With no undefeated team left in the 2025 NFL season, every team’s weaknesses have now been exposed, and analysts are looking at this season with a new perspective. And given that the Detroit Lions have been mowing down opponents left and right, it should probably come as little surprise that they have climbed to the the top of most power rankings. It also helps when the two teams who were commonly put above them—the Eagles and Bills—were handed their first loss and look flawed.
Let’s take a look at how things shook out in this week’s power rankings.
The Ringer: 1 (Previous rank: 3)
Let’s welcome the Lions back to a familiar place: the top spot in our power rankings.
While new offensive coordinator John Morton hasn’t (yet) captured the league’s attention in the same way his predecessor Ben Johnson did, Morton has maintained the best feature of this Detroit offense: Anybody can be the star. Tight end Sam LaPorta, receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, and running back Jahmyr Gibbs each have had their turn at chunk gains, and it feels like Morton always has the right counterpunch dialed up when defenses adjust. Few teams make it look as easy as Detroit does.
NFL.com: 1 (Previous rank: 3)
After the Eagles and Bills lost, it wasn’t hard to vault the Lions to the top spot, with Detroit having hit another gear since the thorough beating suffered in Week 1 at Green Bay. Sunday’s performance was great for three quarters, but then the Bengals went into turbo mode and almost made it a game again. All of the top teams have had games such as this, so I am not going to make too much of what happened in the fourth quarter. Knowing Dan Campbell, he’ll mine it as a source of inspiration. But there remains the question of just how good this defense is. The formula of containing the run and forcing turnovers worked until the Lions got overaggressive and less disciplined late in the game. We’ve seen far more good defensively than bad over the past three-plus games, but the true test will come against the Chiefs on Sunday night.
Sports Illustrated: 1 (Previous rank: 3)
We can start getting cynical this time of year, especially if our team, or fantasy lineup, or both is already in the toilet. But David Montgomery getting to play in front of his sister for the first time was incredible. Anyway, the Lions are playing with steam right now and the running game is still rounding into form.
ESPN: 1 (Previous rank: 3)
From ESPN Staff, excerpt from Eric Woodyard:
Fantasy surprise: WR Jameson Williams
After his first 1,000-yard season in 2024, Williams has started slowly in 2025. He hasn’t logged more than 50 receiving yards in four games, as he works to get in sync with veteran quarterback Jared Goff and overcome dropped passes. Williams is viewed as a risky option because he’s averaging only 7.9 fantasy points per game in PPR leagues. He hasn’t turned limited targets into production or delivered consistently this season — but he can still make big plays.
Yahoo Sports: 1 (Previous rank: 3)
Every team has a loss now. And while the Lions’ defeat in Week 1 wasn’t good, the last four weeks have been excellent. They’ve scored 52, 38, 34 and 37 points in the four wins. Given the Lions’ recent track record and how they’ve rebounded since Week 1, they deserve their turn at No. 1 this season.
The Athletic: 1 (Previous rank: 3)
Who have they beaten? Bears, Ravens, Browns, Bengals
That season-opening loss to the Packers feels like ancient history after four consecutive wins. But the easy part of their schedule is over, and a brutal stretch awaits, especially without cornerback Terrion Arnold. Their next five games are against the Chiefs, Buccaneers, Vikings, Commanders and Eagles.
CBS Sports: 1 (Previous rank: 3)
The offense is cooking right now, kicking aside the notion that Ben Johnson would be missed. They face a big one at Kansas City this week.
USA Today: 1 (Previous rank: 5)
While many teams have legit claims, they’re our new No. 1. Winners of four in a row, by an average margin of 19 points, nobody in the league is playing better. And Ben Who? The Lions’ 174 points scored are the most through five games in franchise history. Sunday night’s trip to Arrowhead should verify or debunk how accurately we’ve slotted Dan Campbell’s troops.
Sporting News: 2 (Previous rank: 5)
The Lions’ offense is humming with typical balance and explosiveness after a rough Week 1 at Green Bay. The defense has started to become a bigger factor imposing its will, thanks to Aidan Hutchinson performing at a dominant all-around level.
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