Lions' Week 7 Power Rankings
How does a victory over one of the worst teams in the National Football League impact the Lions' status in the national media power rankings? Let's take a look.
Week 7 rank: 24th
Previous rank: 23rd
"It was nice to see D’Andre Swift have his first big game as a pro during a get-right win against the Jaguars. The Lions are good enough to escape the league’s bottom tier but I have a hard time believing they’re going to win enough games to keep the Matt Patricia era going into 2021."
Week 7 rank: 22nd
Previous rank: 25th
"The Lions finally put together a complete effort on Sunday and were rewarded with a rarity for Detroit: the blowout victory. On defense, it was the revival of the pass rush, which consistently got after Gardner Minshew and forced the mustachioed Jaguars passer into hurried throws and mistakes. On offense, we saw a breakout performance from D'Andre Swift, the rookie running back who went off for 116 yards and two touchdowns. Swift became the first Lions rookie with 100 rushing yards and two scores in a game since Barry Sanders in 1989. The performance should lead to a more prominent role for Swift, who has been splitting work with Adrian Peterson , a future Hall of Famer who has -- to borrow a Parcells-ism -- reached the "progress-stopper" stage of his career."
Detroit Lions rookie running back D'Andre Swift
Reinhold Matay, USA TODAY Sports
Week 7 rank: 22nd
Previous rank: 26th
Matt Patricia adjusted his defense and simplified certain aspects of his teams game plan.
As a result, Detroit's defense was far more aggressive and peppered Gardner Minshew all afternoon.
Week 7 rank: 22nd
Previous rank: 25th
"The Lions needed a win badly coming out of the bye for Matt Patricia and their defense, passing game and dynamic rookie D'Andre Swift all were key in taking care of a lesser Jaguars team. Don't sleep on them getting back in the NFC wild-card race with a favorable schedule ahead."
Week 7 rank: 23rd
Previous rank: 25th
"This is largely because it has exposed some of the issues Detroit has in its secondary. The Lions might have played Jeff Okudah early anyway in place of Amani Oruwariye, but Trufant's hamstring injuries have forced a starting group of Oruwariye and Okudah. Oruwariye has thrived, showing real growth in his second year. Okudah, the rookie, has struggled, but he can't be replaced until Trufant returns. Being able to watch for a little while after getting used to the NFL speed did wonders for Darius Slay as a rookie. It could do the same for Okudah."
Week 7 rank: 21st
Previous rank: 23rd
"For one Sunday at least, the Detroit Lions looked like a good football team.
But the Lions didn't just beat the Jags. They throttled Jacksonville, racing out to a 24-3 lead and never looking back.
If you're looking for cause for optimism going forward in Motown, there were a few. Wide receiver Kenny Golladay had another big game, topping 100 yards on four catches. And rookie tailback D'Andre Swift had easily his best game as a pro, rushing for 116 yards and two scores on 14 carries. If they put forth an effort like we saw Sunday in those seemingly winnable games, they just might get back to .500 and on the fringes of playoff contention."
Week 7 rank: 24th
Previous rank: 26th
"Built lead? Good. Held lead? Better."
Week 7 rank: 23rd
Previous rank: 23rd
"They have won two consecutive games and dominated a bad Jaguars team. DeAndre Swift looks like the real deal at running back."
Week 7 rank: 22nd
Previous rank: 25th
"The Lions moved up a couple spots this week after Sunday’s win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jaguars are one of the handful of worst teams in the league, but the Lions played a pretty complete game and with so many dreadful teams sitting at one win, they deserved a little bump."
Get the latest Detroit Lions news by joining our community. Click "Follow" at the top right of our SI All Lions page. Mobile users click the notification bell. Be sure to follow us on Twitter @DetroitPodcast.
