All the major outlets have the Detroit Lions in the top tier of their Week 1 NFL power rankings…. except one.
The first game of the 2024 NFL season is just days away, and it’s just time to say the quiet part out loud: the Detroit Lions are one of the best teams in football and quite possibly the best. This team has Super Bowl aspirations, and just about every analyst you’ll read or hear from will agree that goal is both justified and attainable for the Lions team.
That is more than reflected in the opening week’s power rankings across various outlets. Of the nine outlets we looked at, seven had Detroit in the top three to start the season, and only one had them out of the top five entirely.
Let’s take a closer look at what these outlets are saying about the Lions as they enter the 2024 NFL season.
Yahoo Sports: 2
The Lions had some injury scares during training camp and preseason but it doesn’t seem like any major contributors will miss Week 1. We’ll have to see if rookie first-round pick Terrion Arnold gets a starting nod for Week 1 after missing time in August with a pectoral injury.
The Athletic: 2
These guys were in a good mood when they were 1-6 in 2022. Now, they have won 21 of their last 29 games, and wide receiver Jameson Williams looks like he’s taken a step forward in practice. Add Williams’ dynamic breakaway speed to an offense that finished third in the league in yards per play last year (5.9), and Campbell might not even need that 12th daily cup of coffee.
MMQB: 2
The Sports Illustrated preseason Super Bowl favorite Lions come in at No. 2 on our power rankings. We can discuss a lot about this roster but, for me, the strength is on the line of scrimmages. This is a decidedly unsexy way of talking about a team with Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jahmyr Gibbs, among many others. But D.J. Reader, Alim McNeill and Aidan Hutchinson as a combination are way more exciting to me. The Lions are going to absolutely wear teams down by forcing them into obvious passing situations which will lessen the stress on their still-developing secondary. They are also going to continue to be one of the most dominant possession teams in the NFL. Last year, the Lions held onto the ball for more than 31 minutes per game. The Browns, for reference, were the only club that broke the 32 minute barrier last year.
USA Today: 2
Remember that WR Jameson Williams nearly put them over the top against the Niners in the 2023 NFC championship game. If he can develop into a consistent threat over a full season, there may be no stopping this team.
The Ringer: 2
For the first time in my life, the Detroit Lions have real expectations to be one of the best teams in the NFL. Coming off of an NFC title game appearance last season, this team brought back both coordinators, nearly all of its offensive starters, and added experienced veterans Marcus Davenport, Carlton Davis, and Amik Robertson on defense, as well as first-round pick cornerback Terrion Arnold. In theory, all the defensive pieces are in place to play the style of football that Detroit wants: crushing the pocket up front and playing man coverage on the back end. Even if the defense’s aggression means they give up explosive passes at times, this defense should be much better against the pass on a down-to-down basis than it was a season ago.
Sporting News: 3
The Lions are hoping to make the NFC a two-team race after being strong runners-up to the 49ers last season. Detroit lost no key coaches and also worked more on shoring up weaknesses. The offense should be a little more explosive, and the defense should give Aidan Hutchinson more playmaking support on the back end.
The 33rd team: 3
The Detroit Lions were just a few plays away from reaching the Super Bowl last year, and they made sure to retool their roster to give themselves an even better chance of taking down the 49ers.
The secondary has been completely rebuilt, and they are hoping Jack Campbell will take a step in Year 2. If Detroit’s defense can be respectable, the Lions should be right back in the NFC Championship Game again.
NFL.com: 4
The 2023 Lions were a few plays away from reaching a Super Bowl with a defense that started out somewhat promisingly last season but really slipped after the early-November bye. Naturally, a lot of the focus has been placed on how much difference a revamped secondary and a beefed-up front can do for this team. Interestingly, the offense didn’t really cook until the defense had backslid a bit, so you almost have to marvel at how Detroit got to 12-5 in spite of very few complete performances — offense, defense and special teams all getting it done — after about Week 4. Believe it or not, I actually see this as a positive. The Lions were absolutely fearless, which was a big driver of their success, and I don’t expect that to change much this season. Now the talent level has risen, if only incrementally, but the biggest gains might be in the secondary and defensive front — two areas where Detroit arguably had the most room for growth. The NFC North is suddenly a bear, and the journey might not be as gilded at times, but I think the Lions can find a way to forge through with another banner season.
CBS Sports: 7
[Editor’s Note: Prisco has the Packers #2, so adjust your reactions accordingly]
They should once again push for a deep playoff run and more. Dan Campbell needs to stop being so reckless with his fourth-down decisions since his team is much better now.
