The Detroit Lions are moving up in the Week 7 power rankings, even with the same big problem hanging over them: the defense is a mess.
That’s the push-pull with this team right now. Offensively, Detroit is rolling.
The Lions are tied with Buffalo for the most offensive points per game at 32.8, and Jared Goff has been a huge reason why. He’s thrown 12 touchdown passes without an interception, and he’s sitting third among quarterbacks in fantasy scoring at 23.0 points per game.
Goff is also fourth in EPA per dropback at 0.29.
The numbers behind the passing game are strong, but there’s still room for clean-up. Detroit ranks 22nd in third-down conversion percentage at 37.3%, and the more specific concern is even uglier: the Lions are tied for last in third-and-short efficiency, converting third-and-3 or less at just 43.8%.
Jahmyr Gibbs is still the easy headline on fantasy boards, since he leads all fantasy scorers with 30.7 points per game. But the spotlight in this ranking write-up lands on Goff, who has quietly turned in one of the league’s sharpest starts.
The defense, though, is what keeps dragging the whole picture down. One ranking noted that Dan Campbell did not fire defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard during the bye week, calling that decision interesting given how bad the defense has been.
Detroit is allowing 404.4 yards per game, and in three of its five games the opponent has gone over 440 yards and 30 points. That kind of leak will sink almost any team, no matter how explosive the offense is.
Another assessment made the same point more bluntly: the Lions have been one of the league’s most Jekyll-and-Hyde teams. The offense, led by Goff, Gibbs and Amon-Ra St.
Brown, has been lethal enough to put Detroit sixth in total offense and first in the NFC in scoring at 32.8 points per game. But the other side of the ball has been brutal, especially against the pass.
Detroit entered Week 6 as the only team giving up 400 yards of offense per game, and it was dead last in pass defense while allowing just under 30 points per game.
That tension is why the Lions, despite all the firepower, are still viewed skeptically. Shootouts can win games, but they don’t exactly inspire confidence about a deep playoff run when the defense can’t hold up.
There is at least one wrinkle worth watching. The Lions led the league with 20 sacks going into their Week 6 bye, yet they were still sitting at No. 32 in pass defense. The challenge now is turning that pressure into actual results over the second half of the season.
Detroit comes out of the bye at 3-2 and has dropped into the NFC North basement, though that can change quickly with the Packers and Vikings coming to Ford Field over the next two weeks. The bye was seen as a useful pause for an ailing team, especially with the hot Packers up next, and the focus remains on whether the defense can improve enough to let the offense do its part.
In Other News...
Lions May Have Found The Real Key To Containing Packers Deep Shots
The Packers deep-ball game has been one of the more revealing parts of their offense so far, and the numbers point to a pretty clear pattern. Green Bay is far more willing to take those high-risk shots when the game is already tilting in its favor, especially in comfortable down-and-distance spots, while Detroits own deep passing has not shown the same kind of situational split.
For the Lions, that makes the early minutes feel especially important. If they can get on the board first and force Green Bay out of its preferred script, they may be able to blunt one of the Packers most dangerous weapons before it starts to snowball. The challenge is easier to identify than to solve, but the path is there if Detroit can control the scoreboard and make the Packers throw with more pressure on them. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Just Got A Real Opening In The NFC North Race
The NFC North race has suddenly opened up a bit for Detroit, and the reason has as much to do with the calendar as it does with what the Lions have already done on the field. Even though Minnesota is still ahead in the standings, Tankathons strength-of-schedule rankings point to a more favorable path for the Lions down the stretch, with several upcoming games that should give them a chance to keep stacking wins after the bye week.
Detroit still has plenty of work to do, but the matchup mix ahead looks friendlier than what Minnesota is facing. The Lions have divisional games and a handful of contests against teams with losing records on the schedule, while the Vikings are set to deal with a tougher closing stretch against stronger opponents, a setup that could swing the division race before long. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Post-Bye Ceiling May Hinge On One Defensive Starter
The Lions have plenty to like after three wins to open 2026, especially on offense, where the scoring has been rolling along at nearly 33 points per game. The defense has been a different story, giving up almost 30 a night and leaving some real work for the stretch after the bye. As the conversation turns to who can help stabilize things, Jack Campbell is one of the names drawing the most attention after a breakout 2025 season raised the bar for what he can be in the middle of this unit.
Campbell is not the only player the Lions need more from, with Jameson Williams and Isaac TeSlaa also part of the broader push to keep the offense carrying its share while the defense catches up. But the spotlight on Campbell feels especially sharp because the teams post-bye ceiling may depend on a defensive starter who was supposed to be one of its tone-setters. If Detroit is going to turn a good start into something sturdier, the next few weeks should tell the story. [Read more 🡒]