Former NFL player and scout Bucky Brooks knows the ins and outs of this league, providing keen insight in his notebook. Today’s installment covers:

Who will win the three-team race in the NFL’s best division in 2025?

But first, a look at the two upstart teams suddenly sitting atop their respective conferences …

Forty seasons ago, the Chicago Bears destroyed the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX. Entering the 2025 campaign, nobody anticipated a potential rematch in Super Bowl LX, but these two upstart teams suddenly hold the No. 1 seeds in their respective conferences, emerging as contenders under the direction of new head coaches Ben Johnson and Mike Vrabel.

With five Sundays remaining in the regular season, the playoff picture is far from settled. But the Bears and Patriots have put together impressive résumés that suggest they could indeed make postseason runs. Moreover, the dominant flashes from each squad have sparked discussions of budding dynasties for two teams that were complete afterthoughts just last season.

In Chicago, Johnson’s arrival as an offensive guru has ignited a franchise that’s been viewed as a quarterback graveyard for decades. Caleb Williams looked like he could be headed for a similar fate after slogging through a disappointing rookie season that had skeptics wondering if the Bears had selected the wrong quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. But after upgrading the protectors and playmakers around the QB1 through free agency, trades and the draft, Chicago has become a burgeoning bully in the NFC. The offense’s collective physicality and toughness overwhelm opponents at the point of attack, while Johnson’s creative schemes tax defenders’ minds with constant shifts, motions and exotic play concepts. With the defense thriving as a turnover-obsessed unit loaded with ballhawks and hustlers, the Bears play a brand of complementary football that routinely leads to postseason success.

Vrabel’s Patriots are also built for the playoffs, with an MVP-caliber quarterback directing a ball-control offense that specializes in efficiency and flawless execution. Selected third overall in the ’24 draft, Drake Maye showed great promise as a rookie, but he has truly arrived in Year 2. Despite the fact that he’s yet to throw for 300 yards in a game as a pro, the wildly efficient signal-caller entered Week 14 as the league leader in passing yards (3,412), completion percentage (71.5) and passer rating (111.9), fronting the NFL’s only 11-win team. Maye’s rapid development as an elite player has turbocharged New England’s offense, enabling the team’s veteran-laden defense to dictate the terms to opponents routinely forced to play from behind and chase points. As a result, the Patriots have been able to suffocate opposing run games (89.5 rushing yards allowed per game, third-best in the league), while employing bend-don’t-break tactics against QBs seeking big plays and quick scores.

With few teams possessing the patience, discipline and focus to handle these complementary approaches in Chicago and New England, the preseason underdogs head into the stretch run in catbird seats. Although coaches and scouts rarely reflect on their accomplishments during an ongoing season, these teams’ quick transformations have sparked a water-cooler conversation about which one is best positioned to win it all now — and in years to come.

After taking a closer look at each team, here are my thoughts on their prospects as title contenders …

Which team has the most immediate potential?

I see Chicago as the team with more upside in the remainder of this season. The Bears’ decision to rebuild their roster around Williams has paid off in Year 1 of the Johnson era. General manager Ryan Poles followed the blueprint that helped his new coach terrorize opponents as the offensive coordinator of the division rival Lions. Chicago’s trades for Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson, signing of Drew Dalman and drafting of second-rounder Ozzy Trapilo have significantly upgraded the protection around Williams. Additionally, the revamped line has enabled Johnson to punish opponents on the ground, with D’Andre Swift and seventh-round pick Kyle Monangai attacking the middle of the defense on various downhill runs. With the Bears’ perimeter weapons (Rome Odunze, DJ Moore, Luther Burden III, Olamide Zaccheaus, Cole Kmet and first-round pick Colston Loveland) creating matchup problems all over the field, Johnson can transform any game into a shootout or grind-it-out affair based on game plan.

Defensively, Dennis Allen can throw a monkey wrench into opposing game plans with his unit attacking the ball at every turn, racking up an NFL-best 26 takeovers. As Allen turns up the heat with a barrage of exotic blitzes that plug running lanes, while also forcing quarterbacks to play under duress, the Bears can make life miserable for opponents in the postseason tournament.

Although Chicago has not been touted as a title contender for most of the season, most teams lack the muscle and discipline to deal with Johnson’s offensive tactics. Given the Bears’ takeaway prowess — including a league-high 17 interceptions — these Monsters of the Midway have the pieces in place to make a championship run this season.

Which team has the most potential for the next five years?

