touchdowns, as the Bills find themselves atop the Week 9 NFL Power Rankings.
2. Minnesota Vikings (-1)
A stagnant showing from the offense handed the Minnesota Vikings their first loss of the 2026 NFL season, knocking them out of the top spot in ClutchPoints’ Week 9 NFL Power Rankings. A banged-up Kyler Murray connected with Justin Jefferson (on a spectacular touchdown) and T.J. Hockenson, but the offense was unable to string enough together in the second half, burying any chance of coming back.
3. Chicago Bears (Monday Night Football)
The Chicago Bears find themselves wrapping up the NFL slate in Week 8, as they travel west to face the Seattle Seahawks on Monday Night Football. A win would help keep pace with the Vikings in the NFC North, a win that the Bears need given how tough this division is shaping up.
4. Jacksonville Jaguars (no change)
A 42-7 romp over the hapless Indianapolis Colts made for quite the snooze-fest for the Jacksonville Jaguars. While Trevor Lawrence only needed to attempt 14 passes in the win, he still threw for three touchdowns, and a strong showing from Bhayshul Tuten (159 total yards, 2 total TDs) helped make things extremely easy for JAX.
5. San Francisco 49ers (Bye week)
Christian McCaffrey looks to be ready and available to play in Week 9 after suffering a hamstring strain in Week 7. Thankfully, a Week 8 bye comes at a great time for the San Francisco 49ers, giving them a chance to get healthy and bounce back from their first loss of the year.
6. Denver Broncos (+1)
The Denver Broncos remain undefeated at home after a goal-line stand won their Week 8 matchup over the Kansas City Chiefs, 28-24. Bo Nix threw touchdowns to Jaylen Waddle and Nate Adkins, and rookie running back Jonah Coleman found the end zone on one of his 11 carries for the game-winning score.
Standing tall at their own one-yard line was the culmination of a strong fourth quarter for the Broncos, as a 15-point showing was what gave the Broncos their sixth win on the year.
7. Detroit Lions (+1)
It was far from easy against the strong MIN defense, but the Detroit Lions and their 19-15 win over the Vikings tightened the screws even more in the NFC North. A 153-yard performance from Jahmyr Gibbs helped pace the Lions offense in the win, with touchdowns from Gibbs and Jameson Williams (4/70/1) driving the offense.
8. Kansas City Chiefs (-2)
Two consecutive road losses for the Chiefs drops KC a few spots in the Week 9 NFL Power Rankings, a surprising result especially after getting out to an undefeated start in their first five weeks. This loss to the Broncos, made possible by only putting up seven points in the second half, has knocked KC out of first place in the AFC West, putting them a half-game behind Denver.
9. Seattle Seahawks (Monday Night Football)
Fresh off an impressive home win over the Chiefs, the Seahawks are looking for their fifth win of the 2026 NFL season. Stopping the run will be key once again, as slowing down D’Andre Swift will be key to helping keep the CHI offense in check.
10. Pittsburgh Steelers (+3)
Good ol’ AFC North football went in favor of the Pittsburgh Steelers, as the run game and their defense stymied the Cleveland Browns in a 27-6 win. Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle combined for 199 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, and the Pittsburgh defense sacked Deshaun Watson eight times, as the Steelers now sit at 6-2, remain undefeated at home in four matchups, and move up to round out the top-10 of the Week 9 NFL Power Rankings.
11. Cincinnati Bengals (+1)
Led by a textbook Joe Burrow performance when they needed it the most, the Cincinnati Bengals find themselves at 5-2 after their 43-36 overtime win over the Tennessee Titans. A six-touchdown performance (five passing) from Burrow helped the Bengals come back from a 13-point, first-quarter deficit, as Burrow found Tee Higgins (x2), Ja’Marr Chase, Mike Gesicki, and Jack Endries for touchdowns.
12. New England Patriots (-1)
The New England Patriots were able to claw their way back after only putting up a field goal in the first half, as a 21-point second half was enough to earn a 24-19 win over the Miami Dolphins. Drake Maye threw touchdowns to DeMario Douglas and Kyle Williams, and Rhamondre Stevenson put up 90 total yards (82 rushing) in the win.
