A rare and unprecedented competitive landscape has taken shape across the NFL’s North divisions, where every single team in both the AFC North and NFC North carries a winning record coming out of Week 6. While individual divisions have occasionally accomplished the feat—such as the AFC North in 2023 and the NFC North in 2025—having all four teams above .500 in both conferences simultaneously has never happened since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970. Historical trends suggest at least one club in each jumbled division will likely falter as the season progresses, but the early standings continue to drive movement across the league’s weekly power rankings.
At the top of the board, the San Francisco 49ers hold the number one spot at 6-0 despite nearly surrendering a 20-point lead against the Commanders before securing a 23-17 victory behind two late defensive stands. Christian McCaffrey rushed for two touchdowns and lost a fumble, while Mike Evans contributed 94 receiving yards before exiting with an Achilles injury. Close behind at number two are the 5-0 Chiefs, who dispatched the winless Chargers 22-6 as Patrick Mahomes threw for 272 yards to earn his 100th career victory. Kenneth Walker added 128 rushing yards and two scores, though the Kansas City offense struggled in short-yardage situations and kicker Harrison Butker missed two attempts.
The unbeaten Minnesota Vikings sit at number three, bolstered by a defense coordinated by Brian Flores and strong contributions from pass rusher Dallas Turner, who has recorded 5.5 sacks following the offseason departure of Jonathan Greenard. Placekicker Will Reichard enters the team’s bye week needing ten more successful kicks to challenge Adam Vinatieri’s all-time record of 44 consecutive converted field goals. Rounding out the top five, the 5-1 Buffalo Bills claimed a 33-30 win over the Raiders where Josh Allen tied Jim Kelly’s franchise record of 258 career touchdown passes, throwing to Keon Coleman before James Cook provided the tie-breaking score. The Denver Broncos improved to 4-2 at number five following a 17-14 overtime win against the Seahawks, sealed by Wil Lutz’s 53-yard walk-off field goal set up by Ja’Quan McMillan’s interception, despite ongoing offensive struggles under quarterback Bo Nix.
Further down the rankings, returning quarterback Caleb Williams completed his first 12 passes to help guide the Chicago Bears to a 4-2 record with a 31-23 victory over the Falcons, supported by D’Andre Swift’s two rushing scores and Kyler Gordon’s three sacks and two forced fumbles. The New England Patriots also moved to 4-2, defeating the Jets 26-19 as Drake Maye threw three touchdowns despite playing behind an offensive line missing three starters by the end of the game. The Pittsburgh Steelers climbed to 4-2 after Aaron Rodgers engineered three fourth-quarter scoring drives and an overtime game-winning touchdown pass to Germie Bernard to erase a 13-point deficit against the Buccaneers, with Chris Boswell contributing field goals from 52 and 58 yards.
The Green Bay Packers advanced to 4-2 with a 23-13 win against the Cowboys, leaning on a defense that has restricted opponents to 14 points or fewer during a three-game winning streak. Meanwhile, the Jacksonville Jaguars slipped to 4-2 at number ten after losing 34-31 to the Texans on Ka’imi Fairbairn’s 49-yard field goal as time expired, despite Travis Hunter becoming just the fifth player in the Super Bowl era to score a touchdown and intercept a pass in the same game.
Other notable developments included the New York Giants falling to 3-2-1 after squandering an early lead in a 34-27 loss to the Saints, where backup quarterback J.J. McCarthy replaced Jameis Winston in the fourth quarter and threw for 243 yards. At the bottom of the league, the Tennessee Buccaneers, Chargers, and Dolphins continue to search for consistency, with the Chargers remaining winless at 0-6.
