Updated 12 Nov 2026.
The best team in the NFL right now depends on the measure: 2 teams lead on record, 1 on points, 1 on yards. The 2026 numbers after Week 9, side by side.
Who is the best team in the NFL right now?
The best team in the NFL right now, after Week 9, is the San Francisco 49ers on the widest reading: they are the only team in the top 3 on all 4 measures below. The Buffalo Bills match their 7-1 record, and 3 other teams lead 1 measure each.
No team leads all 4 measures. The Bills and 49ers share the best record, the Jacksonville Jaguars have the best point differential (+108), the Seattle Seahawks have the best yardage differential (+85.0 a game), and the Bills top the Statz Power Index at +8.3. This article puts the 4 side by side for the 6 teams that lead one or come closest.
How do the top teams compare on all 4 measures?
The 49ers rank 1st, 2nd, 2nd and 2nd across the 4 measures, the steadiest line of any of the 32 teams after Week 9. The Bills rank 1st, 3rd, 6th and 1st. The Jaguars, Seahawks, Bears and Broncos each lead or near the top on 1 or 2 measures and fall away on another.
| Team | Record | Point diff. | Yardage diff. per game | Power Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco 49ers | 7-1 (1st, tied) | +79 (2nd) | +79.0 (2nd) | +7.1 (2nd) |
| Buffalo Bills | 7-1 (1st, tied) | +69 (3rd) | +55.6 (6th) | +8.3 (1st) |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 6-2 (5th, tied) | +108 (1st) | +32.0 (9th) | +7.1 (3rd) |
| Seattle Seahawks | 5-4 | +40 (7th) | +85.0 (1st) | +1.5 (15th) |
| Chicago Bears | 7-2 (3rd, tied) | +57 (6th) | +72.0 (5th) | +2.8 (9th) |
| Denver Broncos | 7-2 (3rd, tied) | +12 (15th) | -90.5 (31st) | +2.6 (11th) |
Point differential is points scored minus points allowed. Yardage differential is total yards gained per game minus yards allowed per game. The Power Index is our rating of how many points a team would beat an average team by on a neutral field, adjusted for the opponents it has played. Every team stat behind the table is on the NFL team rankings page.
Which team has the best record in the NFL?
The Bills and the 49ers have the best record in the NFL after Week 9 at 7-1, a .875 winning percentage. The Broncos and Bears follow at 7-2, and 6 teams sit at 6-2: the Jaguars, Bengals, Chiefs, Steelers, Lions and Vikings.
The Bills are 4-0 on the road and have scored 32.0 points a game, the most in the league, on a league-high 400.0 yards a game. The 49ers are 5-0 at home and 3-0 in the NFC West. Both lead their conference: the Bills hold the AFC 1 seed and the 49ers the NFC 1 seed on the NFL playoff picture. They have not met this season; their last game, in Week 13 of 2024, went 35-10 to the Bills, as the 49ers vs Bills head-to-head page shows.
Which team has the best point differential?
The Jaguars have the best point differential in the NFL at +108 after 8 games, 13.5 points a game. That is 29 points clear of the 49ers (+79) and 39 clear of the Bills (+69). Jacksonville has allowed 121 points, 15.1 a game, 2nd only to the Vikings (14.5).
The Jaguars score 28.6 points a game (4th) and lead the league in turnover differential at +9, with 15 takeaways (3rd) and 6 giveaways (4th). Their yardage gap is smaller: +32.0 a game, 9th. Turnovers are part of why their points run well ahead of their yards. They lead the AFC South at 6-2 and rank 3rd on the Power Index at +7.1; the Jaguars team stats have every game.
Which team outgains its opponents by the most yards?
The Seahawks outgain their opponents by the most yards in the NFL, 85.0 a game, yet they are 5-4. Seattle allows 257.9 yards a game and 168.8 passing yards a game, both the fewest of the 32 teams, and 18.0 points a game (4th).
