Tom Brady NFL power rankings: AFC North shut out as 49ers take No. 1

Tom Brady NFL power rankings have a new No. 1 ahead of Week 8, with the San Francisco 49ers moving to the top spot after their Week 7 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. The bigger takeaway from Brady’s latest list may be what is missing: none of the four AFC North teams appear in his top 10.

Brady framed his latest rankings around Week 7 results, while also pointing to several teams and matchups that shape the Week 8 picture. His notes touched on San Francisco, the AFC North, Jacksonville and New England as the NFL schedule moves forward.

AFC North draws praise but no top-10 place

Brady’s top 10 does not include any of the four teams from the AFC North. That makes the division’s absence stand out, especially because Brady still highlighted the grind of playing through that group.

The seven-time Super Bowl champion offered a tongue-in-cheek solution for how competitive he views the division race.

"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 then added:

"You guys cool with that?"

The comments underline a split in Brady’s rankings logic: a division can command respect for its physical, week-to-week difficulty without having a team positioned inside his current top 10. His new No. 1 also does not come from the AFC North.

49ers sit at No. 1 after Falcons loss

The San Francisco 49ers lost to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 7, but Brady still placed them at No. 1 in his latest rankings. The move gives San Francisco the leading spot entering Week 8, even after a result that could have opened the door for a different team to take over.

Brady’s ranking puts the 49ers at the center of the Week 8 conversation. It also separates his list from a simple reaction to the most recent scoreboard, since the Falcons result did not prevent San Francisco from landing at the top.

With the AFC North shut out, Brady’s No. 1 choice also reinforces that his top tier is not tied to divisional reputation alone. The rankings instead reflect his broader view of where teams stand after Week 7.

Jacksonville returns from London break

Jacksonville also features in Brady’s latest Week 8 outlook. The team got a bye to travel back from London and returns Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts.

Jacksonville enters that matchup with a 2.5-game lead in the AFC South. That division position makes the Colts game a notable part of the Week 8 schedule, with Jacksonville already holding separation in the standings.

Trevor Lawrence and Liam Coen are among the names tied to Jacksonville’s outlook as the team resumes play following the London trip. Brady’s rankings notes place that return in the wider context of teams trying to stabilize or strengthen their positions before the season moves deeper into its second half.

New England moves from Chicago to Miami

Brady’s notes also include New England, with Drake Maye having dueled with Caleb Williams in Chicago on Thursday night. New England’s Week 7 result is described as a 30-24 loss at the Chicago Bears.

New England’s next game is Sunday at the Miami Dolphins. That matchup gives Brady another AFC East storyline to track as Week 8 begins, with Maye and New England moving on from the Chicago game.

The latest rankings leave several clear markers heading into the weekend: San Francisco at No. 1, no AFC North teams in Brady’s top 10, Jacksonville back from its London bye to face the Colts, and New England preparing for Miami.