- Chiefs
After a dominant week 7 performance albeit against the lowly Raiders the Chiefs find themselves remaining in the top spot. The offense of the past two seasons and in the early portion of the 2025 season has been concerning but the Chiefs have seemed to recapture some of the prime form of Mahomes/Reid offensively the past several games. The first three weeks the Chiefs’ offensive struggles from the previous two years continued as Kansas City failed to score more than 22 points in any one of their first three matchups. The past four weeks the Chiefs have however seemed to recapture offensive form that Mahomes/Reid had in previous seasons where the Chiefs were to be reckoned with offensively. The Chiefs have scored 30+ points in 3 of the past 4 games and if it were not for an uncharacteristic pick six with goal to go that Mahomes threw, they would have almost certainly scored 30+ points in four straight games. The Chiefs’ offensive prowess the past four weeks has also taken place against strong defenses as well. The Jaguars were a borderline elite defensive team entering that game vs Kansas City and are still above average defensively as of now. The Lions also have a very good defense that is at the very least a top 10 defense with many feeling that it is elite. The Ravens, although their defense was in shambles to start the season, is usually elite under John Harbaugh and Baltimore’s defense has recaptured elite form recently. The Chiefs’ offensive turnaround that they have seen can be attributed to their top two wide receivers returning to action and the young offensive line improving with more experience.
The Chiefs’ defense has been as good as any in the NFL over the past two seasons and the Chiefs’ elite defensive form has continued thus far in 2025 as well. The Chiefs currently rank top 5 in both points and yards allowed per game this season to exemplify that point. The Chiefs’ offense the past four weeks has been up there with anyone in the sport and the Chiefs’ defense the past two seasons and in nearly the entire first half of the 2025 season has been up there with anyone as well. The Chiefs are elite on both sides of the ball and are to be trusted come postseason time more than anyone in the league as well.
- Rams
The Rams were in totality likely the second-best team in the NFL over the duration of the 2024 season. The Eagles annihilated their conference championship and Super Bowl opposition in the Commanders and Chiefs while also cruising past the Packers as well. The Rams were the only team to push the Eagles to near defeat as Stafford had the ball in his hands near the Eagles’ redzone with a chance to take the lead with about 30 seconds left in the divisional round before coming up just short. If the Rams did not have a -2 turnover differential in that matchup and if they just executed slightly better on their last drive, they likely would have won it all last year. The Rams thus far in 2025 have not disappointed holding a 5-2 record with two very narrow defeats to strong competition in the Eagles and 49ers. The Rams if they did not make a few very uncharacteristic preventable mistakes where NFL teams get it right the overwhelming majority of the time in those two matchups, they would likely be undefeated. The Rams are really flexing their muscles on both sides of the ball thus far in 2025. Entering week 8, the Rams are currently the highest graded team in the league according to Pro Football Focus with the number one graded offense and the number four graded defense while allowing the second fewest points per game. Continuing with the Rams’ defense it has looked invincible the past few weeks with second year coordinator Chris Shula. Los Angeles has allowed an astonishing 5 points per game the past few weeks while also holding the Colts to only 20 points with the Colts currently having the top scoring offense in the NFL. A very strong argument could be made that the Rams have indeed the best defense in the NFL entering week 8. This Rams’ team reminds me a lot of the Eagles team that won it all last season. A defense that is not just elite jumbled in with many of the other premier defenses in the NFL but a cut above the rest but still ranking only 2nd in points per game allowed. A similar argument could be made for the Eagles’ defense last season as well where they were not just elite but separated from the pack. As the Eagles were the highest graded NFL defense by a wide margin last season while also ranking only 2nd in points per game allowed. While the Eagles last season eventually formed into an elite offense but were never historically elite offensively separating from the pack like the Lions and Ravens were on offense last season. Just like the Rams this season are an elite offensive team but certainly not historically elite and separating from the remainder of the elite NFL offenses either. Both the Eagles last season and the Rams this season because of their postseason experience are to be trusted in the postseason quite a bit as well. I strongly considered putting the Rams in the top spot ahead of Kansas City but the Chiefs’ overall ceiling I feel is just as high as the Rams. With the Chiefs’ win over the Lions blowing me away while I cannot say the same for any win that the Rams have accumulated this year thus far. Although Stafford/McVay have also won a Super Bowl together, the Chiefs are still to be trusted in the postseason more than Los Angeles because Kansas City with Mahomes/Reid have still won three times as many Lombardi trophies.
