The Art of the Ugly Win: Buffalo Ascends While Rams' Hype Collapses

In the cold calculus of October football, the scoreboard is the only metric that matters. As Sports Illustrated first reported, this reality has propelled the Buffalo Bills to the summit of the league while exposing a fragile foundation for the Los Angeles Rams.

According to Sports Illustrated's Conor Orr, the Buffalo Bills have taken over the No. 1 spot in the NFL Power Rankings. Now 3–0, the Bills marked their third consecutive season starting with three straight wins following a 24–16 victory over the Chargers. Though the game was defined by four turnovers and a pedestrian performance from quarterback Josh Allen, Orr notes that Buffalo found a way to win ugly.

In Monday morning notes shared with Albert Breer, Joe Brady suggested that weathering these specific, horrendous circumstances was a perfect situation for the Bills to prove they can grind out a win against a quality opponent.

Conversely, the Los Angeles Rams have tumbled to No. 7 after a 30–26 loss to the Denver Broncos, who erased a 16-point deficit. Orr compares the Rams' current trajectory to waiting for the Los Angeles Dodgers to reach playoff strength, suggesting the team promised to fans has yet to materialize.

Other power ranking shifts include the Kansas City Chiefs holding at No. 2 and the Seattle Seahawks dropping to No. 3 after an inexplicable 33–31 loss to the Washington Commanders—a game where, as Orr reports, the Seahawks received four passing touchdowns from Sam Darnold while facing a Jayden Daniels-less Washington squad.

The Denver Broncos rose to No. 4, and the Jacksonville Jaguars climbed to No. 5, which Orr describes as a legitimate contender. The top ten is rounded out by the San Francisco 49ers (No. 6), Chicago Bears (No. 8), Las Vegas Raiders (No. 9)—where Brock Bowers is described as the most imposing receiver since peak A.J. Brown—and the Baltimore Ravens (No. 10).