NFL NationNov 4, 2025, 06:35 AM ETCloseNFL Nation is made up of 32 team-specific reporters who cover the NFL year-round across ESPN.com, ESPN television shows, ESPN Radio, ESPN+ and social media platforms. It was established ahead of the 2013 season.
play1:28Why Jahmyr Gibbs is Field Yates’ Week 9 fantasy loserField Yates reacts to Jahmyr Gibbs’ disappointing fantasy output vs. the Vikings.
play2:31Schefter to McAfee: Seahawks a team to watch ahead of trade deadlineAdam Schefter explains to Pat McAfee why the Seahawks are an intriguing team to watch ahead of the NFL trade deadline.
play1:50What to make of Rome Odunze’s fantasy goose eggField Yates and Daniel Dopp break down Rome Odunze’s zero-point fantasy performance.
play1:07Why didn’t the Commanders sit Jayden Daniels?Rex Ryan questions why the Commanders didn’t pull Jayden Daniels before he got injured.
play0:58Why Jaxson Dart is a lineup lock for fantasy Week 10Daniel Dopp breaks down Jaxson Dart’s consistent fantasy performance.
Stephen A.: The Bills aren’t the best team in the AFC (1:36)Stephen A. Smith says he isn’t taking too much from the Bills’ win over the Chiefs in the regular season. (1:36)
Why Jahmyr Gibbs is Field Yates’ Week 9 fantasy loserField Yates reacts to Jahmyr Gibbs’ disappointing fantasy output vs. the Vikings.
Schefter to McAfee: Seahawks a team to watch ahead of trade deadlineAdam Schefter explains to Pat McAfee why the Seahawks are an intriguing team to watch ahead of the NFL trade deadline.
Adam Schefter explains to Pat McAfee why the Seahawks are an intriguing team to watch ahead of the NFL trade deadline.
What to make of Rome Odunze’s fantasy goose eggField Yates and Daniel Dopp break down Rome Odunze’s zero-point fantasy performance.
Why didn’t the Commanders sit Jayden Daniels?Rex Ryan questions why the Commanders didn’t pull Jayden Daniels before he got injured.
Why Jaxson Dart is a lineup lock for fantasy Week 10Daniel Dopp breaks down Jaxson Dart’s consistent fantasy performance.
Week 9 of the 2025 NFL season featured plenty of close finishes, including walk-off field goals by the Broncos and the Panthers as well as an overtime win by the Jaguars. There have been 14 walk-off field goals this season, which is the most through nine weeks since the 1970 AFL/NFL merger, per ESPN Research. Meanwhile, after the Colts’ loss to the Steelers, both the NFC and the AFC have at least three teams tied for the conference’s best record in Week 9 or later for the first time since 2002.
How do all of these teams fit in our updated Power Rankings? We restacked the NFL heading into Week 10, which includes byes for four teams (Bengals, Chiefs, Cowboys and Titans). In addition to the 1-32 rankings, our NFL Nation reporters picked the most important game remaining for each team. This could be a rivalry game, a matchup with playoff implications or one that might affect the team’s draft standing.
Let’s get into it with No. 1, which shifted again from the previous week. Our power panel of more than 80 writers, editors and TV personalities evaluated how NFL teams stack up against one another, ranking them from 1 to 32.
The Bills are trying to win a sixth straight AFC East title, but they have significant competition to reach that goal. After the Patriots took the first meeting, this matchup could end up being huge as the Bills look to secure at least one more postseason game in their last year at Highmark Stadium. Winning the division is always emphasized by Buffalo coach Sean McDermott as the first step to reaching the Super Bowl, and this game could prove pivotal. — Alaina Getzenberg
The Lions will get tested by an elite squad in a showdown with the reigning Super Bowl champions on “Sunday Night Football.” They will need to bring their A-game to win in Philadelphia, and it’ll serve as a good barometer for where the Lions stand among the league’s elite teams after already losing to Green Bay and Kansas City on the road. Detroit is looking to secure its third straight NFC North crown. — Eric Woodyard
Why Jahmyr Gibbs is Field Yates’ Week 9 fantasy loser
Field Yates reacts to Jahmyr Gibbs’ disappointing fantasy output vs. the Vikings.