The gap is on offense: the Seahawks score 22.4 points a game, 18th, on 342.9 yards (17th). The 49ers (+79.0), Rams (+77.7), Chiefs (+74.4) and Bears (+72.0) complete the top 5. The Seahawks team stats have the game-by-game yards, and the NFC West standings show Seattle 2nd to San Francisco.
Why are the 7-2 Broncos not on the list of the best teams?
The 7-2 Broncos are outgained by 90.5 yards a game, 31st of 32; only the Titans (-112.0) are worse. Denver gains 283.7 yards a game (31st) and allows 374.2 (25th), and its point differential is +12, the 15th best in the NFL.
Denver has won with a +5 turnover differential (7th) and a 4-0 home record. They lead the AFC West and hold the AFC 2 seed. They rank 11th on the NFL power rankings at +2.6, against 3rd (tied) by record. The Bears, also 7-2, have a sounder base at +72.0 yards a game, and their defense allows a league-low 22.8% on third down.
Which measure says the most about the best team?
Point differential and yardage differential say more than record after 8 or 9 games, because 2 or 3 close results can move a record a long way. Of the 4 teams at 7-1 or 7-2, the Broncos (+12) have the smallest point differential and the 49ers (+79) the largest.
| Measure | Leader after Week 9 | What it counts | What it misses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Record | Bills and 49ers, 7-1 | Wins and losses, which decide the seeds | The margin and the opponent |
| Point differential | Jaguars, +108 | Every point, so a 30-point win counts more than a 3-point win | The opponent, and turnover luck |
| Yardage differential | Seahawks, +85.0 a game | How well a team moves the ball and stops it | Turnovers, red-zone finishing and special teams |
| Power Index | Bills, +8.3 | Results adjusted for each opponent's strength | It is a rating, so it moves slowly by design |
Read together, the 4 measures put 3 teams ahead of the rest: the 49ers, the Bills and the Jaguars, who hold the top 3 places on the Power Index and the top 3 point differentials. The earlier Power Index article shows how tight that top group was before Week 9.
What is next for the top teams in Week 10?
Four of the 6 teams in the table play in Week 10, and the Bears and Broncos have their bye. The Bills visit the Jets, the Jaguars visit the Titans, the Seahawks visit the Raiders and the 49ers visit the Cowboys, all on Sunday 15 November.
The Jets (2-7) and Titans (1-7) are 2 of the 7 teams with 2 wins or fewer. Every kickoff is on the NFL schedule, and the NFL standings update after each game.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the best team in the NFL in 2026 so far?
The 49ers are the best team in the NFL in 2026 so far on the widest reading: 7-1, a +79 point differential, +79.0 yards a game and 2nd on the Power Index. The Bills (7-1, 1st on the Power Index) and the Jaguars (+108 point differential) are the closest challengers.
Which NFL team has the best point differential in 2026?
The Jacksonville Jaguars have the best point differential in the NFL in 2026 at +108 after 8 games: 229 points scored and 121 allowed. The 49ers are 2nd at +79 and the Bills 3rd at +69. The Chargers (-98) have the worst.
Which NFL team has the best defense right now?
The Seahawks allow the fewest yards in the NFL right now, 257.9 a game, and the Vikings allow the fewest points, 14.5 a game, after Week 9. The Jaguars are 2nd in points allowed (15.1) and the 49ers 2nd in yards allowed (303.8). The team rankings sort all 32 defenses.
Which NFL team has the best offense right now?
The Bills have the best offense in the NFL right now by points and yards: 32.0 points and 400.0 yards a game, both 1st after Week 9. The Bengals are 2nd in points (30.0) and the Bears 2nd in yards (398.7). The Bills team stats break it down by game.
How are the NFL power rankings decided?
Our NFL power rankings order all 32 teams by the Statz Power Index, a rating of how many points a team would beat an average team by on a neutral field, adjusted for every opponent it has played. It updates after each game; the power rankings page shows the full board and each team's movement.