Tom Brady knows that Super Bowls aren’t won in October, but you can get an “I told you so” or two during the fall.Â
That’s what the seven-time Super Bowl champion did when he unveiled his most recent power rankings. With the San Francisco 49ers losing to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 7, Brady has a new team at No. 1 ahead of Week 8, saying that he’s taking a “mini victory lap” as a result.Â
Brady’s new No. 1 team doesn’t reside in the AFC North, even though the division has four teams with a winning record. In fact, Brady doesn’t have any of the four teams from that division in his top 10, suggesting they’re the first four teams out in his power rankings this week. But Brady is enjoying how competitive the AFC North is.Â
“Let’s put the AFC North in an 18-week round-robin every single year, and the winner of it slots into the division round,” Brady said. “You guys cool with that?”
Here’s a full look at Brady’s top 10 this week.Â
Week 7 result: Idle
Brady’s thoughts: Jacksonville got a bye to travel back from London. You gotta go 1-0 against jet lag in that situation. They’re back Sunday against the Colts with a 2.5-game lead in the AFC South and, by midseason standards, a relatively healthy roster. If Trevor Lawrence keeps up this level of play, this division could turn into a runaway in a hurry.
Liam Coen‘s the right guy to keep those guys in that aggressive mentality. I’m very impressed with what Liam’s done as head coach. Hats off to Liam. He was a great coordinator for one year, moved on to head coach and he hasn’t missed a beat.
Up next: vs. Indianapolis Colts (Sunday)
Week 7 result: 30-24 loss at Chicago Bears
Brady’s thoughts: Drake Maye dueled with Caleb Williams. It was a great game Thursday night in Chicago, and we don’t get enough of those throughout the year. So that was a nice treat.Â
They couldn’t get the road win in the end, but I still consider this a very strong showing for New England in one of the toughest â yeah, you got it, Chicago â one of the toughest primetime environments in the league. Drake’s last four games: 12 tuddies, two picks. They got a good chance to get back in the win column in Miami on Sunday.
Up next: at Miami Dolphins (Sunday)
Week 7 result: 20-17 win vs. Green Bay Packers
Brady’s thoughts: You guys remember a few weeks ago when I called the Lions the most fun team in football to watch? Well, we got to show the whole country as Jared Goff and co. won a thriller against Green Bay in Detroit. The Jared-to-Jameson Williams connection is on fire right now â four touchdowns in their last two games.Â
KB (Kevin Burkhardt) and I will be back in the booth on Sunday for an NFC North collision with the Vikings. One of the best offenses in the NFL going against the best defense in the NFL. Heart medication will be on deck, KB. I can’t wait for this one.
It’s (the Vikings’ defense) as tough as it gets, and it all starts with a lot of film study this week, a lot of walkthroughs, a lot of preparation for that Lions offense. Jared Goff’s doing such a great job as a field general, sorting protections out, making sure he’s got all the blocking assignments pre-snap, but then it comes down to post-snap. How does the line from the Lions handle these different looks, and ultimately, these very good rushers on this Minnesota defense? It’s going to be a tough battle all day.
Up next: vs. Minnesota Vikings (Sunday)
Week 7 result: 20-3 win vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Brady’s thoughts: Seattle handed the Chiefs their first loss of the year with a dominant defensive performance, completely shutting down K9 (Kenneth Walker III) and that rushing offense. JSN (Jaxon Smith-Njigba) did what he always doe