- Lions
The Lions could certainly rank higher than this but their multiple possession defeat against the Chiefs left a bad taste in my mouth. I got the vibe after that game that the 2025 Lions are perhaps just a lesser version of the 2025 Chiefs. Where both teams have explosive offenses that are both trending towards being historically great on offense with both teams having elite defenses as well. But the Chiefs are essentially the better version of that team in that regard as the Lions cannot be trusted to be as consistent on both sides of the ball primarily due to Detroit having rookie coordinators. While the Chiefs are also to be trusted more in big games as well given their track record of winning three Super Bowls and Detroit making far too many mistakes in their past two postseason losses. The Chiefs being essentially the better version of the Lions showed in the teams’ head-to-head matchup this season. As the Lions with a rookie offensive coordinator once again were a shell of their usual selves offensively and the Chiefs seemed to bring their A game more in a huge Sunday Night Football matchup. Detroit is still perhaps as sure of a bet to win the NFC as any team as of now as the Lions along with the Cowboys have the two premier NFC offenses in an offense leaning league. With Detroit’s defense being much better than Dallas’ right now as the Cowboys rank near the bottom of the league in points allowed while Detroit ranks just outside the top ten in that department. The Lions’ offense has as high if not a higher ceiling than any offense in the sport but primarily due to having a rookie offensive coordinator they can struggle with consistency. Twice already this season the explosive Lions offense that was historically great last season and not too far off from that this year has looked like a shell of its usual self against high level defenses on the road. As the Lions failed to score 20 points on the road vs the Packers and on the road vs the Chiefs. Detroit could certainly rank higher than this as they have an offense with a historically great ceiling and an elite defense to complement it. The Lions’ elite defense ranks 11th in points per game allowed and 9th in yards per game allowed with Pro Football Focus grading it as the 2nd best defense in the NFL. New defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard looks just as good if not better than now Jets’ head coach Aaron Glenn in the role. If the Lions did not have to play the likes of the Chiefs and the Ravens, they would likely rank much higher in the points and yards allowed per game department as well. The Lions’ defense had one the best defensive performances that any team in the league has had in a singular game thus far in 2025 holding an explosive Bucs offense to under 10 points in their most recent game. Detroit could certainly rank higher than this but teams 1 and 2 on this list have seemingly just as high if not a higher ceiling while teams 1 and 2 are to be trusted more come postseason time as well. As the Rams and Chiefs with their head coach and QB combinations have won a combined four Super Bowls and can be trusted to execute effectively come playoff time. Whereas the Lions with their head coach and QB combination have never even been to a Super Bowl and have made crucial mistake after crucial mistake in their past two postseason losses. Detroit having rookie coordinators in particular on offense is also a concern as well and another reason they rank 3 and not higher.
- Colts
The Colts were my sleeper team entering the season and so far, I would be right. As Indianapolis has looked like a both sides of the ball juggernaut that is a legitimate threat to win it all. Despite most if not the vast majority of NFL pundits not even picking the team to make the postseason before the year the started. I evaluated the Colts’ roster to be perhaps the premier roster in the AFC entering the season and likely the only roster in the league on the level of the Eagles and Lions. The QB quandary that the team was in as the season approached is why most individuals overlooked this team. With those people having their doubts about head coach Shane Steichen and new defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo as well. I, however, was a staunch believer of either Anthony Richardson or Daniel Jones, assuming the starting QB role and living up to their top six overall draft pick standing with this elite roster surrounding them. Shane Steichen at one point was regarded as the next Sean McVay or Kyle Shanahan but in his tenure with the Colts he has not lived up those lofty expectations. He, however, has never had the adept QBs to support him in reaching those goals as Gardner Minshew and Joe Flacco are backup caliber QBs while something similar can be said of Anthony Richardson last season as well. Now that Steichen has been gifted a legitimate starting NFL QB in Daniel Jones, his offensive prowess is starting to show as the Colts entering Sunday’s week 8 action are currently the top scoring offense in the league. Even as Daniel Jones struggled in his career being let go by the Giants and transitioning to a backup QB role last season, I was always a believer in Jones as a starting NFL QB. I felt that during his time with the Giants that he was right on par with both Dak Prescott and Jalen Hurts in the NFC East. So far Daniel Jones has really come into his own leading the top scoring Colts’ offense heading into Sunday’s week 8. On the defensive side of things, new defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo was once regarded as one of the premier defensive coordinators in the sport. However, the Bengals’ defense led by him was atrocious for the most part last season and he was let go by the franchise. The Bengals’ defense has however remained abysmal this season so perhaps Anarumo was not at fault for the Bengals’ lack of defensive success in 2024. The Colts’ defense so far in 2025 has been sound ranking 9th in the NFL in points per game allowed. Despite Indianapolis holding the best record in the NFL and being the top scoring offense in the NFL they remain at four and not