Power Rankings: Lions Universally Considered No. 1 NFL Team

A look at where Lions stand in updated NFL power rankings.

Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14). / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Here's a look at where the Detroit Lions stand in the most recent NFL power rankings, after soundly defeating the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 11.

Sports Illustrated

Power ranking: 1st

Previous ranking: 1st

We’ll begin here to say this: I was happy the Lions throttled the Jaguars over the weekend. When I was reporting out the cover story for this year’s football preview issue in Detroit, the theme of controlling the controllable essentially saved the Lions’ franchise. Wading through the muck can seem so daunting when you consider the entirety of it all…but less so when you just focus on one step. The Lions aren’t worried about a Super Bowl right now, the team put together a plan against Jacksonville; specific playsforJacksonville. It’s not Detroit’s fault that the Jaguars opted not to show up or stop them. 

The Athletic

Power ranking: 1st

Previous ranking: 2nd

There’s no better marriage of coach and city than in Detroit where Dan Campbell has been a one-man city revitalization effort. The Lions are 23-7  (including playoffs) since the beginning of last season. They had 38 first downs and outgained the Jaguars by 475 yards Sunday. Detroit has beaten three teams by at least 38 points this season, and its point differential (plus-15.9 per game) is on pace to be second-highest in the NFL since at least 2000 behind only the 2007 Patriots, according to TruMedia. “If people got problems with what we’re doing or complaining about it, they can just come out here and play better football. That’s the only fix to this problem,” cornerback Carlton Davis said.

CBS Sports

Power ranking: 1st

Previous ranking: 2nd

They abused the Jaguars on Sunday to get the offense back on track. They are rolling as the top seed in the NFC.

More: Detroit Lions Equipped to Punish Weak NFL Teams

Yahoo Sports 

Power ranking: 1st

Previous ranking: 1st

There is a big gap between No. 1 and No. 2. In Jared Goff’s past seven games, he has thrown no interceptions in six of them, and five interceptions in the other one. That was a weird one-off in a torrid stretch that includes Sunday’s perfect 158.3 passer rating.

Bleacher Report

Power ranking: 1st

Previous ranking: 2nd

There wasn't much to learn about the Lions during their 52-6 laugher against the Jaguars. We already knew that Detroit was capable of making bad teams look really, really bad.

I still have some concerns about Detroit's defense, though it has shown some growth in the secondary and got a good one in pass-rusher Za'Darius Smith. With the offense rolling the way it is, any defensive questions might be irrelevant.

USA Today

Power ranking: 1st

Previous ranking: 2nd

With K.C. finally falling from the ranks of the unbeaten –- flimsy as the champs' "perfection" was – there's no more denying Motown is currently the epicenter of the NFL universe. The Lions' +159 point differential is more than 50 clear of anyone else. Their 46-point win over Jacksonville on Sunday was the largest in the franchise's 95-season history, and the 645 yards gained were also Detroit's most ever. They're only the third team in the Super Bowl era (since 1966) to win three of their first 10 games by at least 35 points and the second since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger to score at least 50 points in back-to-back home games. Good luck, Indy.

Detroit Lions cornerback Amik Robertson (21) poses for a photo after 52-6 win over Jacksonville Jaguars / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

ESPN

Power ranking: 1st

Previous ranking: 2nd

Jameson Williams has been a huge part of the Lions' high-powered offense and might even have exceeded most on-field expectations with his stellar play as a deep threat. After a slow start to his NFL career, the No. 12 pick of the 2022 draft is the team's second-leading receiver through Week 11 (behind All-Pro WR Amon-Ra St. Brown) despite being suspended two games for violating the NFL's performance-enhancing substances policy. Williams exploded for a career-best 124 receiving yards and a 64-yard touchdown against Jacksonville.

Sporting News

Power ranking: 1st

Previous ranking: 2nd

The Lions got their offense back on track at home with Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery, and the running game fueling everything for Jared Goff again. They also have seen their defense improve and make more impact plays with each ensuing game, even without Aidan Hutchinson. The loss of LB Alex Anzalone (arm) for what's likely to be the rest of the regular season will hurt, though.