Week 11 Power Rankings

ESPN (21. Detroit Lions (3-5-1) - It's cliché to say the next game is the most important because it's the next one, but based on what's happening with the Lions, it really is. Detroit has lost five of six games. Its defense doesn't appear to be improving, and its offense might or might not have Matthew Stafford. The Lions get the Cowboys at home, and if they can't beat Dallas, their season will be all but over considering the state of the NFC and that of the NFC North. -- Michael Rothstein):  https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/28052040/week-11-nfl-power-rankings-1-32-poll-plus-biggest-game-left-team

MLive (No. 22 -- Detroit Lions (3-5-1): Jeff Driskel got the call as Matthew Stafford missed his first start in 136 games. Detroit lost to Chicago 20-13 at Soldier Field. The defense gave up three scores on just as many drives in the second and third quarters. Injuries are starting to pile on top of a myriad of issues in Detroit. Week 11: vs. Cowboys):  https://www.mlive.com/lions/2019/11/mlives-week-11-nfl-power-rankings-lions-stumble-after-fifth-loss-in-6-games.html

Freep (22. Lions (3-5-1) - If Matthew Stafford misses the Washington game next week, I’m not sure if the Lions will win.):   https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2019/11/12/nfl-power-rankings-we-have-new-no-1-detroit-lions-slide-some-more/2572150001/

SN (22. Detroit Lions, 3-5-1 (18):  The Lions did their best to hang with the Bears, with Jeff Driskel doing his best Matthew Stafford impression at times. But the injury-related uncertainty of their usually durable leader during his best NFL season has to be a big emotional blow.):  https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/nfl-power-rankings-ravens-packers-vikings-chiefs-cowboys-colts-week-11/f10tgyna768317ehx1mospsb5

AP Pro32 (22. Lions):  https://pro32.ap.org/poll

CBS (23. Lions:  If Matt Stafford is out for a while they are done. They are probably done anyway.):  https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/powerrankings/

Touchdown Wire Doug Farrar (23. Lions:  (3-5-1. Last week: 20):  It’s going to be easy to blame Matthew Stafford’s back injury for Detroit’s 20-13 loss to the Bears, as Stafford had to sit while backup Jeff Driskel took the field. But Driskel wasn’t horrible; he completed 27 passes in 46 attempts for 269 yards, with one touchdown and one interception against one of the NFL’s most formidable defenses. When assigning blame for this loss, and for the collapse that has seen the Lions lose five of their past six games, one must look squarely at a defense that allowed four touchdowns to Oakland rookies in Week 9 and followed that up by making things all too easy for Mitchell Trubisky on his three touchdown passes. This looked like one of the NFL’s better pass defenses at times early in the season, but that narrative has completely fallen apart. Per Pro Football Focus, Detroit’s secondary has allowed 15 touchdowns to just three interceptions this season. No team is going to win that way consistently, no matter who their quarterback is.):   https://touchdownwire.usatoday.com/2019/11/12/nfl-week-11-power-rankings-upsets-rule-and-a-new-team-at-the-top/3/

Yahoo (23. Detroit Lions (3-5-1, LW: 20):  It’s hard to imagine the Lions winning without Matthew Stafford, however long he is out. It’s a shame because Stafford was having a very good season. Maybe Stafford is back soon, though in a tough NFC it’s getting harder to imagine the Lions staying in the wild-card race.):  https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-power-rankings-49-ers-could-have-and-should-have-taken-a-tie-060127700.html

FTW Power Rankings (23. Lions):  https://ftw.usatoday.com/gallery/nfl-playoff-power-rankings-every-teams-playoff-chances-entering-week-11

SI (24. Detroit Lions, 3-5-1 (16):  Matthew Stafford has been this team’s most important player since Megatron pulled the plug, and predictably the Lions couldn’t squeeze enough out of Jeff Driskel to take advantage of two late fourth quarter drives. Detroit has underdelivered on the early season promise they flashed in those tight losses to the Chiefs and Packers.):  https://www.si.com/nfl/2019/11/12/nfl-power-rankings-poll-week-11-patriots-ravens-49ers

NFL (24. Lions:  Here's a hot take: The Lions really need Matthew Stafford. The quarterback, whose iron-man starting streak ended on Sunday due to a back injury, was sorely missed in a loss to the Bears that put Detroit's playoff hopes on life support. Jeff Driskel stepped in for Stafford and had a few moments -- his best being a pretty, 47-yard touchdown pass to Kenny Golladay that gave the Lions a spark in the fourth quarter -- but this simply isn't a balanced enough team to survive the absence of its best player. The typically overmatched Lions defense started off well, holding the Bears to just 20 yards on four fruitless drives to start the game. But Mitch Trubisky threw touchdown passes in the next three Bears possessions, putting Detroit in a 20-6 hole that was simply too deep with Stafford on the sideline. Now we wait to see how long the quarterback has to stay there.):  http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000001076202/article/nfl-power-rankings-week-11-seahawks-hit-top-5-ravens-at-2

PFT Power Rankings (24. Lions (3-5-1; No. 20): Jeff Driskel played better than expected. As expected, however, the Lions lost in Chicago.):  https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2019/11/12/week-11-power-rankings-9/

Walterfootball (26.  Detroit Lions (3-5-1) - Previously: 16. 'Member when the Lions beat the Chargers and Eagles to open the year, and everyone thought they were going to the playoffs? Poor Lions. They stand no chance without Matthew Stafford, but it looked like they were heading toward a tailspin anyway.):  http://walterfootball.com/nflpowerrankings.php

PFF (26. DETROIT LIONS (Last Week: 25th):  Detroit needs a healthy Matt Stafford if they’re going to climb PFF’s ELO rankings and make a run at the playoffs. The veteran signal-caller enters Week 11 ranked eighth in PFF passing grade (81.4) with 25 big-time throws and just 12 turnover-worthy plays. Before the Jeff Driskel experience in Week 10, Detroit ranked fourth in EPA per pass play and third in yards per dropback.):   https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-2019-pff-week-11-nfl-power-rankings

USA Today (27. Lions (18): Is Kenny Golladay most dangerous deep threat we don't discuss? Back to those Next Gen Stats, no player averages more targeted air yards than his 16.5.):  https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2019/11/12/week-10-nfl-power-rankings-49-ers-saints-ravens-patriots/2571759001/

Average Power Ranking (352/15):  23