Schefter to McAfee: Seahawks a team to watch ahead of trade deadline
We could’ve picked any of the remaining NFC North games because the Packers still have five of them left in a hotly contested division. The Vikings game marks the beginning of three straight divisional games, so let’s go with that one. The Packers have won their only NFC North matchup so far, beating the Lions way back in Week 1. Last season, Green Bay went just 1-5 in the division; right now, the Pack are clinging to a half-game lead in the standings. — Rob Demovsky
Though the Steelers continue to lead the division, every AFC North game is important. At the top of that list is their first meeting with Baltimore. With quarterback Lamar Jackson back from a hamstring injury, the Ravens are poised to make a run in the division, and Pittsburgh needs to keep them at bay. It lost both games in Baltimore a season ago, including a 28-14 playoff defeat in which running back Derrick Henry ran all over the Steelers’ defense. — Brooke Pryor
It’s been 12 years since the Chargers swept the Chiefs. In one of the league’s most competitive divisions, this game could mean the difference in a playoff spot. But beyond that, sweeping the proverbial big brother of the AFC West would give the Chargers more confidence as they look to contend for the franchise’s first Super Bowl title. In their opening game of the season, the Bolts beat the Chiefs in Brazil, which Harbaugh called “monumental.” — Kris Rhim
The 49ers are 3-0 in the NFC West, and wins over the Rams and the Seahawks have given San Francisco a leg up in what figures to be a hotly contested divisional race. The Niners pulled off an upset over Los Angeles in Week 5, and if they can do it again this week, it would put them in prime position to make another run at the division crown and return to the postseason after a one-year hiatus. — Nick Wagoner
The Jaguars could bury the Texans in the division with a victory in Houston. That would give Jacksonville a four-game lead — including the tiebreaker — over the Texans and essentially make the AFC South a two-team race with Indianapolis. The Jaguars still have two games remaining against the Colts (7-2) and the Titans (1-8). — Mike DiRocco
You also could argue for the Week 18 matchup with Tampa Bay, but if the Panthers lose to the same opponent two weeks earlier, then the regular-season finale could be irrelevant. Why these games matter is simple: It could come down to winning one or both for the Panthers to claim the NFC South crown. There are other key contests in between — versus the 49ers, the Rams and the Seahawks — but winning against the current division leader will be most important. — David Newton
Field Yates and Daniel Dopp break down Rome Odunze’s zero-point fantasy performance.
It looks like a two-team race in the AFC North. According to the FPI, the Steelers have a 48% chance to win the division, while the Ravens have a 47% chance. If it ends up being decided in the regular-season finale, Baltimore will have to overcome its struggles in Pittsburgh to win its third straight division title. The Ravens have lost four of their past five games in Pittsburgh, averaging just 15.0 points per outing. — Jamison Hensley
If the Texans lose this next game, they’d be staring at a 3-6 record. It also would mean being swept by a divisional opponent, which would hurt the Texans in potential tiebreaker scenarios and put them in a position to have to run the table for any chance at the playoffs. They presently have a 10% chance to make the postseason, per the FPI, while the Jaguars have a 55% chance. — DJ Bien-Aime
It always felt like the Bengals’ rematch against the Steelers was going to be crucial for Cincinnati’s playoff hopes. But after back-to-back losses heading into the bye, the outcome against Pittsburgh also could determine if the Bengals should fully commit to reevaluating and rebuilding the roster. According to the FPI, they have a 6% chance of making the playoffs. — Ben Baby
Rex Ryan questions why the Commanders didn’t pull Jayden Daniels before he got injured.
Why Jaxson Dart is a lineup lock for fantasy Week 10
Daniel Dopp breaks down Jaxson Dart’s consistent fantasy performance.
The Browns have multiple games remaining against teams that will be vying for the No. 1 pick, and the one-win Jets appear to be among those who will be in the quarterback market this offseason. The FPI currently gives the Browns an 19.1% chance — the third-best odds in the NFL — of getting the top pick in the 2026 draft, while the Jets sit at fourth with a 13.7% chance. A victory could come at the cost of potentially missing out on an elite QB prospect months from now. — Daniel Oyefusi
The Saints will play both the Jets and the Titans at the end of the season, and all three teams are still searching for their second win. If things continue on the same path for the Saints and the Titans, then this game has the potential to determine who will be picking at the top of the draft in 2026. Currently, New Orleans is just behind Tennessee with a 29.4% chance at the No. 1 pick, per the FPI. — Katherine Terrell
This could have major implications for the No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft, as the Jets, the Saints and the Titans are the league’s only one-win teams. Unlike the Titans, who drafted Cam Ward last year, the Jets and the Saints figure to be in the QB market. The Jets have Justin Fields under contract next season, but he has yet to demonstrate he can be their long-term answer. His Total QBR is 37.9, which ranks 30th out of 32 qualified passers. — Rich Cimini
We don’t know how the Buccaneers will respond to being without wide receiver Mike Evans (broken collarbone) for an extended period. We also don’t know when Bucky Irving, Chris Godwin Jr., Luke Goedeke or Jalen McMillan will return. But we do know that four out of their final five games are against divisional opponents, which do count toward tiebreakers. The Bucs have made a huge point of emphasis on avoiding the midseason slumps they’ve experienced the past two seasons. But should they need a late-season surge, that road game against Carolina is smack dab in the middle of it. — Jenna Laine