On this timeline, I like New England. Maye has blossomed into a superstar under Josh McDaniels’ tutelage. The six-time Super Bowl champion, with three rings as an offensive coordinator, has carefully crafted a scheme that’s helping his second-year signal-caller play winning football without a collection of blue-chip players around him. Maye has responded by playing pitch-and-catch efficiently, while taking an occasional shot down the field to prevent opponents from squatting on the Patriots’ intermediate routes. And the quarterback is hitting on those shot plays at an insanely high clip. Considering the offense is flowing without a dominant WR1 (five players have at least 400 receiving yards, seven have at least 20 catches), New England suddenly resembles the early-2000s Patriots teams that saw Tom Brady throw to a collection of unheralded playmakers. Moreover, the operation has a plug-and-play feel that should enable the team to fill in some gaps with blue-chip prospects via the draft.

Defensively, adding a group of experienced veterans has jump-started New England’s rebuilding process. Robert Spillane, Carlton Davis III, Harold Landry III, Milton Williams, K’Lavon Chaisson and others have helped establish the hustle-and-hit culture that Vrabel demands. The Patriots will need to supplement the vets’ efforts with more youngsters on the front line, but the culture has been established, and the team’s core group of players will maintain it as new guys jump into the lineup.

With Vrabel overseeing the operation as an experienced head coach who won three Super Bowls as a player, the future is quite bright again in Foxborough, with the franchise quarterback and nucleus in place. This only feels like the beginning. That’s right, people: New England is back.

Who will win the loaded NFC West?

The NFC West has three representatives in the current playoff picture: the Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers. With each team owning nine wins — no other division has more than one squad with as many victories — the NFC West has been the league’s best division in 2025. This sets up for a fascinating race over the next month.

So, how will the West be won? Who will win it? Here are my rankings, in terms of who has the best chance to ultimately wear the divisional crown:

Rank
1

Los Angeles Rams
9-3

Biggest reason they’ll win the division: The Rams are the most complete team in football. They have an MVP-caliber quarterback, a top-notch running back and a pair of elite pass catchers, all of whom operate in a creative attack directed by a brilliant offensive wizard. Throw in a disruptive defense with a collection of ultra-athletic players at every level, and Los Angeles has the personnel to match up with any opponent, utilizing various playing styles. Though the Rams have a couple of tough games down the stretch (vs. Detroit, at Seattle), their versatility gives them a chance to sprint through the regular-season finish line on a winning streak, putting them in place to make a Super Bowl run.

Biggest reason they’ll fall short: If the Rams fall victim to the turnover bug that led to their Week 13 loss to the Panthers, Sean McVay’s crew could stumble against inferior opponents in winnable games (SEE: two against Arizona, one at Atlanta). Barring a significant injury to the franchise quarterback or a marquee playmaker, the lack of focus and attention to detail that cost Los Angeles vs. Carolina feels like the only thing that can derail these Rams. L.A. has all of the requisite pieces for a championship puzzle, but the team must play to its potential in order to get it done.

Biggest reason they’ll win the division: Mike Macdonald has the Seahawks playing like heavyweight champions heading into the stretch run. Seattle can drop a 50-burger with Sam Darnold and Jaxon Smith-Njigba connecting on deep balls all over the field, or the team can maul opponents behind a rugged running game and ferocious defense that overwhelms foes with effort and physicality. As a group that is increasingly comfortable with its old-school approach, Seattle can knock off any team when the game is played on its terms.

Biggest reason they’ll fall short: Darnold’s big-game struggles lead to concerns about the Seahawks’ ultimate upside. The quarterback came apart at the end of last season with the Vikings, and his four-pick meltdown against the Rams a few weeks ago resurrected questions about his finishing skills. Though these ‘Hawks are not a one-man show, the QB1’s inconsistencies under pressure could keep them out of the winner’s circle.

Rank
3

San Francisco 49ers
9-4

Biggest reason they’ll win the division: Kyle Shanahan and Robert Saleh deserve weekly game balls for their exceptional scheming this season. The coaching duo has maximized the talents of an injury-ravaged roster to keep the 49ers in the hunt despite numerous ailments that have sidelined most of the team’s biggest stars (Brock Purdy, Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, George Kittle and Brandon Aiyuk). The returns of the franchise quarterback and star tight end have boosted the team’s prospects, though, and the masterful game planning/play-calling from the coaching staff gives the 49ers a puncher’s chance against any opponent.

Biggest reason they’ll fall short: With a roster ravaged by the injury bug, the Niners lack the star power to overwhelm the best opponents on their remaining schedule. The loss of a premier pass rusher (Bosa) and defensive playmaker (Warner) could haunt them in three matchups against potent offenses (Colts, Bears and Seahawks) over the last three weeks of the regular season. Additionally, Purdy’s inconsistent play could force Shanahan to rely heavily on Christian McCaffrey to carry the load down the stretch. Despite CMC’s spectacular performance in 2025, the star running back cannot single-handedly whip the heavyweights on the schedule.