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Neil Reynolds names NFL’s best team before Week 8, and the Chiefs aren’t close

Originally posted on NFL Analysis Network
By Chris Licata | Last updated Oct 22, 2025 3:33 PM ET

The Sky Sports and NFL UK media personality put a new NFL team at No. 1 on his Week 8 power rankings, but the Patriots and Commanders were the biggest movers.

The NFL remains without a true Super Bowl favorite in 2025 as 10 teams hold a 5-2 record or better through seven weeks of action. The Daniel Jones-led Indianapolis Colts, who missed the playoffs with an 8-9 record last season, have scored the most points (232) and maintain the league’s best record at 6-1.

However, that wasn’t enough to put them atop Neil Reynolds’ Week 8 power rankings for NFL.com. That honor instead went to the Detroit Lions, who are fresh off a dominant 24-9 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night.

“What impressed me most about the 5-2 Lions’ win over Tampa Bay on Monday was the reminder that this team can win in a variety of ways,” Reynolds wrote.

Detroit’s offensive playmakers are indeed starting to heat up, though the Lions face the NFL’s second-hardest remaining schedule to finish out the season, according to Sharp Football Analysis.

Dan Campbell’s club is also on a bye this weekend, so it’ll take another impressive performance from a top 5-8 team to knock them off. The most recent opponent to beat them, the Kansas City Chiefs, have a chance to do just that in primetime on Monday Night Football in Week 8.

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Kansas City Chiefs are closing quickly, but stay put at No. 9

Last season’s Super Bowl runner-up has quickly put a slow 0-2 start behind them with four wins in their last five games, including 30-plus points on offense in three of those wins. For context, KC only did that twice during its turbulent 2024 regular season.

Still, Reynolds didn’t put much stock in Sunday’s 31-0 shutout of the AFC West rival Las Vegas Raiders, whom he called “one of the worst teams in the league.”

Patrick Mahomes and company have the seventh-hardest remaining schedule, with upcoming games at Buffalo (Week 9), at Denver (Week 11), vs. Indianapolis (Week 12), and at Dallas (Thanksgiving Week 13).

Up next is a date with the Washington Commanders, who had the steepest drop (-6) this week after getting dropped 44-22 by the Cowboys.

Rounding out the top 10 for Reynolds this week were: