Power Rankings: Lions Team to Beat in NFC

The Detroit Lions produced a convicincing win over the Tennessee Titans to earn their fifth straight victory and improve to 6-1 on the season.

Here's a look at where the Lions rank in a series of power rankings from pundits and analysts across the league.

Sports Illustrated

Power ranking: 1st

Previous rank: 1st

One thing I love about Dan Campbell is that when he walks to the podium for a press conference, he grabs it by the shoulders like someone he bullied in high school. When he’s about to start talking, he’s there. When I was reporting for the magazine on Campbell and the Lions for our football preview issue, there was a note about the beauty in the way he meanders through talking points—sometimes with no conclusion or meaning. It’s with that in mind that his weekly Game Balls segment is a must watch for me. This team has to keep winning.

The Athletic

Power ranking: 1st

Previous ranking: 1st

They're peaking too early. That’s about the only thing we can find to worry the Lions right now. Detroit is averaging 43 points per game since Week 4 and its average margin of victory in that span is 22.8 points. Jared Goff passed for 85 yards Sunday, and the Lions scored 51 points. For the season, the Lions lead the league in rushing success rate (47.5 percent) and are second in expected points added through the run game (.12 per carry), according to TruMedia.

CBS Sports

Power ranking: 2nd

Previous rank: 2nd

They racked up 52 points against the Titans and didn't need to do a lot on offense. The special teams came up big in that one as they head into a giant division game against the Packers.

Yahoo Sports

Power ranking: 2nd

Previous rank: 2nd

Over Detroit’s past five games they have more touchdowns (25) than incompletions (20), the first team since the 1970 merger to do that over a five-game stretch, according to CBS. Yeah, this team is fun to watch.