Tom Brady is back with his NFL power rankings this week. And once again, the Fox Sports analyst has stirred the pot with his opinions. Some surprise teams have claimed the top spots, while the Kansas City Chiefs have made little improvement.

Brady placed the Chiefs in the seventh position in Week 7. It seems the Chiefs’ dominant win against his team, the Las Vegas Raiders, has helped HC Andy Reid and the Chiefs take a step forward.

The Chiefs have only just begun to show their true game this season after nearly 5 games. In Week 6, the team pulled a 30-17 win against the Detroit Lions. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes completed 22-of-30 passes for 257 yards and four total touchdowns. The Chiefs were impressive as they countered the NFL’s highest-scoring offense to end Detroit’s winning streak.

However, to make it to the top of Brady’s list, the Chiefs must win more games. After the Chiefs’ 28 – 31 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, Brady had left the team out of his ranking. It reentered the ranking in Week 6, ranked 8th. However, the NFL legend is yet to give out the top position.

Even if it was just one step, the Chiefs have shown improvement on the field as well as the rankings. “I know Chiefs and Eagles fans might have something to say looking at their teams a few spots back,” Brady wrote for the Chiefs’ fans.“But this isn’t math class. The transitive property does not apply to football.”

There was a surprising twist in this week’s power rankings: the Detroit Lions claimed the top spot. While many expected the Indianapolis Colts, sitting at 6-1, to take No. 1, seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady had a different perspective.

Brady praised the Lions for their balanced play, highlighting how several key contributors stepped up on both offense and defense, ultimately giving them the edge over the Colts, who landed at No. 2. The Los Angeles Rams followed at No. 3, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers dropping to fourth after their loss to Detroit. Rounding out Brady’s top five were the Green Bay Packers, fresh off a win over Arizona.

“The Lions are No.1 after dominating last week’s leaders,” he said about Detroit’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. “The stars were out with the contributions from Amon-Ra St. Brown, Gibbs, and Jared Goff, and I can’t wait to hear that crowd on Thanksgiving. Look, the Colts might deserve No.1. The resume is there. I just think the Lions win head-to-head.”

So, the hope for the Chiefs to secure the top position isn’t far.

The Kansas City Chiefs finally see hope again

One reason to have faith in the Chiefs is that the team is finally getting its players returning from injury. Wide receiver Xavier Worthy returned from the injury that he sustained in Week 1. Another much-anticipated player to return to the field is wide receiver Rashee Rice. He had 10 targets in his first game this season after his six-game suspension. If anyone, Coach Reid believes this to be one of the reasons for their improvement.

Not just Reid, many have expressed their hope in Rice to be able to turn things around for the Chiefs. “I don’t bet on football, but,” the former Safety Tyrann Mathieu wrote on X, “I bet Rashee Rice goes OFF this weekend.”

He further added, “I think he’s going to be one of the 10 best wide receivers in our league for the next 10 years. He’s really special.” “If they’re able to get him back….I think they’ll be just fine going forward,” he said on First Things First.

Mahomes and the offense have shown promise with their net WRs. What the team needs is to keep up the same energy in Week 8.