NFL Power Rankings Week 9: Bears Surge After Seattle Rout as 49ers and Bills Split the Top Spot

The Chicago Bears’ 34-17 Monday night win in Seattle landed right before the new NFL power rankings went to press, and it shows. Three major outlets published their Week 9 lists on Tuesday, Nov. 3, and all three moved Chicago into their top five. They do not agree on who belongs at No. 1, though: the Buffalo Bills top two lists, and the San Francisco 49ers top the third.

Here is what CBS Sports, USA Today and ProFootballTalk said, with each ranking credited to the outlet that published it.

Who is No. 1 in the NFL power rankings?

It depends on whom you ask.

• CBS Sports (Pete Prisco): The Bills are No. 1, with the 49ers at No. 2. Prisco notes Buffalo leads the league in scoring, “which they might need to, in order to win it all with their defense.”
• ProFootballTalk (Mike Florio): The Bills stay at No. 1 for a second week, followed by the Jacksonville Jaguars at No. 2 and the 49ers at No. 3.
• USA Today (Nate Davis): The 49ers keep the top spot, coming off their bye. Davis has Buffalo all the way down at No. 6, writing that the Bills defense “still needs to catch up” after giving up at least 30 points four times.

So Buffalo ranks anywhere from first to sixth, depending on the list, which shows how tightly packed the top of the league is.

Where are the Bears ranked after beating the Seahawks?

Chicago (6-2) is the team that climbed most clearly this week:

• USA Today: No. 2, holding its spot from last week. Davis called the win over the reigning Super Bowl champions “quite a statement,” and credited quarterback Caleb Williams and newly acquired defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons.
• CBS Sports: No. 4. Prisco wrote that the Bears “went into Seattle and beat up the Seahawks” and that the Simmons trade “paid off right away.”
• ProFootballTalk: No. 5, up from No. 8. Florio’s verdict: the Bears are “serious contenders to win the whole thing.”

How far did the Seahawks fall?

Seattle dropped to 4-4, and every outlet moved it down:

• USA Today: No. 9, down from No. 4. Davis says it is “far from time to panic” and wants to give a reworked offense time to come together.
• ProFootballTalk: No. 9, down from No. 7. Florio warns that one of last season’s NFC finalists, Seattle or the Los Angeles Rams, may miss the playoffs, “and maybe both.”
• CBS Sports: No. 14. Prisco wrote that Seattle doesn’t “do enough on offense” and that Sam Darnold “just doesn’t look right.”

That matters for the NFC West race. The 49ers (6-1) are near the top of all three lists. The Rams (4-4) rank No. 12 at USA Today, No. 13 at CBS and No. 15 at PFT, so they are level with Seattle in the standings.

Other big movers

• Baltimore Ravens: With Lamar Jackson on injured reserve with a thumb injury, CBS dropped the Ravens to No. 20 (“No Lamar Jackson, no chance”). PFT has them at No. 19 and USA Today at No. 24.
• Jacksonville Jaguars: They are a top-four team everywhere: No. 2 at PFT, No. 3 at CBS and No. 4 at USA Today. CBS notes they lead the league in scoring margin.
• Pittsburgh Steelers: At 6-2 heading into their bye, they are No. 8 at PFT, No. 10 at CBS and No. 13 at USA Today.
• Minnesota Vikings: The Vikings are 6-1, but their 10-game winning streak has ended, according to USA Today. They are No. 6 at both PFT (down from No. 3) and CBS, and No. 8 at USA Today (down from No. 5). Both PFT and USA Today raised questions about the quarterback position.
• Los Angeles Chargers: At 0-7, they are last, No. 32, at both PFT and USA Today.

What about the NFC North?

The division looks crowded at the top. Chicago (6-2) and Minnesota (6-1) both sit in the top eight on every list. The Detroit Lions (5-2) are No. 7 at USA Today and No. 12 at PFT. The Green Bay Packers (5-3) are No. 11, No. 12 and No. 14 across the three lists, and both CBS and USA Today point to Micah Parsons’ expected return to practice as a lift.

Why power rankings differ

Power rankings are opinion pieces, not standings. Each writer weighs recent results, injuries and schedule differently. USA Today labels its list an evaluation that “interprets events,” and the gap between Buffalo at No. 1 (CBS, PFT) and No. 6 (USA Today) is a good example of how far those judgments can drift apart. For the official order, check the league standings. Records quoted here come from the outlets’ rankings as published Tuesday morning.

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