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It’s officially past the midpoint of the 2025 NFL season. The sample size is large enough for people to make predictions and draw conclusions about what’s to come.
With that in mind, pundit Stephen A. Smith let everyone know his honest thoughts on the state of the league and named his top five NFL teams.
“Five on the list, you see this offense right here? The [Detroit] Lions are a top-5 team in the NFL right now. The Patriots have a quarterback, ladies and gentlemen. They got a defense. They can run with the football. Watch out for the New England Patriots, just not giving them top-3 status right now. Gotta give the [Indianapolis Colts] some love, I don’t have them as top-2, though. The Los Angeles Rams, I see what you’re doing right here. And No. 1, it’s the Seattle Seahawks,” Smith said.
.@stephenasmith shares his top five NFL teams after Week 10 🔥 pic.twitter.com/JUMWcSMcgc
— First Take (@FirstTake) November 11, 2025
Truth be told, it’s hard to argue with any of those teams. That being said, several of them need to prove themselves in high-stakes situations.
As bad as the Kansas City Chiefs have looked at times, few people would deny that they and the Buffalo Bills are legitimate contenders in the AFC. Also, the Los Angeles Chargers are riding a three-game winning streak, and their defense has been spectacular during that span.
At the end of the day, all it takes is to get hot at the right time to win the Super Bowl. Many contending teams that dominate on paper fall flat when it actually counts every year.
There’s still plenty of football to be played this season. The second half of the schedule is underway, and this is where contending teams separate from pretending teams.
NEXT: Dan Orlovsky Names 2 Must-Watch NFL QBs This Season