13. Green Bay Packers (+2)
The Green Bay Packers helped kick off Week 8 with a bang, as their home win over the Carolina Panthers helps elevate them to 5-3 on the season. Another strong showing from Jordan Love paved the way, as he threw for 288 yards and three touchdowns, while Christian Watson made headlines for his on-field performance (8 catches for 113 yards) and his off-field return from injury.
Christian Watson (chest) has returned to the stadium after a brief hospital visit https://t.co/5mt6efayQ8
— Underdog NFL (@UnderdogNFL) October 30, 2026
14. Cleveland Browns (-4)
With fumbles on back-to-back drives to open the game, plus only two field goals to speak for on offense, the Browns struggled mightily in their Week 8 loss to the Steelers. Watson and Harold Fannin lost fumbles to start the game, and four three-and-out drives speak to how much this CLE offense still needs to grow if they want to be competitive in the AFC this season.
15. Los Angeles Rams (+1)
After struggling to start the 2026 NFL season, the Los Angeles Rams now find themselves at .500 after a commanding 24-9 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. It wasn’t a stellar performance from the LAR offense by any means, but Matthew Stafford (157 passing yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) did enough for the Rams to earn their fourth win.
Blake Corum and Kyren Williams both ran for touchdowns in the win, with Puka Nacua (11/80) catching Stafford’s lone touchdown on the day. Defensively, the Rams racked up two sacks, two interceptions, and kept all major contributors for the Chargers in check.
16. Las Vegas Raiders (+4)
A three-touchdown showing from Kirk Cousins, two of which went to Brock Bowers, helped the Las Vegas Raiders get to .500 after their 38-33 shootout win over the New York Jets. Bowers caught seven passes for 92 yards and 2 touchdowns, as he was only one of four Raiders who caught a pass from Cousins in the win.
17. New York Giants (Bye Week)
The NFC East-leading New York Giants took Week 8 off, giving J.J. McCarthy an extra week to get more familiar with the playbook. While the QB spot is still up for grabs moving forward, McCarthy’s performance ever since he was traded to the Giants is making it tough to not go with him moving forward.
18. Baltimore Ravens (-4)
Now sitting at 4-4 after a Week 8 blowout loss, the Ravens have far more questions than answers moving forward. With Lamar Jackson suffering a first-quarter thumb injury and Tyler Huntley being forced out due to a toe injury, undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano was forced to step into action, and while he looked decent, he clearly showed that he is green around the gills.
The Ravens are still one of the better teams in the AFC and absolutely can compete, but they may need to make an external move for a QB if both Jackson and Huntley are forced to miss time.
19. Carolina Panthers (no change)
The Carolina offense has become too predictable as the season has gone on, and this makes things far more difficult for Bryce Young than it does for Chuba Hubbard and the run game. An eight-point loss in Lambeau on Thursday Night Football, on the surface, looks alright, but it wasn’t the type of showing that this Carolina team needs.
A heavy reliance on Hubbard (29 touches) is nothing new, but putting too much on Young’s shoulders (41 attempts), especially when playing comeback, is not a recipe for success for Carolina.
20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+5)
So here’s the deal – a 56-carry day for Tampa Bay in awful conditions is what makes the headlines, as they leaned on their run game to earn their first home win of the 2026 NFL season. What doesn’t make the headlines but is equally ‘impressive’ is the fact that Baker Mayfield completed zero passes in the win – yes, zero (on only four attempts).
Tampa Bay is still not a great team this year but has dug themselves out of the hole to now sit with three wins on the year, a far cry from where they should be but at least showing some promise.
21. Atlanta Falcons (-3)
There are no positives to take away from Atlanta’s disastrous Week 8 loss to the Buccaneers, outside of the fact that this game is now in the past. While the game was impacted by the Florida weather, Michael Penix Jr. throwing four interceptions and only completing eight passes to his own team is a far cry from what this offense needs.
The potential is there for Atlanta to be at least average, but they cannot string together consistent play, as they now find themselves at 3-5.
22. New Orleans Saints (Bye Week)
The New Orleans Saints have to figure it out sooner rather than later, as they still have a shot to contend in the dreadful NFC South race. The Tyler Shough-Chris Olave pairing continues to lead the offense, but the potential to have rookie wideout Jordyn Tyson make his NFL debut could be the spark plug addition that the NO offense needs.
