Perhaps the most fun thing about this 2025 NFL season is that there isn’t one obvious Super Bowl favorite, or two or three teams in a clear class of their own above the rest of the league.
No, the Super Bowl race is absolutely wide open.
The team with the best odds to win it all, per BetMGM, is the 5-4 Kansas City Chiefs (+550). Eighth on that list is the 4-5 Baltimore Ravens.
That says it all, really.
Every team in the league has at least two losses, most of the top contenders have a head-scratching defeat like the Bills getting walloped in Miami last week, and there’s simply a thick pack of really high-upside teams that all fit the mold of a Super Bowl contender.
In fact, we may even be one team short in our top tier of true contenders, as we’ll explain while unveiling the Week 11 NFL power rankings.
(Records updated after Thursday night game)
True Super Bowl Contenders
1. Philadelphia Eagles (7-2, no change): Just when it looked like the Eagles had moved past their offensive woes with 66 points over wins vs. the Vikings and Giants, they went to Green Bay on Monday night and didn’t find the end zone until the fourth quarter in a 10-7 win over the Packers. Like we noted up top, there is no clear-cut dominant force in the NFL this year, and the Eagles certainly aren’t that. Something is clearly still amiss in Philly, with star receiver A.J. Brown continuing to voice his frustration with his role (2 catches for 13 yards last week) and coach Nick Sirianni saying he’s tired of addressing that matter. But, nonetheless, the Eagles are the reigning Super Bowl champs, and they are 7-2 with wins over the Chiefs, Rams, Buccaneers, Broncos, Vikings and Packers. No other team has a better collection of wins than that.
2. Kansas City Chiefs (5-4, up 1 spot): The Chiefs had a bye week following their loss at Buffalo, and it’s about time Kansas City really turns it on and asserts itself as the top contender we (and, well, most everyone) believes it to be. Back-to-back games at Denver on Sunday and home vs. Indianapolis next week are the opportunity to show that. We’ve given the Chiefs a lot of leeway in the power rankings as they had reeled off three straight wins after a 2-3 start and had started looking like a typical Chiefs team again, so these next two weeks will either affirm that confidence in them or warrant a real recalibration of their standing this year.
3. Detroit Lions (6-3, up 1 spot): Detroit has lost two of its last four games, but when the Lions are on they’re as good as any team in the NFL. They were on last week in a 44-22 road win at Washington, as Jared Goff threw for 320 yards, 3 TDs and 0 INTs and Jahmyr Gibbs ran for 142 yards and 2 TDs on just 15 carries while adding 30 receiving yards and another TD.
4. Los Angeles Rams (7-2, up 1 spot): From serious concerns about his injured back in the preseason to now leading the MVP race (at least per the latest BetMGM odds that have him as a +275 favorite), QB Matthew Stafford has been simply incredible this fall. He’s thrown for 13 TDs and 0 INTs in the last three games, including 4 TDs and 280 yards in the Rams’ 42-26 win at San Francisco last week. Overall, Stafford has passed for 2,427 yards, 25 TDs and 2 INTs. If he and star WRs Puka Nacua and Davante Adams stay healthy, this team can absolutely win another Super Bowl for coach Sean McVay.
5. Seattle Seahawks (7-2, up 2 spots): Seattle has won four straight and seven of its last eight games heading into a marquee NFC West showdown with the Rams in Los Angeles on Sunday. Seattle was simply dominant in a 44-22 win over Arizona last week, going up 35-0 midway through the second quarter. Sam Darnold needed to throw only 12 passes, completing 10 for 148 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT. With another big game (5 catches for 93 yards and a TD), Jaxon Smith-Njigba became the first player in the league to 1,000 receiving yards this season — his 1,041 are 210 more than anyone else.
6. Buffalo Bills (6-3, down 4 spots): Honestly, this may be too high for the Bills. The biggest knock on coach Sean McDermott over the years — aside from the inability to beat the Chiefs in the playoffs — is that his teams too often play to the level of their competition and lose games they shouldn’t. How does a team beat the Chiefs one week and then get embarrassed in a 30-13 loss to the lowly Dolphins the next? The Bills also lost by 10 points to the Falcons earlier this season. McDermott has helped elevate the franchise after a prolonged lull, but it’s fair to wonder if he’s the right coach to get Buffalo back to the Super Bowl.
