49ers and Seahawks headline early NFL tier rankings from CBS Sports

Roughly a quarter of the NFL schedule is in the books, and CBS Sports has used the early returns to sort all 32 teams into performance tiers. In a league-wide breakdown, writer Jared Dubin separates the true Super Bowl hopefuls from the merely solid and the clubs already drifting toward the bottom of the standings.

49ers, Seahawks and Rams sit in the top group

At the top of the hierarchy, Dubin places a handful of teams that already look like complete contenders on both sides of the ball. The San Francisco 49ers are described as virtually unstoppable on offence, while the Seattle Seahawks are billed as having one of the league’s best defences when healthy, despite a brief stumble against Washington. The Los Angeles Rams round out the NFC’s heavyweights in this tier, viewed as having as much two-way upside as any roster in football if they can simply stay healthy.

The elite grouping also features the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars. In Kansas City, Kenneth Walker III is credited with elevating the offence, even as injuries to wide receivers Rashee Rice and Tyquan Thornton leave questions at that position. Buffalo’s overall body of work remains strong despite a recent stumble against the New England Patriots, though Jim Leonhard’s defence bears monitoring. Jacksonville has looked like one of the league’s most dominant outfits outside of a poor second half against Denver, which is treated as more outlier than trend.

Ravens, Bears, Bengals, Cowboys and Vikings viewed as “probably good”

Just behind the inner circle is a tier of teams labelled as "probably pretty good": the Baltimore Ravens, Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings. Baltimore has looked explosive whenever Zay Flowers is available, with optimism tempered only by concern over Lamar Jackson’s health. Chicago has surprised with a productive rushing attack and a defence that has held up on key downs, and the Bears are expected to get Caleb Williams back before long.

Cincinnati’s placement hinges on the recoveries of Ja’Marr Chase from a concussion and Tee Higgins from an adductor issue, as the offence is seen as dangerous when fully intact and the defence has improved over last season. Dallas is the mirror image of Minnesota: the Cowboys’ offence is scoring at an eye-popping rate that can mask a struggling defence during the regular season, while the Vikings are being carried by an imposing defence that offsets an ordinary attack.

Middle-class uncertainty and clear strugglers at the bottom

A broad middle tier features the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, Las Vegas Raiders, New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles. Atlanta’s defence has overachieved thanks to a surprisingly productive pass rush, while the offence has come alive in recent weeks with Michael Penix back under centre. Carolina is buoyed by an improved Bryce Young but undermined by injuries at cornerback. Detroit continues to pair an explosive offence with a leaky defence, making the Lions hard to pin down, and the Raiders’ resume is mixed: a narrow loss to the Chiefs but wins over the Dolphins, Chargers and Saints that are difficult to evaluate.

Toward the bottom, Dubin highlights the Houston Texans and Tampa Bay Buccaneers among a group of teams that appear far from contention. Houston remains winless, with a passing game that functions when Nico Collins is available but a non-existent ground attack and underwhelming defence. Tampa Bay has struggled badly on offence and is navigating a stretch without Baker Mayfield, raising the possibility the Buccaneers could be effectively out of the race even in a wide-open NFC South. Alongside clubs like the Washington Commanders, New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers, they populate tiers that, for now, look a long way from the league’s elite.