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The AFC Has Been Drastically Different From the NFC So Far

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Oct 20, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen (27) defends a pass intended for Houston Texans wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson (19) during the fourth quarter at Lumen Field.
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Given the surprising start to the 2025 NFL season, it is becoming increasingly difficult to predict each week’s outcomes.

For this reason, the latest sportsbook promos from Oddschecker can be useful, allowing everyone to bet on games without using their own money and thus reducing any losses that may follow an upset or another surprising outcome, like it has already happened several times during this season.

The Fall of the Giants

We are not talking about the franchise from New York, but rather the Kansas City Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens.

Patrick Mahomes and Co. are going through a complicated year. Their dominant momentum ceased one year ago, and while they attempt to return to that, they are missing some key pieces in prominent positions.

They can still easily make the playoffs, as their division consists of the dreadful Las Vegas Raiders and the good-but-inconsistent Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers. Once in the postseason, though, KC must be quite lucky to go all the way. They simply don’t seem deep enough to reach another Super Bowl.

In Baltimore, they have other problems. Obviously, the first one is playing without Lamar Jackson, a two-time MVP who is greatly missed on the field.

However, the quarterback could return this week or next, depending on how much the Ravens want to push it.

The main issue for the Ravens is their defense.

Zach Orr’s seat is pretty hot (and by the time you read this, the Ravens could also already have another defensive coordinator in place), but there is only a limited number of faults an assistant coach can have when the injury count is so severe.

The Ravens, however, have flown pretty poorly, even when their offense was fully healthy, so there are several areas of concern surrounding Baltimore’s operations.

A Surprising Bunch

On the other hand, the Jacksonville Jaguars (4-3) and Indianapolis Colts (6-1) have fared surprisingly well through seven weeks.

The Jags have a lot of budding names on their roster: Trevor Lawrence, Travis Etienne, Brian Thomas, Devin Lloyd and even the wonderkid, Travis Hunter, are playing quite well.

The linebacker Lloyd, probably, is the hottest player in the league right now. He returned a pick-six for 99 yards a couple of weeks ago against the Chiefs and is always among the best on the field. Opposing quarterbacks are starting to fear him, and rightly so. He is truly having a career year.

Jacksonville is fun to watch, but a significant problem remains in Florida: the divisional rivals playing in Indy.

The Colts are the absolute revelation of this not-so-young-anymore 2025 NFL season.

They began their campaign with a total demolition of the Miami Dolphins, but the Fishes are a bad team, so nobody cared. In Week 2, they beat Denver, but only by a single point, so again, nobody cared.

Then they rolled over the Tennessee Titans, another bad team, who cares? They lost to the LA Rams in Week 4 by a single score, as the doubters expected.

But then came back with fire in their eyes. They won with ease, 40-6, against an almost unwatchable Raiders team. Indianapolis is for real, and the resurgence of Daniel Jones, a quarterback who was desperately looking for his place in the NFL, is already something to behold.

But What About The NFC?

So we have a surprising landscape in the AFC, but what is happening in the NFC?

Right now, it’s too early to tell who the outright best team is, but the typically good franchises are winning, and the typically bad ones are losing as expected.

NFC Standings Through Week 7

  • Green Bay Packers (4-1-1)
  • San Francisco 49ers (5-2)
  • Philadelphia Eagles (5-2)
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-2)
  • Detroit Lions (5-2)
  • Seattle Seahawks (5-2)
  • Los Angeles Rams (5-2)
  • Chicago Bears (4-2)
  • Carolina Panthers (4-3)
  • Dallas Cowboys (3-3-1)
  • Atlanta Falcons (3-3)
  • Minnesota Vikings (3-3)
  • Washington Commanders (3-4)
  • Arizona Cardinals (2-5)
  • New York Giants (2-5)
  • New Orleans Saints (1-6)

That’s right— 12 of the NFC’s 16 teams are .500 or above through Week 7.

It is difficult to find contenders and pretenders at this point in the season, especially given the balance in the NFC. But this is great news, because it is more fun this way!

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Written by
The Lead Staff

Articles collaborated by members of theleadsm.com staff. Covering a wide array of sports topics for nearly a decade.

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