After Bye Week, Lions Dip in Power Rankings

The Lions might not have played in Week 5, but they did dip in the power rankings of a few sites this week.

Read below to find out where ESPN and others ranked the Lions.

ESPN: 16th

Previous ranking: 15th

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"Johnson would be the first one to tell you he doesn't care about his fantasy production, just what his teammates and coaches are asking of him. But it hasn't been the most productive fantasy year for him, topping 50 yards just once and scoring twice in four weeks. However, Johnson looks like he found something in his most recent contest against Kansas City in which he rushed for 125 yards. The schedule doesn't get much easier, with Green Bay and Minnesota next, but Johnson appears to have found some rhythm, which should bode well the rest of the season." -- Michael Rothstein

Sporting News: 15th

Previous ranking: 14th

"The Lions enjoyed a bye after a solid all-around start for their leaders, Matt Patricia and Matthew Stafford. Now everything ramps up in the quest for the division with the Packers and Vikings up next back-to-back." -- Vinnie Iyer

CBS: 16th

Previous ranking: 12th

"They come off the bye with a tough Monday night road game at Green Bay against the Packers. If they can win that one, the division race will be tighter and more people will think the Lions can compete." -- Pete Prisco

USA Today: 10th

Previous ranking: 11th

"Over the last full season, it could be said that the Lions gave the rest of the league a paradigm to stop the league’s two most explosive offenses. In Week 13 last season, Detroit faced a Rams team on fire. They countered Jared Goff with aggressive coverage and didn’t bite on Sean McVay’s backfield motion packages, and Goff hasn’t been the same since. In Week 4 this season, they gave Patrick Mahomes all the man and match coverage he could handle, to great effect. Matt Patricia’s team lost both of those games, but the league owes them a debt of gratitude. As the Lions come off their bye and prepare to face the Packers, perhaps they can reap the benefits of their vision with a few more wins." -- Doug Farrar

Bleacher Report: 14th

Previous ranking: 13th

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