Pride of Detroit
Are the Kansas City Chiefs or Detroit Lions the best team in the NFL? Let’s take a look at some NFL Week 8 power rankings.
Are the Detroit Lions the best team in football? Advanced analytics seem to think so, but what about the NFL analysts who are paid to expound on such subjects?
Well, for the first time this year, in the nine NFL power rankings articles that we gather every week, the Lions are unanimously in the top two. However, the jury is split: are the 6-1 Lions the top team in the NFL or do the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs hold the top spot?
The Chiefs have a convincing argument given three factors: they’re the only remaining undefeated team, they have the best quarterback in football (even if Patrick Mahomes is currently struggling), and they’re coming off back-to-back Super Bowls. We can trust their legitimacy.
However, if just assessing teams by their 2024 performance, it’s hard not to look at the Lions as the best team right now. They rank first in DVOA, while the Chiefs are fourth. Detroit has scored the most points per game in football, while Kansas City is ninth. The Lions rank higher in both offensive EPA (fourth vs. 10th) and defensive EPA (fifth vs. 10th).
Here’s what other NFL analysts have to say on the topic, in our Week 9 NFL power rankings roundup:
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.
You know a team is loaded when it scores 52 points on a subpar offensive day.
If all you saw of the Lions-Titans game on Sunday were the highlights on NFL RedZone, you might have come away thinking Detroit put on an offensive performance master class. In reality, Detroit finished Sunday’s game with just 61 net passing yards because of a handful of sacks, but it still coasted for three quarters on its way to a 38-point win. This team can beat you however it wants, and against Tennessee, it did so by forcing turnovers and delivering the best special teams performance we’ve seen in the NFL this season (Detroit’s special teams gained over 250 yards on their punt and kick returns).
Something Scary: They’re peaking too early?
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