The Lions keep climbing, and the league keeps moving the goalposts.
Detroit is 5-2 now, riding a three-game winning streak and stacking back-to-back NFC North wins over the Packers in Week 7 and the Vikings in Week 8. That’s the kind of run that usually pushes a team firmly into the top tier. And yet, in this week’s power rankings, the Lions still aren’t quite getting universal buy-in.
What is clear is that Detroit keeps showing different ways to win. Against the Cardinals, the passing game carried the day.
Against Green Bay, the Lions controlled the ball and the clock. Against Minnesota, they answered aggression with aggression, leaning on the run and taking over on the ground.
That versatility has been the story of this stretch, and the defense has quietly improved along the way, even if some national rankings are still leaning too heavily on season-long numbers.
Sports Illustrated moved Detroit up to No. 4 from No. 7.
NFL.com bumped the Lions to No. 5 from No. 11.
The Athletic has them at No. 7, up from No. 9.
USA Today also slotted them at No. 7, rising from No. 11.
Yahoo Sports placed them at No. 8, up from No. 10.
The Athletic still put a spotlight on the defensive concerns, pointing out that Detroit’s defensive EPA through eight weeks, minus-60.22, is the 16th-worst of any team in the last 10 years, according to TruMedia. But even in that same game, Jahmyr Gibbs was the difference-maker.
He rushed for a career-best 99 yards after forcing a missed tackle, according to NextGenStats, and finished with 23 carries for 153 yards. He now has more touchdowns in his first four seasons, 59, than anyone other than Terrell Davis and LaDainian Tomlinson.
That workload is starting to draw attention, too. USA Today noted Gibbs is on pace for 464 touches, which would be the second-highest total in NFL history. James Wilder had 492 in 1984.
Yahoo Sports focused on the roster-building side of the equation, suggesting cornerback remains a clear need and that it seems hard to believe the deadline will pass without Detroit doing something at the position. The same ranking also pointed to linebacker Jack Campbell’s neck injury, noting both the human side of the situation and the football reality: Detroit will presumably be without one of its best off-ball linebackers indefinitely.
Pete Prisco’s take was simpler. The Lions beat the Packers and the Vikings in consecutive weeks in low-scoring games, and that’s a different formula for this team - but a promising one.
ESPN’s in-season trade note also gave Detroit a nod, calling DE Za’Darius Smith in 2024 the best in-season trade acquisition ever. Smith posted four sacks in eight regular-season games for the Lions, who went on to a team-record 15 wins and the NFC’s No. 1 seed in 2024. Detroit got Smith and a 2026 seventh-round pick from the Browns for a 2025 fifth-rounder and a 2026 sixth-rounder.
Vinnie Iyer pointed to the same thing everyone else is noticing: the defense has taken a real step forward over the last two weeks. After giving up almost 30 points per game through the first five games, the Lions have allowed just 32 total over the past two. Next up is Miami, and Detroit will try to keep the momentum rolling there.
In Other News...
Lions May Finally Be Forced To Test Ahmed Hassanein
Ahmed Hassanein has spent this season on the Lions 53-man roster without getting into a game, which is a little surprising for a young pass rusher who flashed enough in the preseason to make people take notice. He brought pressure, finished plays and looked like the kind of developmental edge defender Detroit would want to keep close, even if the regular-season path to snaps has been crowded.
Now the door may be opening a bit. With D.J. Wonnum working through concussion protocol, the Lions could be looking for another body on the edge, and Aidan Hutchinson has already pointed to Hassanein as someone who may be ready for a chance. For a player who has been waiting on the sideline after earning his roster spot, this could be the week Detroit finally finds out what it has. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Suddenly Have A Linebacker Depth Issue They Must Address
The Lions are dealing with an unexpected shakeup at linebacker after injuries to Jack Campbell and Jimmy Rolder left the group thinner than planned. In response, Detroit has moved to shore up the room by creating roster space, a sign the team is trying to get ahead of a depth problem before it becomes a larger issue.
One of the names tied to the fix is Owen Pappoe, who was recently released by the Titans after previously being waived by the Cardinals. The roster shuffle has already included placing Rolder on injured reserve and waiving safety Bishop Fitzgerald, though the corresponding moves are still waiting on official announcement. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Suddenly Have A Linebacker Problem They Can't Ignore
The Lions have been forced to keep an eye on their linebacker room as injuries continue to thin out the group, and the front office has already started looking for help. Owen Pappoe, who has spent time with the Cardinals and Titans, visited the Allen Park Performance Center and is expected to join Detroits practice squad as the team tries to stabilize a position that suddenly needs more bodies.
Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes have been working through the roster with that urgency in mind, knowing the depth chart can change quickly this time of year. With Jimmy Rolder unavailable and Jack Campbell also dealing with an injury, Detroit is left searching for answers while trying to preserve enough flexibility to get through the next stretch. [Read more 🡒]