23. Arizona Cardinals (+4)
Week 8 was a funny rollercoaster for the Cardinals, as a missed extra point with only seconds left in regulation sent the game to overtime, where kicker Chad Ryland redeemed himself with a game-winning field goal. Jacoby Brissett was pulled in favor of Gardner Minshew in the win, and all Minshew did in relief was lead four consecutive touchdown drives in the second half, helping turn things around and send the Cardinals their third win of the season.
Chad Ryland’s kick is good and the Cardinals defeat the Cowboys in OT! https://t.co/jNpfNFvn5q
— NFL (@NFL) November 1, 2026
24. Houston Texans (Bye Week)
Getting David Montgomery involved in the offense after the break should be top priority for the Houston Texans, as their run game has been atrocious so far this season. Montgomery, who hasn’t suited up since Week 5, is the best back that the Texans have and would add a much-needed jolt into the HOU offense.
Article Continues Below25. Dallas Cowboys (-4)
It sure does seem like the sky is falling in Arlington, as the Dallas Cowboys once again cannot get out of their own way. After holding a 14-point lead in each of the final three quarters, Dallas crumbled down the stretch, allowing Arizona to get back into the game, send it to overtime, and eventually win the game.
Don’t be surprised if talk about moving George Pickens or other pieces of this team starts to pick up, as they may want to get involved in what is expected to be a busy trade deadline.
26. Washington Commanders (+2)
A 17-point win for the Commanders was the result of two bad teams coming together and seeing which was less bad. For Washington, touchdowns from Rachaad White and Stefon Diggs, coupled with four field goals from rookie kicker Drew Stevens, were enough to earn their second win on the year. However, there are still plenty of issues to fix in Washington, as their Week 8 win is not really a sign of things permanently changing for the better.
27. Philadelphia Eagles (-4)
Things continue to get worse for the Philadelphia Eagles, as a 27-10 road loss to the equally bad Commanders was incredibly one-sided and not favoring Philly. Tanner McKee continues to look overmatched at QB, as his lack of mobility has forced this offense to restructure its available plays, and Saquon Barkley's injuries have made the run game inconsistent and hard to rely on.
All in all, not much can be expected from this Philly roster moving forward, especially with the offense struggling as much as it is on a weekly basis.
28. New York Jets (-2)
The Jets came out on the wrong side of a shootout in Week 8, as they dropped a five-point loss to the Raiders. Geno Smith threw for 290 yards, 2 touchdowns, and an interception, but the offense flowed through Braelon Allen, who ran for 147 yards and a score on 21 carries. Adonai Mitchell (7/142/1) and Garrett Wilson (6/83) led the way in the passing game, with Mitchell and Isaiah Williams catching TDs from Smith in the loss.
29. Indianapolis Colts (no change)
It is safe to say that the Colts have firmly entrenched themselves in the worst of the worst category this year, and things only continue to get worse. A 35-point shellacking at the hands of the Jaguars won’t do anything to help things, as the Indy offense barely mustered up 243 yards in the loss.
30. Tennessee Titans (+2)
An overtime loss, in what was a shootout, was probably the best that a loss could look for the Titans, and Cam Ward took a major step forward in what has been a struggle of the season so far.
Ward threw for 304 yards, the first time in his career that he has eclipsed the 300-yard mark and only the second time this season he has thrown for 200+ yards in a game, but the Titans were not able to mount a scoring drive in overtime, falling to 1-7 on the season.
31. Miami Dolphins (-1)
A strong first half, coupled with a six-point second half and a spirited effort in the fourth quarter that came up short, paints an unfortunate picture of how Week 8 went for the Dolphins. Fighting the rain in all four quarters, Miami leaned on Malik Willis (211 passing yards) and pass catchers Kevin Coleman Jr. (3/46/1) and Malik Washington (5/40/1).
32. Los Angeles Chargers (-1)
It is probably time for some major changes to happen to the Chargers, as an 0-7 start should trigger the organization to do something. A 15-point loss to the Rams, in which they still did not score an offensive touchdown, was another disaster, as the offense continues to be clunky.
But it does not sound as if things are changing for the offense, as not having scored an offensive touchdown in four games isn’t enough of a warning sign to make a change at offensive playcaller. The Chargers find themselves in the basement of ClutchPoints' Week 9 NFL Power Rankings after yet another loss.