Last week the Detroit Lions moved into the top spot in some power rankings, but still rankers for the most part kept them out of it. Surely they're in first everywhere after a dominant win over the Titans and the Chiefs barely squeaking out a win against the Raiders right? Let's see. 

ESPN: 2nd

Previous ranking: 2nd

"Bates signed as a free agent with the Lions in June after one season in the UFL and a brief stint with the Texans in 2023. He was named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for Week 7 after nailing the game-winning 44-yard field goal with 15 seconds remaining to help Detroit secure a victory at Minnesota. Bates is 11-for-11 on field goals and 27-for-28 on extra points this season." – Eric Woodyard

The Athletic: 1st

Previous ranking: 1st

"They're peaking too early? That’s about the only thing we can find to worry the Lions right now. Detroit is averaging 43 points per game since Week 4 and its average margin of victory in that span is 22.8 points. Jared Goff passed for 85 yards Sunday, and the Lions scored 51 points. For the season, the Lions lead the league in rushing success rate (47.5 percent) and are second in expected points added through the run game (.12 per carry), according to TruMedia." -Josh Kendall

Sports Illustrated: 1st

Previous ranking: 1st

"One thing I love about Dan Campbell is that when he walks to the podium for a press conference, he grabs it by the shoulders like someone he bullied in high school. When he’s about to start talking, he’s there. When I was reporting for the magazine on Campbell and the Lions for our football preview issue, there was a note about the beauty in the way he meanders through talking points—sometimes with no conclusion or meaning. It’s with that in mind that his weekly Game Balls segment is a must watch for me. This team has to keep winning." -Connor Orr

Bleacher Report: 2nd

Previous ranking: 2nd

"As you can see from a quick glance at the scoreboard, the Lions are rolling. They dismantled an overmatched Titans team by 38 points in a game where their defense forced four turnovers while the offense amassed only 225 total yards." -NFL Staff

CBS Sports: 2nd

Previous ranking: 2nd

"They racked up 52 points against the Titans and didn't need to do a lot on offense. The special teams came up big in that one as they head into a giant division game against the Packers." -Pete Prisco

Yahoo Sports: 2nd

Previous ranking: 2nd

"Over Detroit’s past five games they have more touchdowns (25) than incompletions (20), the first team since the 1970 merger to do that over a five-game stretch, according to CBS. Yeah, this team is fun to watch." -Frank Schwab

The Sporting News: 2nd

Previous ranking: 2nd

"The Lions looked sharp again offensively by spreading the ball around in a different way to keep Jared Goff hyper-efficient. They should be considered strong NFC favorites after knocking off Minnesota and dropping 50 on Tennessee in back-to-back weeks." -Vinnie Iyer

The world is totally misreading something Lions head coach Dan Campbell said and did on Monday and it’s not the first time he’s done this

It's NFL trade deadline season, that means we've reached that part of the season where every little thing means something. It's the opposite of draft season where everything means nothing and it's all just a smoke screen. Because everything means something, some Lions fans and national media outlets are misreading a moment that Detroit Lions […]