Overview
- USA TODAY kept Kansas City at No. 1 entering Week 9, noting the Chiefs have won five of their past six with Travis Kelce revitalized ahead of a trip to Buffalo.
- EssentiallySports listed Indianapolis at No. 1 on a 7-1 start anchored by a 38-14 win over Tennessee, while ClutchPoints also placed Kansas City atop its Week 9 list.
- Buffalo’s surge featured James Cook running for 216 yards and two touchdowns against Carolina, the franchise’s biggest rushing day since O. J. Simpson in 1976.
- Houston climbed after upsetting San Francisco behind C.J. Stroud’s 318 yards and two scores, as the 49ers slid in multiple rankings.
- Green Bay rose to No. 2 in USA TODAY’s rankings with Christian Watson back influencing an offense on the rise, aligning with playoff projections that have the Packers leading the NFC.