7. Baltimore Ravens (4-5, up 2 spots): The Ravens may still have a losing record, but that should change this week. With a 27-19 victory at Minnesota last week, Baltimore has won three straight, including both games since star QB Lamar Jackson’s return, and gets the Browns, Jets and Bengals the next three games. With Jackson and RB Derrick Henry at full strength and the defense much improved from some early-season struggles, the Ravens have as much of a shot at the Super Bowl as any team on this list.
Playoff Bound
8. New England Patriots (9-2, up 5 spots): We’re believers! The Patriots make the biggest surge in the power rankings this week, moving just off the fringe of the Super Bowl Contenders tier. They entered the week on a seven-game winning streak (and would make it eight straight by beating the Jets Thursday night), and their 28-23 win at Tampa Bay last week showed that New England’s sterling record isn’t just a product of a favorable schedule. That’s helped, but the Patriots have beaten the Bills and Buccaneers, second-year QB Drake Maye (2,836 passing yards, 20 TDs, 5 INTs, 2 rushing TDs) is one of the leading contenders for MVP, rookie RB TreVeyon Henderson is breaking out with 5 TDs over the last two games and they have a top-10 defense as well.
It’s hard to believe the Patriots could go from a listless 4-13 last year all the way to the Super Bowl in one season under coach Mike Vrabel, but they keep this up, we will have no choice but to put them into the top tier with the true Super Bowl contenders. Maybe they should already be there. The schedule is light until back-to-back games against the Bills and Ravens in December, so it’s possible New England could be 11-2 with 10 straight wins entering those spotlight games.
9. Indianapolis Colts (8-2, down 3 spots): The Colts bandwagon has hit a few bumps the last two games, with a six-turnover loss at Pittsburgh and then needing overtime to get past Atlanta last week, 31-25. But running back Jonathan Taylor’s MVP campaign is rolling right along and only getting stronger. Taylor rushed 32 times for 244 yards and 3 TDs and added 42 receiving yards. His 83-yard TD run was the longest in the NFL this season, and it was the fifth game this season in which he’s totaled 3 TDs. Here’s a fun fact, per the Associated Press: Taylor is the fourth RB in NFL history to have two career games with at least 200 rushing yards and 3 TDs, joining Jim Brown, Adrian Peterson and Derrick Henry. His 1,139 rushing yards are 219 more than anyone else in the league and his 17 combined rushing/receiving TDs are 6 more than any other player.
10. Green Bay Packers (5-3-1, down 2 spots): We’ve been making the point for weeks now that the Packers looked like the most overrated team in the NFL, relative to the lofty Super Bowl projections from the preseason. They’ve now lost two straight at home while scoring a combined 20 points in those games, including the 10-7 loss to the Eagles on Monday night. QB Jordan Love has just 5 passing TDs over the last four games (3 coming vs. Pittsburgh) and losing star tight end Tucker Kraft for the season two weeks ago is a big blow to the offense. The potential is still there, though, with a strong defense, solid running game and Love’s potential to play like a top-10 QB.
11. Denver Broncos (8-2, down 1 spot): Denver continues to make almost every game close and dramatic. This time the final points were scored in the third quarter, but the Broncos couldn’t ever pull away in a 10-7 win over the Raiders. Seven of Denver’s last nine games have been decided by 4 points or less, including its only two losses (to the Colts and Chargers in Weeks 2-3). Whatever the formula, it’s working — Denver has won seven straight. It will need a steadier version of QB Bo Nix, though, if it wants to play a true playoff run. Nix has been very up-and-down all season and threw for just 150 yards, 1 TD and 2 INTs last week.
12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-3, down 1 spot): The Bucs have taken two losses in three games after falling 28-23 to the Patriots last week. They’ve been close in two of their three losses, and QB Baker Mayfield continues to play at an elite level (273 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs last week). The next two games will reveal a lot about Tampa Bay’s contender status, though, as it gets the Bills and the Rams on the road in back-to-back weeks. It’s possible the Bucs are simply a good but not quite great team despite their strong start, but they’ll have their opportunities to prove otherwise in those games.
