NFL Week 6 Power Rankings: Jacksonville Clings to No. 1 as Minnesota Surges
The Ledger: Jacksonville Holds On, Minnesota Makes Its Move
Week 6 of the 2026 NFL season gives us a top spot that looks more like a placeholder than a throne. Jacksonville still sits at No. 1 with a rating of 8.51, but that number dropped 1.95 points in a week — the kind of slide that usually costs a team its perch. The Jaguars stay on top because nobody behind them has fully earned the promotion yet. Minnesota, undefeated at 5-0, jumped 1.96 points to 5.75 and climbed to No. 2, but that rating still trails Jacksonville by nearly three points. New England (5.47) and Kansas City (3.56) lurk, and Buffalo (3.31) rounds out the top five. The theme of the week: the elite tier is thinning, and the gap between No. 1 and No. 5 is smaller than it’s been all season.
The Top Five
1. Jacksonville Jaguars (8.51, -1.95 wk, 4-2, SOS 1.71) — The Jaguars remain the class of the board, but the shine is fading. Their rating is still 8.5 points better than average on a neutral field, yet that’s down nearly two full points from last week and well below last season’s 10.30 prior. The market is lagging this number by 6.13 points, which screams buy-low on a team whose last-five profile is still strong. Jacksonville gets a reprieve because the teams behind them haven’t done enough to leapfrog — but another week like this and the throne is up for grabs.
2. Minnesota Vikings (5.75, +1.96 wk, 5-0, SOS -1.59) — The Vikings are the biggest story in the top five. Their rating jumped nearly two full points this week, and at 5-0 they have the record to match. The profile is legit on both sides: 21.8 points scored and just 12.8 allowed over the last five, with a positive EPA differential. The -1.59 strength of schedule is a caveat, but undefeated is undefeated. Minnesota is now the clear No. 2 and closing on Jacksonville.
3. New England Patriots (5.47, +1.76 wk, 4-2, SOS 2.38) — New England’s rating climbed 1.76 points this week despite a modest 2.38 strength of schedule. The number already docks 1.7 points for Carlton Davis being out and A.J. Brown and Christian Elliss being questionable, so the market is pricing a healthier version of this team than the rating accounts for. At 4-2 with a top-three rating, the Patriots are quietly building a case as the AFC’s most balanced contender.
4. Kansas City Chiefs (3.56, -0.58 wk, 5-0, SOS -3.72) — The Chiefs are 5-0 but rate fourth, and that discrepancy is the story. Their rating dropped 0.58 this week and sits 1.59 points below the market — meaning the public is pricing the record, not the underlying form. The last-five profile is genuinely strong (28.0 PPG scored, 16.6 allowed), but a -3.72 strength of schedule inflates that dominance. Kansas City is good, but the numbers say not as good as the win-loss column suggests.
5. Buffalo Bills (3.31, -0.20 wk, 5-1, SOS 0.54) — Buffalo sits fifth with a 3.3-point neutral-field rating, down 0.2 from last week and a full 1.2 below last season’s 4.5. The market’s -2.83 versus the rating says this team is being priced closer to its old self than its current form. The offense is scoring 32.2 per game over the last five, yet allowing enough to keep the rating from climbing. The Bills are firmly in the contender tier, but the gap to the top two is real.
Risers and Fallers
The biggest rating movers this week are at opposite ends of the board. Philadelphia cratered 7.80 points to -13.92, dropping to No. 32, with a 16.4 points-per-game offense and -0.23 EPA per play over the last five; the loss of Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, and Will Shipley is the whole story. San Francisco fell 4.74 points to 3.23 despite a 6-0 record, a slide that already accounts for a 4.5-point injury dock for Deebo Samuel (Out), Mike Evans (Questionable), and Marques Sigle (Out). On the rise, Tennessee jumped 3.11 points to -9.79 — still No. 27, but trending up at 1-5. Washington gained 2.54 points to -13.27, though that bump is noise against a -7.6 point differential over the last five. In the top ten, Detroit (+2.45) and Cincinnati (+2.09) made the biggest positive moves, while Seattle (-2.39) and Jacksonville (-1.95) slid the most.
How the Board Sets Up
Minnesota is the team to watch. At 5-0 and climbing, the Vikings have a chance to close the gap on Jacksonville if their defense keeps allowing just 12.8 points over the last five. New England is another mover — a 1.76-point weekly gain with a top-three rating and a schedule that’s about to stiffen. Kansas City is the fade: 5-0 but rating fourth and dropping, the Chiefs are a sell-high candidate until their strength of schedule improves. And keep an eye on San Francisco — the 49ers are 6-0 but their rating is in freefall; if the injury dock eases, they could stabilize, but right now the number says they’re overrated.
Earl’s Sign-Off
The board doesn’t lie, even when the record does. Jacksonville is still No. 1, but the gap is closing. Minnesota is the real deal, New England is quietly lurking, and Kansas City’s 5-0 is softer than it looks. That’s the beauty of the rating — it cuts through the noise. Check back next week, when the top spot might finally change hands.