After five weeks of NFL action, the Detroit Lions have gone from a team many questioned after Week 1 to now being recognized as the league’s best.
In this week’s roundup of power rankings across the NFL landscape, the Lions have climbed to No. 1 across every major outlet following their 37-24 Week 5 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.
There’s still some concern about the defense’s performance late in games — particularly allowing Bengals quarterback Jake Browning to throw three touchdown passes in the fourth quarter on Sunday. Not ideal.
At the same time, the offense, which faced plenty of questions following Ben Johnson’s departure to Chicago, has emerged as the team’s biggest strength.
Even after what some would consider a less-than-stellar showing, the Lions still lead the NFL with 34.8 points per game.
Here’s a look at how writers across the NFL view the Lions after their fourth straight win.
ESPN
Rank: 1
Last week: 3
“After his first 1,000-yard season in 2024, Williams has started slowly in 2025. He hasn’t logged more than 50 receiving yards in four games, as he works to get in sync with veteran quarterback Jared Goff and overcome dropped passes. Williams is viewed as a risky option because he’s averaging only 7.9 fantasy points per game in PPR leagues. He hasn’t turned limited targets into production or delivered consistently this season — but he can still make big plays.– Eric Woodyard
The Athletic
Rank: 1
Last week: 3
“That season-opening loss to the Packers feels like ancient history after four consecutive wins. But the easy part of their schedule is over, and a brutal stretch awaits, especially without cornerback Terrion Arnold. Their next five games are against the Chiefs, Buccaneers, Vikings, Commanders and Eagles.” — Chad Graff and Josh Kendall
USA Today
Rank: 1
Last week: 5
“While many teams have legit claims, they’re our new No. 1. Winners of four in a row, by an average margin of 19 points, nobody in the league is playing better. And Ben Who? The Lions’ 174 points scored are the most through five games in franchise history. Sunday night’s trip to Arrowhead should verify or debunk how accurately we’ve slotted Dan Campbell’s troops.” — Nate Davis
CBS Sports
Rank: 1
Last week: 3
“The offense is cooking right now, kicking aside the notion that Ben Johnson would be missed. They face a big one at Kansas City this week.” — Pete Prisco
Sports Illustrated
Rank: 1
Last week: 3
“We can start getting cynical this time of year, especially if our team, or fantasy lineup, or both is already in the toilet. But David Montgomery getting to play in front of his sister for the first time was incredible.” — Connor Orr
The Ringer
Rank: 1
Last week: 3
“While new offensive coordinator John Morton hasn’t (yet) captured the league’s attention in the same way his predecessor Ben Johnson did, Morton has maintained the best feature of this Detroit offense: Anybody can be the star. Tight end Sam LaPorta, receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, and running back Jahmyr Gibbs each have had their turn at chunk gains, and it feels like Morton always has the right counterpunch dialed up when defenses adjust. Few teams make it look as easy as Detroit does.” — Diante Lee
Yahoo Sports
Rank: 1
Last week: 3
“Every team has a loss now. And while the Lions’ defeat in Week 1 wasn’t good, the last four weeks have been excellent. They’ve scored 52, 38, 34 and 37 points in the four wins. Given the Lions’ recent track record and how they’ve rebounded since Week 1, they deserve their turn at No. 1 this season.”
New York Post
Rank: 1
Last week: 3
“David Montgomery enjoyed quite the homecoming to his native Cincinnati as he ran for a touchdown and threw for another in a 37-24 victory against the Bengals. The Lions built a 25-point lead through three quarters behind Jared Goff, who finished with three touchdown passes. Jamhyr Gibbs and Montgomery both scored touchdowns for an NFL-record-tying 14th time as teammates.” — Ryan Dunleavy
Fox Sports
Rank: 1
Last week: 3
“Giving up 21 fourth-quarter points to Jake Browning and the Bengals is alarming, but they’ve won four straight and averaged 40.3 points in those games. Dan Campbell’s team is apparently back.” — Ralph Vacchiano