13. San Francisco 49ers (6-4, down 1 spot): QB Brock Purdy is back and will make his first start since September (just his third overall this season) after working through a turf toe injury. Mac Jones was solid in relief, even in a 42-26 loss to the Rams last week as he completed 33-of-39 passes for 319 yards, 3 touchdowns and 1 interception. It’s hard to say how much Purdy elevates the offense overall but it can’t hurt to have him back. The bigger problem is the defense just hasn’t been the same since losing star pass rusher Nick Bosa and linebacker/defensive leader Fred Warner for the season. Including the game in which Warner was injured, the 49ers are giving up an average of 26.4 points over their last five games.
14. Los Angeles Chargers (7-3, no change): Make it three straight for the Chargers, who made it look easy in a 25-10 win over the Steelers. They held Pittsburgh to 221 yards, forced 3 turnovers and tallied 3 sacks while the offense did its thing. Third-string RB Kimani Vidal, now the feature back in that injury-ravaged backfield, rushed for 95 yards and a TD on a season-high 25 carries as he settles into the role nicely.
Can’t Be Dismissed Yet
15. Chicago Bears (6-3, up 3 spots): It is getting really close to the point of having to take the Bears seriously. They have won six out of their last seven games, including a 24-20 come-from-behind win over the Giants last week. Chicago overcame a 10-point fourth quarter deficit with two touchdown drives in the final 4 minutes. On those final two drives, second-year QB Caleb Williams passed for 77 yards and a TD and rushed for a 17-yard score after leading the game-winning touchdown drive in the final minute vs. the Bengals the previous week. So why aren’t the Bears higher on this list? Those six wins came against Dallas, Las Vegas, Washington, New Orleans, Cincinnati and the New York Giants — all teams with losing records — while they lost by two touchdowns or more to the Ravens and Lions.
16. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-4, down 1 spot): How are things going in Pittsburgh?
Alrighty then. With a 25-10 loss to the Chargers last week, with Rodgers passing for just 161 yards, 1 TD and 2 INTs, the Steelers have lost three out of four games.
17. Houston Texans (4-5, no change): Maybe this wild 36-29 comeback win over the Jaguars, in which backup QB Davis Mills (starting in place of injured CJ Stroud) led Houston to 26 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, will be a launching point for a late-season surge for the Texans. Their defense is the best in the NFL at 16.7 points per game and 261.3 yards per game allowed. If the offense (and specifically the offensive line) can show progress, Houston can make a run. Mills, who had 292 passing yards, 2 passing TDs and a rushing TD in that win, will make a second straight start with Stroud (concussion) ruled out for Sunday.
18. Minnesota Vikings (4-5, down 2 spots): It’s hard to think the Vikings are going to be consistent week to week with first-year starting QB J.J. McCarthy still adjusting to the NFL. He has his moments, certainly, but the verdict is very much still out on him as an NFL starter. McCarthy threw for 248 yards and rushed for 48 last week, but he also tossed 2 picks in a 27-19 home loss to the Ravens.
Not This Year
19. Atlanta Falcons (3-6, no change): It feels like the Falcons should be better, with RB Bijan Robinson one of the best in the league and WR Drake London a true difference-maker on the outside. But second-year QB Michael Penix has been very mediocre. He was just 12-of-28 passing for 177 yards and 1 TD in a 31-25 overtime loss to the Colts last week.
20. Dallas Cowboys (3-5, no change): Dallas had a well-timed bye week coming off that humbling Monday night loss at home to Arizona. The Cowboys’ offense can be one of the best in the NFL when all things are clicking, especially with star wideout CeeDee Lamb back at full strength, but unless the trades for DT Quinnen Williams and LB Logan Wilson dramatically transform the defense this team is going to struggle to get to .500.
21. Jacksonville Jaguars (5-4, no change): Remember when first-year coach Liam Coen and the Jags were the toast of the NFL after that 4-1 start and win over the Chiefs? It’s hard to believe now as Jacksonville has lost three out of four, including a crushing 36-29 defeat at Houston last weekend while allowing the Texans to score 26 unanswered points in the fourth quarter. Yeesh.
