NFL Legend Tom Brady Puts Dan Campbell, Detroit Lions on Notice With Strong Message

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paolo Songco | Last updated Oct 30, 2025 9:01 AM ET

The Detroit Lions topped Brady’s Week 7 NFL Power Rankings after defeating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
After Week 8, the Indianapolis Colts, led by Daniel Jones, replaced the Lions at No. 1.
Brady challenged the Lions: “Prove me wrong,” after moving them to No. 2.

Head coach Dan Campbell and his Detroit Lions reigned supreme in Tom Brady’s Power Rankings for Week 7 of the NFL season. The Lions climbed to the top spot on the list after an impressive 24-9 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who were No. 1 on Brady’s rankings for Week 6.

The Lions, however, conceded the top spot after Week 8. Daniel Jones and the Indianapolis Colts are the new top team in the league, per Brady. This comes after the Colts cruised to a 38-14 victory against their AFC South division rivals, the Tennessee Titans, improving to 7-1 on the season.

Former NFL quarterback Tom Brady looks on before the game between the Los Angeles Chargers and the Washington Commanders.Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Brady, who himself had a personal rivalry with Peyton Manning and the Colts during his playing days with the New England Patriots, admitted that he felt “sick” saying that the AFC might just need to go through Indianapolis this season. However, with what he’s seen from Jones and Co. so far, Brady was left with no choice but to crown them as the No. 1-ranked team after Week 8.

Brady, who previously signed a 10-year, $375 million contract with Fox Sports to be the network’s top NFL analyst, also had a strong message for the Lions.

"The Lions fall out of the top spot by no fault of their own, coming off a bye [week]," Brady said. "... We know the Lions love a chip on their shoulder. I hope Dan Campbell has this No. 2 ranking pinned up on the bulletin board all week. Prove me wrong."

Brady has issued a challenge to Campbell, who now holds the honor for the fifth-most wins in Lions franchise history, and his squad as they head into their Week 9 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. The legendary quarterback also said that he will be providing coverage for that matchup on Sunday alongside the Fox Sports crew of Kevin Burkhardt, Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi.

The Lions get to host the Vikings at Ford Field on Sunday, with kickoff scheduled at 1:00 p.m. ET.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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