The NFC looked like the elite conference between the two for the first half of the season, and then Week 9 had a lot of narratives crumbling to the ground like a game of Jenga. Some of the top teams in the NFC were absolutely shocked in Week 9, while others are moving up this week's NFL Power Rankings by virtue of simply being off.
The Los Angeles Rams are on the rise. The Lions and Packers are taking a bit of a tumble after shocking results this past week. Meanwhile, the Eagles and Buccaneers sat back and just awkwardly watched the family members fight.
Our weekly NFC power rankings will take a look at the wild action of Week 9 and rank each team based on record, head-to-head matchups, how well each team has played (and looked) over the course of the season, and a few other minor criteria.
NFL Power Rankings, Week 10: Rams rise to top of NFC, Lions & Packers falling
16. New Orleans Saints
I don't think we can call what the New Orleans Saints did at the NFL trade deadline a "fire sale" by any stretch, but this team obviously had aims on the future by adding a couple of draft picks for Rashid Shaheed. After making the switch to quarterback Tyler Shough, the Saints have their eyes firmly fixed on the future, which currently would include the #1 overall pick in next year's draft.
And Shough has the next couple of months to make his case for a future starting job, whether that's in New Orleans or somewhere else. Everyone's assumption right now is that they'll start fresh at that position.
15. New York Giants
There's no doubt that the New York Giants have their future quarterback in place at this point, but the unfortunate reality for this Giants team is that injuries have ruined the immediate excitement of Jaxson Dart, at least to a degree. No Malik Nabers, no Cam Skattebo, and therefore not the clearest picture of the future.
The Giants definitely have pieces in place. Jaxson Dart has likely saved some jobs. There's every reason to be excited for the future, for the first time in a while, if you're a Giants fan. We'll see what pieces they can add in the 2026 offseason to truly make a push in the NFC East next year.
14. Washington Commanders
The Washington Commanders can't keep everyone on the field this season, and all of a sudden, this team that was so incredible and fun to watch in 2024, making it all the way to the NFC Championship, has become borderline unwatchable.
The Commanders are once again going to be without Jayden Daniels for an extended period of time. Daniels got hurt in the Commanders' ugly loss against the Seattle Seahawks. Even though we've seen Marcus Mariota hold down the fort at times for this team, it just doesn't feel like even the postseason is in the cards.
At this point, maybe the best thing you can hope for is for Jayden Daniels to head into the offseason fully healthy.
13. Atlanta Falcons
At the halfway point of the season, I don't think there's any way you can realistically sit there and say you're "buying" what the Falcons are selling. Right? The Falcons obviously have some elite playmakers on offense. Their defense has stepped up this season, at least in comparison to last year. But the problem is, this team is still falling short, and they've left so many of us confused.
One week, the Falcons look like an elite team and a dangerous threat in the NFC. The next week, they're either blowing a lead or getting blown out. At 3-5, the Falcons are pretty clearly the 3rd-best team in the NFC South, and that's probably not changing this season.
This team has some fun pieces, but they might not be part of the right puzzle in Atlanta.
12. Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are getting carried pretty heavily in this ranking by their acquisitions at the NFL trade deadline, which are unquestionably fun. The rule this season had previously been that the Cowboys were virtually unbeatable at home, scoring over 40 points per home game and looking like a contender in the NFC.
That theory was busted by the Arizona Cardinals and Jacoby Brissett on Monday night. We need to see the Cowboys' defense do something, really anything, before we're going to start buying this team at all in 2025. Quinnen Williams and Logan Wilson to the rescue? We'll see how quickly those two guys can bring a much-needed presence.
After playing the Raiders next week, the Cowboys will then face a gauntlet of the Eagles, Chiefs, and Lions.
11. Arizona Cardinals
If the Cardinals were hanging on by a thread before their bye week, an impressive win on the road against the Dallas Cowboys on Monday night may have given them another jolt of new life. The Cardinals have now named Jacoby Brissett their starting quarterback for the time being, which is the right call to make. You can't bench a guy who is playing well above what Kyler Murray was bringing to the table.
This is the right call by Jonathan Gannon, even if it has longer-term implications for the team. The Cardinals don't have time to play around and Brissett gives them the best chance to win.
10. Minnesota Vikings
Just when we thought the Minnesota Vikings could be done, they go ahead and get an absolutely signature win and revive hope in a big way. With JJ McCarthy making his return to the field, the odds were very much stacked against the Vikings. They had to go on the road against the Detroit Lions, who were coming off of their bye week, and somehow keep their season alive.
And they found a way to do it. McCarthy posted almost the exact same stat line that we saw from him in his first start of the season, and the Vikings found a way. Even though they're in last place in the NFC North, you can't help but feel like a Kevin O'Connell-coached team is going to stay in the mix.