22. Cincinnati Bengals (3-6, no change): That wild Thursday night win over Pittsburgh last month has proven to be just a flicker of hope for this team, which was on a bye last week. The Bengals have lost two straight since then in excruciating fashion — blowing a 14-point fourth quarter lead in a 39-38 loss to the Jets and then taking a lead in the final minute only to lose 47-42 after allowing the Bears to drive for the game-winning score. Cincinnati has lost six of seven overall, and as much as losing QB Joe Burrow changed the trajectory for the Bengals, their abysmal defense is the real culprit for a lost season.
23. Carolina Panthers (5-5, no change): Good luck trying to forecast what this team is going to do from one week to the next. Win 16-13 at Green Bay and then lose 17-7 at home to New Orleans. The 5-5 record says the Panthers are still in the playoff hunt, but it’s just hard to see this team in the postseason.
24. Arizona Cardinals (3-6, no change): This was primed to be a let-down game for the Cardinals on a short week coming off the dominant win in Dallas on Monday. And sure enough, Arizona got totally eviscerated by the Seahawks, 44-22. QB Jacoby Brissett continues to play solidly, though, passing for 258 yards, 2 TDs and 0 INTs. This is a capable team that can challenge most of the league on a given week, but they are in a stacked division and were realistically out of the playoff chase weeks ago.
25. Miami Dolphins (3-7, up 4 spots): Every time it seems fair to signal the impending end of the Mike McDaniel/Tua Tagovailoa Era in Miami, they push back on that narrative. The Dolphins stunned the Bills (30-13) in the biggest upset of Week 10. Tagovailoa wasn’t actually that sharp, tossing 2 picks with his 2 TDs, but DeVon Achane was at the peak of his powers with 22 carries for 174 yards and 2 TDs and 6 catches for 51 yards.
Is Anyone Still Watching?
26. Washington Commanders (3-7, down 1 spot): That’s five straight losses for Washington with the last four all coming by 21 points or more. With QB Jayden Daniels (dislocated left elbow) out with his third significant injury of the season, it’s just been a brutal stretch for a team that reached the NFC championship game last year.
27. New York Giants (2-8, down 1 spot): Coach Brian Daboll was fired after the Giants blew another big fourth quarter lead, letting a 20-10 advantage turn into a 24-20 loss as the Bears scored two touchdowns in the final 4 minutes. Rookie QB Jaxson Dart is now out following a concussion and Russell Wilson is again on the outs with Jameis Winston leapfrogging him on the depth chart to get the start this week.
28. Las Vegas Raiders (2-7, down 1 spot): The Raiders now have three losses by 3 or less points after losing to the Broncos, 10-7, last Thursday. But the offense remains uninspiring with first-round pick Ashton Jeanty continuing to labor for yards (19 carries for 60 yards and a TD — his 3.8 yards per carry this season ranks near the bottom of the NFL) and Geno Smith throwing for just 143 yards, 0 TDs and a pick.
29. New Orleans Saints (2-8, up 2 spots): The Saints snapped a four-game losing streak with a 17-7 win over the Carolina Panthers. QB Tyler Shough looked much better in his second career start, completing 19-of-27 passes for 282 yards, 2 TDs and 0 INTs.
30. New York Jets (2-8, up 2 spots): Well, the team is playing hard for Aaron Glenn. To win a game the same week the team trades its two best defensive players away is something. Sure, it was against Cleveland (27-20), but any win is notable for the Jets. (They then followed with a 27-14 loss to the Patriots on Thursday night).
31. Cleveland Browns (2-7, down 3 spots): Woof. Darks days in the Dawg Pound. Dillon Gabriel isn’t the answer at QB. He threw for 2 TDs in that loss to the Jets, but he was held under 170 passing yards for the third straight game and took 6 sacks.
32. Tennessee Titans (1-8, down 2 spots): Tennessee is on its second four-game losing streak of the season after a 27-20 home loss to the Chargers last week. The Titans are in the driver’s seat for the No. 1 overall draft pick again, so there’s that.