The Detroit Lions are back on top!
Well, towards the top, anyway. That's a big improvement upon a fall from grace after a Week 1 demolishing of them at the hands of NFC North rivals in the Green Bay Packers. Week 2 proved to be the perfect soothing elixir for fans who might've been ready to hit the panic button after witnessing Detroit get shellacked by the Packers' defense, as the Lions returned the favor to the Chicago Bears in a 52-21 home victory.
Detroit has shot back up on NFL Spin Zone's power rankings ahead of Week 3, as they leap from 15th to 7th behind their huge statement win against former offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. Sayre Bedinger of the site wrote:
"Heck of a week for the Detroit Lions. As dejected and defeated as their fan base undoubtedly was after a Week 1 drubbing at the hands of the Green Bay Packers, they’ve got to feel equally cathartic about coming out in Week 2 and absolutely annihilating the Chicago Bears. And annihilate them, they did."
Bedinger goes on to cite the 8.8 yards per play that offensive coordinator John Morton orchestrated on the day, and the fact that quarterback Jared Goff had a pristine pocket to work with as he suffered no sacks. All in all, while it's clear that the Bears are simply not doing well to begin the year, it's obvious that the Lions still have quite the powerhouse of an offense rostered.
Lions rise in power rankings ahead of Week 3 against Ravens
Detroit's Week 3 opponent, the Baltimore Ravens, landed 3rd in Bedinger's power rankings. A team led by Lamar Jackson will always be considered a contender, while Baltimore also rosters one of the scariest defenses in the league led by Kyle Hamilton and Roquan Smith.
The Lions are going to have to show that their contest against an equally as scary defense in Week 1 was an anomaly, and that they can scheme against one.
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It'll be a huge test for Morton, who still has a bit of a probationary tag on him until the team topples a legitimate threat like the Ravens in a contest.
The same goes for defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard, who has to be thrilled that his defense didn't make his media availability prior to Week 2 look silly. If they can lock down Jackson and their dual threat offense, that's adds major legitimacy to Sheppard's tenure at DC.