FTW (3. Detroit Lions - Last week’s rank: 3. Detroit played its starters in Week 18 and got a win, but also lost tight end Sam LaPorta to a knee injury in the process. This could be a problem, especially if the leaky secondary that allowed Nick Mullens to burn it deep multiple times can’t keep up with Matthew Stafford in the Wild Card round. The Lions have plenty left to prove in search of their first postseason win since 1992.): https://ftw.usatoday.com/lists/nfl-playoff-power-rankings-ravens-cowboys-eagles-dolphins-steelers-49ers
Fox sports Brooks (3. Detroit Lions - Record: 12-5; Last Week: 3. Dan Campbell's squad plays with a controlled fury that overwhelms opponents unable to deal with the Lions' physicality and toughness. Though the Jared Goff-led offense mixes in some razzle-dazzle, the Lions can win shootouts or grind-it-out affairs against elite opponents.): https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/nfl-top-10-rankings-ravens-reign-chiefs-rams-climb-dolphins-eagles-slide
SI (3. Detroit Lions (12–5): This profile of Dan Campbell contains a quote that I cannot get out of my head, and one that only dads will truly understand. Former teammate Tiki Barber said: “It was always like he was mad, but he wasn’t.”): https://www.si.com/nfl/2024/01/09/nfl-power-rankings-week-18-positive-playoffs
NFL (5. Detroit Lions: Dan Campbell wanted momentum heading into the playoffs, and darn it, that was what his team got. Sunday's win over the Vikings wasn't the prettiest thing the Lions have done in a season when they tied a franchise record for victories, but Detroit had solid showings and game-changing plays in all three phases. That said, there's always the fear of a key player getting hurt in Week 18, like the Chargers' Mike Williams did last season, and we'll have to see if the mid-game injuries suffered by TE Sam LaPorta and WR-PR Kalif Raymond are serious or not. Both have played big roles for the Lions, especially LaPorta, who set rookie tight end marks for receiving, while Raymond has returned every punt this season for Detroit. Either way, the Lions should celebrate their first playoff game since the 2016 postseason and their first home postseason game in three decades. If Ford Field isn't buzzing with absolutely nuclear-grade energy before kickoff, I'd be stunned.): https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-power-rankings-super-wild-card-weekend-2023-nfl-season
Yahoo (5. Detroit Lions (12-5, LW: 5): It's not just the Sam LaPorta injury, which obviously isn't great for the Lions' offense if he can't play this week. Detroit's defense is an issue, too. The Lions have given up 300 yards passing in three straight games, twice to Nick Mullens and the Vikings. That's not great with Matthew Stafford and the Rams coming in for a wild-card game.): https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-power-rankings-final-edition-more-than-a-dozen-teams-could-be-on-qb-carousel-043546696.html
PFT (5. Lions (12-5, No. 5): Dan Campbell is, at times, too emotional and impulsive for his own good.): https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/pfts-final-2023-nfl-power-rankings
Touchdown wire (5. Detroit Lions: The Detroit Lions are hosting a playoff game. How cool is that? Offensively, they are as good schematically as anyone in the league, and they have the personnel to execute and run up points. If Sam LaPorta misses time, that will be a big blow, especially in what will be an emotional game against the Rams for obvious reasons pertaining to both Jared Goff and Matthew Stafford. Regardless, this is easily one of the best seasons in franchise history.): https://touchdownwire.usatoday.com/lists/2024-nfl-playoff-power-rankings-ravens-rule-the-roost-but-who-else-is-near-the-top/?itm_source=parsely-api
PFN (5. Detroit Lions (7)): https://www.profootballnetwork.com/pro-football-network-final-nfl-power-rankings-2024/
PFN Miller (6. Detroit Lions: There will be a lot of discussion concerning Dan Campbell’s decision to play his starters against the Vikings. Although a win kept the possibility of the No. 2 seed alive, the difference between the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds are negligible.): https://www.profootballnetwork.com/nfl-power-rankings-wild-card-round-dalton-miller-2024/
Fox sports (6. Detroit Lions (12-5) +1: You’re not going to hear a word of criticism from me about Dan Campbell playing his starters in Week 18. That’s the culture he built in Detroit, and the Lions still had achievable goals. Hopefully, Sam LaPorta’s injury won't end his season, but I'm going to guess it'll be tough to play this weekend. And the Rams, led by former Lion Matthew Stafford, present a heck of a challenge.): https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/2023-nfl-power-rankings
PFF (6. DETROIT LIONS (10% CHANCE TO WIN NFC, 4% CHANCE TO WIN THE SUPER BOWL) - Highest-graded player (min. 100 snaps), Offense: T Penei Sewell (91.3), Defense: ED Aidan Hutchinson (91.1), Best unit: Rushing attack. The Lions earned a ninth-ranked 88.7 team rushing grade and finished eighth in EPA per rush. They tied for first in rushing touchdowns with 27. On top of that, they were seventh in explosive rushes of 10 or more yards. Weak link: Coverage. The Lions finished the regular season with the 29th-ranked team coverage grade (56.3), giving up the fourth-most EPA per play. Dan Campbell's defense also ranked 30th in the percentage of plays that resulted in a 15-plus-yard gain (15.6%).): https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-power-rankings-ranking-all-14-playoff-teams
SN (7. Detroit Lions, NFC No. 3 seed (+2000): The Lions aren't just happy to be back in the playoffs as division champions after a 30-year drought. They want to roar loudly and be a factor in the NFC tournament. They can win offensively with Jared Goff's passing or a lot of running from their talented RBs. They also shut down the run and can rush the passer. However, shaky pass coverage can be a major Achilles' heel against the loaded offenses in the playoffs.): https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/nfl-playoffs-2024-power-rankings-super-bowl-58/30de0106228abe5828bf5683
USA Today (8. Detroit Lions (+2000): The Detroit Lions were a boneheaded referee decision away from having a 13-4 record, which would've given the Lions a first-round bye. If any team can recover from such a tough defeat though, it's Dan Campbell's boys. The Lions will rely on a spectacular rushing attack and the star power of Amon-Ra St. Brown to carry them through the postseason. The team may have suffered a devastating setback when rookie tight end Sam LaPorta injured his knee in Week 18. However, Campbell told reporters on Monday that LaPorta has an "outside chance" of playing in the wild card round. His presence would give a massive boost to the Lions' offense.): https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2024/01/08/nfl-power-rankings-playoff-odds-for-super-bowl/72155848007/
Average Power Ranking (73/14): 5
Note: I'll add more as they become available.
No comments:
Post a Comment