Tom Brady has never been shy about letting you know when he’s right, and after Week 7 of the NFL season, the seven-time Super Bowl champion is feeling a little vindicated. His latest power rankings, released during his usual FOX Sports breakdown, feature a brand new No. 1 team after the previously unbeaten San Francisco 49ers stumbled against the Atlanta Falcons. Brady, ever the competitor, openly admitted he was taking a “mini victory lap” because he’d been ranking the Minnesota Vikings alongside the league’s elite for weeks, even when others were skeptical. Now, with Minnesota sitting pretty at 6-0 and the 49ers nursing a loss, Brady’s faith looks a lot sharper. But before diving into the top 10, he had to address the elephant in the room: the AFC North. All four teams in that division have winning records, yet none cracked his top 10 this week, making them the first four teams out. Rather than seeing that as a problem, Brady seemed to love the chaos. He even jokingly proposed an “18-week round-robin” between the Bengals, Browns, Ravens, and Steelers, with the winner “slotting into the division round.” That said, his top 10 is packed with intriguing storylines, from rookie quarterbacks shining to a couple of teams proving they are more than just early-season flukes.
Starting at the bottom of Brady’s top 10, the Jacksonville Jaguars check in at No. 10 with a 4-2 record after enjoying a bye week. They traveled back from London over the previous week, and Brady noted the challenge of beating jet lag while also praising head coach Liam Coen for keeping the team aggressive. Trevor Lawrence is playing at a high level, and with a 2.5-game lead in the AFC South, the Jaguars could turn this division into a runaway race by midseason. Further up, the New England Patriots land at No. 9 after a 30-24 loss to the Chicago Bears on Thursday night. Despite the road defeat, Brady was impressed with what he saw from rookie quarterback Drake Maye, who dueled with Caleb Williams in a primetime shootout. Maye has thrown 12 touchdowns against just two interceptions over his last four games, and Brady called it a strong showing in one of the league’s toughest environments, even as the Patriots head to Miami looking to bounce back. Then there are the Detroit Lions at No. 8, fresh off a thrilling 20-17 win over the Green Bay Packers. Brady has been calling Detroit the most fun team to watch all season, and Jared Goff’s connection with Jameson Williams has been electric, with four touchdowns in two games. The Lions now face Minnesota in a massive NFC North showdown, and Brady promised viewers that “heart medication will be on deck” for what should be an incredible clash of strength versus strength.
As the list moves on, the Seattle Seahawks sit at No. 7 with a 4-3 record after pulling off a stunning 20-3 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. Brady highlighted Seattle’s dominant defense, which completely shut down the Chiefs’ running game and limited Patrick Mahomes for most of the night. Jaxon Smith-Njigba turned in a 150-yard performance with a touchdown, giving Sam Darnold a much-needed confidence boost. The Seahawks now face the Chicago Bears on Monday night, a massive opportunity to prove the Chiefs win wasn’t a fluke. But Brady cautioned that the Bears are playing with so much joy and swagger that Seattle will need another complete performance. Just above them, the Denver Broncos are at No. 6 with a 5-2 record after grinding out a 30-16 victory over the Arizona Cardinals. Brady admitted their style of play is “almost never pretty,” but he doesn’t care. Their only losses came against the 49ers and Chiefs, and now they get a chance at revenge when Kansas City visits Denver. Beating the defending champions would send a real statement to the rest of the AFC, and Brady seems to think this Broncos defense is more than capable of making life miserable for Mahomes again.
Then comes the electric Chicago Bears at No. 5, who are 5-2 and rising fast after their Thursday night win over New England. Caleb Williams threw for 300 yards without a turnover, and the Bears have become one of the most entertaining teams in football, especially with their choreographed postgame celebrations. Brady joked about offensive coordinator Ben Johnson “popping the top again” and wondered aloud whether Chicago could leap all the way to No. 1 with another win in Seattle. They have that kind of momentum, and the defense looks legitimate. The Kansas City Chiefs, meanwhile, are No. 4 after suffering their first loss of the season, a 20-3 setback in Seattle. Brady acknowledged that everyone was wondering if the Chiefs would rip off a dozen straight wins to start the year, but football is unpredictable. Patrick Mahomes had one of those rare rough nights, but Brady is confident he’ll be itching to get back on the field and make things right in Denver. He also made a playful plea for the Chiefs to start making field goals, an ongoing issue that nearly cost them earlier in the season. For a team that still has Mahomes and the best quarterback in the sport, a loss like that is just a bump in the road, but it raises questions about whether the offense can regain its usual dominance.
At No. 3, the Buffalo Bills are coming off a bye week with a 5-1 record, and Brady is hoping they get Lamar Jackson returning to full strength for their showdown against Baltimore. He basically begged the football gods to give fans Josh Allen versus Lamar Jackson at full throttle, because the Bills’ defense has struggled at times this season. Buffalo’s offense leads the league in points per game, which gives them a chance to outscore almost anyone, and a win over the Ravens would create some daylight in the AFC standings. Moving up to No. 2, the San Francisco 49ers dropped from their perch after the 29-20 loss to Atlanta. Brady half-joked that he may have jinxed them when he predicted they would cruise into their bye at 7-0, calling it one of his first “announcer jinxes.” Injuries are piling up for the Niners, and Brock Purdy wasn’t sharp against the Falcons, but Brady still believes in Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch’s roster-building ability. He even sprinkled in his favorite buzzword, “pliability,” telling Purdy to get those muscles worked out and be ready after the bye. The 49ers remain one of the most dangerous teams in football, but this loss exposed some cracks that could matter down the stretch.
Finally, Brady’s new No. 1 team is the Minnesota Vikings, who remain unbeaten at 6-0 after a gritty 16-10 win over the Indianapolis Colts. Brady practically glowed while explaining why he had to take that mini victory lap. People doubted the Vikings when he ranked them with the 49ers and Chiefs, but they’ve backed it up every single week. The offense isn’t always efficient, much like Denver’s, but Minnesota is well coached, gets after the quarterback, forces turnovers, and is rallying around Sam Darnold, who continues to exceed expectations. Up next is a monumental road test against the Detroit Lions, and Brady will be in the booth for that one, promising viewers a 1 p.m. ET kickoff on FOX that will likely shape the rest of the NFC season. The Vikings have the best defense in football, and Detroit has one of the best offenses, so something has to give. Brady’s rankings are always a little conversational and quirky, but this week they feel especially telling. The Chiefs aren’t invincible, the 49ers have a few bruises, and a new wave of teams like the Vikings, Bears, and Broncos are ready to flex. October might not decide who wins the Super Bowl, but it sure is good for an “I told you so” or two.