higher for a few reasons. The combination of Daniel Jones and Shane Steichen have never reached the postseason together while the teams ahead of them with their respective head coach and QB combinations have reached a combined nine conference titles and six Super Bowls while winning four. I could certainly see the Colts’ lack of experience coming back to bite them in the postseason. This Colts team, although I believe it is better than last year’s Minnesota team, is eerily similar to last year’s Vikings. Where both team’s were the surprise team of the NFL with a former first rounder reclamation project QB who both possess average physical traits, with neither being in line to start for much of the offseason entering the year as well. Both team’s having young smart offensive minded head coaches with renown defensive coordinators to assist them. The Vikings last season collapsed at the end the year, i.e. their inexperience which I alluded to with the Colts eventually catching up to them. However, I do indeed feel as if this Colts’ team is better than last year’s rendition of the Vikings for a few reasons. The Vikings’ overall roster a season ago was pretty average and it had holes in many spots while this Colts roster is elite with no holes and is in the discussion for being the best in the sport. Daniel Jones also has experience starting in a postseason game whereas Darnold didn’t entering last season’s playoffs, which was likely a large contributing factor to Darnold’s very subpar performance come postseason time last year. This Colts’ defense also feels pretty ordinary as of now and despite their 9th ranked points per game standing they feel run of the mill defensively. The Colts currently rank 22nd in yards per game allowed with Pro Football Focus grading them as the 19th best overall defense in the league as well. The Colts in games vs strong competition have not blown me away either although they possess a 2-1 record against the likes of the Chargers, Broncos, and Rams. They barely were able to escape the Broncos game with a W and narrowly lost to the Rams as well. Prior to the Chargers game I consistently had the Colts in the back half of my top ten power rankings. However, their dominance against the likely playoff bound Chargers had my perception of the Colts taken up a notch. As Indianapolis dominated another strong, likely playoff bound team like one would expect a Super Bowl contender to do. Outside of those three games the Colts’ league best record and 1st ranked points per game metric and 9th ranked points allowed per game metric was in large part due to beating up on inferior competition. As they beat a combined 4-17, Dolphins’, Raiders’, and Titans’ teams by a combined 80 points. I like this Colts team, and it would not shock me at all if they made or won the Super Bowl, but they have their flaws. Their inexperience in particular as well as me not getting the vibe that they are truly transcendent on either side of the ball. The Lions and Ravens felt transcendent offensively last season, and the Eagles felt transcendent defensively as well. With everyone pretty much agreeing that those three teams had the three highest ceilings of any NFL team a season ago. Although the Colts are certainly strong on both sides of the ball, I do not get that type of transcendent vibe on either side of the ball like I did with those three teams last season and like I feel I get with the top three teams on this list along with a few others as well thus far in 2025. Although one could certainly argue that the Colts’ offense is indeed transcendent as they are leading the league in points scored. But as I alluded to, that is perhaps due to inflating point totals vs the bottom tier NFL teams with regularity.
- Eagles
The Eagles, being the defending Super Bowl champions and possessing a very strong 5-2 record while also beating teams 1 and 2 on this list and possessing just as good if not a better record than both teams 1 and 2 on this list, in all objectivity should likely rank higher than this. However, this is not a purely objective list and my subjective estimation of how teams have performed this year thus far contributes to me formulating these rankings quite a bit as well. The Eagles currently rank in the bottom half of the NFL in points allowed per game, yards allowed per game, yards accumulated per game, while only ranking slightly above average in points accumulated per game. The Eagles’ win vs the Chiefs came when Kansas City did not get into their full stride early in the season during their 0-2 start. During the Eagles’ win vs the Rams, Los Angeles held a three-possession lead over the Eagles on the road for much of the game. Philadelphia also needed to block a game winning 44-yard field goal of the Rams in order to seal the win, a field goal that NFL teams make the vast majority of the time. The Eagles had a transcendent defense last season that was a cut above the rest of the NFL. Defensively the Eagles, despite returning their defensive coordinator and the vast majority of players from that defense a season ago have been mediocre defensively thus far in 2025. However, because of Vic Fangio remaining as the defensive coordinator with the personnel being mostly the same, they can be trusted to return to elite form on that side of the ball. The offense of Philadelphia is more concerning as the Eagles did not return their offensive coordinator from last year’s Super Bowl team. Offensive coordinator Kellen Moore departing to become a head coach elsewhere and being replaced by a rookie offensive coordinator was the biggest concern I had with the Eagles entering the season. So far, those concerns have been legitimate as the Eagles have been average to mediocre by any stretch offensively thus far in 2025. However, it took Kellen Moore a while to get the team into elite shape offensively in his first season with the team last year as well. So, the team and the fanbase should exercise patience. The Eagles could very well end up in the Super Bowl again, but it does feel as if this team is not playing that well despite a 5-2 record against strong competition.
