The first month of the NFL season is already in the books, and just as we expected coming into this season, the NFC is absolutely loaded.
The NFC boasts the reigning Super Bowl champions, one division which had three teams with 12 or more wins last season (NFC West), including the two teams that represented in the Conference Championship Game. It also boasts a division which didn't have a single losing record last season, and some of the best quarterback play in the league across the board.
Needless to say, competition for every division early in the 2026 season has been intense, but just how good has each division been so far? Now that the month of September is coming to a close, we're going to rank every NFC division from worst to best as we get into the month of October.
NFL Power Rankings: Every NFC division ranked worst to best ahead of Week 4
4. NFC South
- Atlanta Falcons (1-2)
- Carolina Panthers (1-2)
- New Orleans Saints (1-2)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-3)
On a given week, it's hard to know if these NFC South teams are going to give us an entertaining outburst of great offense or if we're going to see one of the ugliest games of the week.
These four teams are all equally capable of looking like Division Title contenders as well as #1 overall pick contenders, depending on which way the wind blows.
I have no idea what to make of this division yet, although my heart is saying to keep buying stock in the New Orleans Saints.
The Buccaneers are going to be without Baker Mayfield for a bit, and with an 0-3 record to start the season, that's bad news.
The Falcons got an impressive win to start Week 3 against the Packers, but how sustainable will that be?
3. NFC East
- Philadelphia Eagles (2-1)
- New York Giants (2-1)
- Dallas Cowboys (1-2)
- Washington Commanders (1-2)
So far this season, the NFC East has been the most underwhelming division in football, but they just barely escaped ranking last on this list.
The Philadelphia Eagles are 2-1, but it's one of the most uninspiring 2-1 starts I can recall seeing. Their offense is anemic once again and they were embarrassing on Monday against the Chicago Bears.
The Giants are a surprising 2-1 team, but they didn't exactly light it up this past weekend in their first full game without Jaxson Dart in the lineup. It's hard to put too much faith in that team without Dart for the remainder of the season, but John Harbaugh is raising the floor of that team as we speak.
The Cowboys once again have one of the best offenses in the NFL, and once again have one of the worst defenses in the NFL. Stop me if you've heard that one before.
The Commanders are dealing with life without Jayden Daniels after a gruesome dislocated elbow injury, but Marcus Mariota led them to an impressive first win of the season against the Seahawks in Week 3.
2. NFC North
- Minnesota Vikings (3-0)
- Chicago Bears (2-1)
- Detroit Lions (2-1)
- Green Bay Packers (1-2)
Last season, nobody in the NFC North had a losing record, and it's looking like we might have a similar scenario once again in 2026.
The Minnesota Vikings currently lead the division with a 3-0 record despite having to turn to backup QB Carson Wentz in the middle of their first game of the season. The Brian Flores defense has been aggressive and downright dominant so far this season.
The Bears are also dealing with an injury to starting QB Caleb Williams, but the Ben Johnson offense looks like you and I might be able to go out there and put up 20 points running it. Case Keenum operated the gameplan to perfection on Monday night and the Bears absolutely gashed the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Lions are capable of scoring 30-plus points every single game, but they might give up 31 or 32. They have one of the worst defenses in the NFL, and you can't help but wonder when that's going to catch up to them.
The Packers had Super Bowl aspirations coming into this season, even with Micah Parsons on the mend, but their offensive line and running game have been so bad, expectations might have to be reset.
1. NFC West
- San Francisco 49ers (3-0)
- Seattle Seahawks (2-1)
- Los Angeles Rams (1-2)
- Arizona Cardinals (1-2)
Even though there is a one-win difference between the NFC West and the NFC North, this is still the premier division in the NFC right now, maybe in all of football.
The NFC West had three teams with 12 or more wins last season, and they all look like they're going to be right in the thick of things when the season ends once again.
All of the top teams in this division have been dealing with major injuries to start the season, and all of them have still looked elite despite those injuries. The Rams being 1-2 is probably one of the biggest shockers around the NFL so far this season, but their losses are against the 49ers and Denver Broncos, so you can't hold it against them too much.
The Seahawks are fresh off their first loss of the season as well, and their running game is cause for some concern at the moment.
Arizona has been more competitive than expected in two of their three games, including an upset win over the Chargers in Week 1. This division is going to be tough all year.
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