NFL Week 3 Power Rankings roundup: Detroit Lions on the rise, despite loss to Atlanta

One writer has Lions as top five team

Darius Slay #23 of the Detroit Lions celebrates his interception against the Atlanta Falcons during the second half at Ford Field on September 24, 2017 in Detroit, Michigan.

DETROIT – Despite a heartbreaking and controversial loss to the defending NFC champions Atlanta Falcons last week, the Lions are gaining credibility.

This week's power rankings roundup shows the Lions, at least in some circles, rising on the charts, despite the loss.

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The Lions are entering Week 4 with a 2-1 record as they take on the Minnesota Vikings in their first divisional game of the year.

4 things we learned about the Detroit Lions after controversial loss to Falcons

Here's where other experts have the Lions in the NFL power rankings:

ESPN: No.8 (Up from No. 12): Matthew Stafford: 64.6 Total QBR. Stafford ranks fifth in Total QBR, and it would be even better had Golden Tate not been ruled down at the end of the Falcons game. A pair of stingy defenses await in the Vikings and Panthers over the next two weeks, but Stafford's efficiency should make the Lions a tough foe for anyone.

NFL.com: No. 4 (Up from No. 8): What a Lions-y way to lose. Watching the game live, I didn't think Golden Tate was down by contact. After watching the replays and listening to Fox analyst Dean Blandino, my thoughts drifted to whether referee Walt Coleman would have the requisite cojones to overturn Tate's touchdown on the field. Uh, he did. Yet another bizarre Detroit loss at the hands of the NFL rulebook. Remember the 2010 opener at Chicago? Never mind -- please don't think about that. Cancel, cancel. The important takeaway: The Lions could've beaten the Falcons. They can take down any team in the NFC. I mean, did you see Bengals-Packers?

Washington Post: No. 9 (Down from No. 8): The Lions appear to have staying power as a top NFC contender. They were every bit as good as the Falcons on Sunday, losing by only the thinnest of margins via the instant replay review that negated their would-be winning TD.

CBS Sports: No. 14 (Down from No. 10): They were inches from being 3-0, but lost to the Falcons when Golden Tate was short of the goal line in the closing seconds. Even so, this is an improved team.    

Bleacher Report: No. 6 (Up from No. 8): The Lions faced a tough matchup. They were in a dome against the Falcons—who are the best team in the NFC and perhaps the fastest team in the NFL indoors and on turf. If a couple of plays had bounced the other way, Detroit would have won.

Yahoo Sports: No. 13 (Up from No. 15): The Lions have been on the bad end of some tough losses, but not even having the chance to run another play, because the officials incorrectly ruled a touchdown on the field and it was overturned, that has to be the worst one. There’s really no doubt that had Golden Tate been ruled down at the 1-yard line, Detroit would have gotten another snap off. Instead, the 10-second runoff after the replay review ended the game. The rule was enforced correctly – and no, there’s no league-wide conspiracy against the Lions – but it was unfair how it ended.


About the Author:

Ken Haddad has proudly been with WDIV/ClickOnDetroit since 2013. He also authors the Morning Report Newsletter and various other newsletters, and helps lead the WDIV Insider team. He's a big sports fan and is constantly sipping Lions Kool-Aid.