Detroit Lions Week 7 Power Rankings: Despite Flaws, Team Moves Up

Here are the latest Week 7 NFL power rankings and how the Detroit Lions fared, after their Week 6 bye.

Power ranking: 12th
Previous ranking: 11th

"Detroit's offense is tied with Buffalo for the most offensive points scored per game (32.8), which has been fueled by a strong start from veteran QB Jared Goff (12 touchdown passes with zero interceptions). But the Lions could improve on third down. They are currently ranked 22nd in third-down conversion percentage at 37.3%. And to go even deeper, Detroit is tied for dead last in third-and-short percentage (third-and-3 or less) at 43.8%."

The Athletic

Power ranking: 9th
Previous ranking: 12th

"Fantasy football focus: Jared Goff. Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs is the low-hanging fruit. He’s leading all fantasy scorers with 30.7 points per game, but that was expected. How about Goff, who is third among quarterbacks in scoring (23.0 ppg)? The 11-year veteran has 12 touchdowns and no interceptions and is fourth in EPA per dropback (0.29)."

Fox Sports

Power ranking: 13th
Previous ranking: 14th

"Dan Campbell did not fire defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard during the bye week, which is interesting considering how bad Sheppard’s defense has been. The Lions are giving up an astonishing 404.4 yards per game, including three games (out of five) where the opponents topped 440 yards and 30 points. It’s a shame, really, because the Lions offense can run up the score on any team in the league, but the defense is going to kill them. Teams rarely last in the NFL when their only hope is to win 41-38 while praying they get the ball last."

USA Today

Power ranking: 11th
Previous ranking: 12th

"Still 3-2 after their bye week, they've fallen into the NFC North basement … but that can change fast with the Packers and Vikings coming to Ford Field the next two weeks."

Fansided

Power ranking: 18th
Previous ranking: 21st

"I have not forgotten how horrible this defense is … I just didn’t have to watch them this week and that’s a good thing. They should be getting a little healthier. They should still be able to win some shootouts. We are dealing with some seriously flawed teams in this territory."

Bleacher Report

Power ranking: 16th
Previous ranking: 16th

"The Detroit Lions are one of the most Jekyll-and-Hyde teams in the league.

The offense has been lethally efficient—led by quarterback Jared Goff, running back Jahmyr Gibbs and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit is sixth in the league in total offense and leads the NFC at 32.8 points per game. You know that the Lions are going to score.

Unfortunately, you also know the Lions can't stop anyone from scoring. The Lions have been atrocious defensively—especially against the pass. Detroit entered Week 6 as the only team in the league allowing 400 yards of offense per game. The Lions are also dead last against the pass and have allowed just under 30 points per contest.

Given those defensive deficiencies, it's kind of difficult to imagine these Lions making a deep playoff run. Winning (or losing) shootouts every week will only get you so far."

Sporting News

Power ranking: 14th
Previous ranking: 13th

"The Lions have a strange defensive dichotomy. They led the league with 20 sacks going into their Week 6 bye, but they also had the No. 32 pass defense. Their job is to turn that pressure into better results in the second half of the season."

CBS Sports

Power ranking: 11th
Previous ranking: 12th

"The bye last week was a good thing for an ailing team as they ready to face the hot Packers this week. The key is improving the bad defense going forward."

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