9. Carolina Panthers
The Panthers have been one of the most fun teams in the NFL to watch develop this season. They've obviously taken another step forward as a franchise (as long as Andy Dalton never steps foot on the field for them again this season) and they've done it in a variety of ways.
Rico Dowdle was a phenomenal addition to this offense. The defense under Ejiro Evero has been so much better this season, and this team is playing some complementary football. The results have been there, and at 5-4, the Panthers are looking like a Wild Card threat at the very least.
8. Chicago Bears
If there's one team you look at right now and you feel like they might be pulling the wool over your eyes, it's the Chicago Bears. Coming off of their bye week, we saw the Bears' offense go out and win a shootout against the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Bengals obviously don't have an elite defense, but you can't knock a team for getting the win that's been put in front of them. The Bears are 5-3 right now, and with Detroit and Green Bay also losing this past week, they've got a shot to make a little run here.
The issue facing the Bears right now is whether that defense is going to hold up down the stretch after all the yards and points we saw them give up against the Bengals. It wasn't the first time this season that they've been absolutely blown away.
7. San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers have battled through one injury after another, and they haven't been minor ones. They are missing their highest-paid players on both sides of the ball as well as their top playmakers on offense, and that's on top of key offseason departures like Deebo Samuel, Dre Greenlaw, Talanoa Hufanga, and many others.
The 49ers have been fantastic if we're grading on a curve, but with six wins in their first nine games, I think it's safe to say Kyle Shanahan is a viable NFL coach of the year candidate. This team has not only stayed afloat, they are in contention in the best division in football.
While the job the 49ers have done over the past couple of months is admirable, this is a team that just feels like you're waiting for the clock to strike midnight.
6. Detroit Lions
If you look at the whole of the Detroit Lions season, you see a team that -- at times -- has been arguably the most dominant out of all teams in the NFL. When the Lions have played at their best in all phases, it's hard to see anyone else being better overall. In fact, we've had them at #1 in multiple NFL Power Rankings lists this season.
The Lions have one of the best and most explosive offenses in the game. They have dynamic balance, and they have playmakers galore. Defensively, the Lions are obviously not the best in the league, but if they're forcing turnovers and getting that offense extra possessions, they can go far in the playoffs.
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The "Cardiac Bucs" have been one of the most exciting teams in the NFL this season. There's no doubt that Baker Mayfield has played at an MVP level at times this season, but we'll see how the second half of the season treats this team with a number of injuries piling up.
The Bucs have found ways to come up big in clutch moments. They've obviously got all of the pieces on the roster to make a deep run in the postseason, but with key players going down, are they going to be able to get it done down the stretch?
4. Green Bay Packers
Nobody needs an in-season free agent signing more than the Green Bay Packers need cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. The Packers have one of the best all-around rosters in the NFL, but they haven't been without blemish this season. We've seen some clunkers from both the offense and the defense, and now the fact that this team doesn't have Tucker Kraft is really looming large.
We've seen Matt LaFleur do an incredible coaching job already to this point, and we should expect nothing less going forward. The Packers have a huge test after faltering against Carolina, going up against another contender in the NFC: The Philadelphia Eagles.
3. Philadelphia Eagles
Leading into the bye week, the Eagles looked a bit more like the Eagles we expect to see week in and week out. Jalen Hurts turned things up a notch, the defense added pieces at the trade deadline, and Philly now looks poised for a huge run in the second half of the season.
They come out of the bye in Week 10 with a matchup against the Green Bay Packers, who are going to be looking to avenge the upset loss they had in Week 9 against the Panthers. With extra time to rest, heal, and prepare, this is an important stepping stone toward hosting throughout the NFC playoff race.
2. Seattle Seahawks
I know the Washington Commanders are not exactly running the league right now, but the way the Seahawks dismantled them this past week was rather impressive, nonetheless. The Seahawks have consistently been one of the best and most complementary teams in the NFL so far this season, and I think we have a large enough sample right now to say pretty definitively that they are legitimate contenders.
With the arrival of Rashid Shaheed, the offense and special teams both get a huge boost and Seattle now has enviable depth and talent on both sides of the ball. As long as Sam Darnold keeps playing the way we've seen, this team looks like it could win it all.
1. Los Angeles Rams
Even though the Rams, just like every other NFL team this season, have not been immune to the occasional clunker of a game, they have legitimately looked like the best team in football over the last couple of weeks. Now, we have to somewhat take it with a grain of salt, because they've played the Saints coming off of their bye, as well as the Jaguars over in London.
Even if the wins don't have the most impressive curb appeal in terms of the opponent played, the Rams have done their job to make those teams look really bad. This is a complete team with great coaching, and Matthew Stafford is playing the best we've arguably ever seen.