NFL power rankings, Week 2: Lions on the rise after strong debut

With their first game of the season on a national stage, the Detroit Lions did not disappoint on Monday night. They beat the New York Giants by a score of 35-14, and they were really dominant throughout the game. Unlike some of their past appearances on national television, the Lions left a positive impression on Monday Night Football, and that was reflected by this week's NFL power rankings:

• SB Nation: 12th (up from 18th)
• NFL.com: 15th (up from 21st)
• ESPN: 13th (up from 18th)
  
• CBS Sports: 12th (up from 16th)
  
• FOX Sports: 9th (up from 11th)
  
• Pro Football Talk: 15th (up from 19th)

The Lions have an interesting range for their rankings this week. A couple sites only have them 15th, but FOX Sports actually has them in the top 10. Granted, that's mainly because the Lions were 11th in FOX Sports' rankings from before the season, but that's still nice to see, even if it is only Week 2.

The Carolina Panthers, which will play host to the Lions on Sunday, are ranked 13th (SB Nation), sixth (NFL.com), 11th (ESPN), 18th (CBS Sports), eighth (FOX Sports) and ninth (Pro Football Talk). Their rankings are really all over the place despite the fact that they won on the road without their starting quarterback in Week 1, although I suppose that likely has a lot to do with their rankings from before the season, which were based on a shaky offseason.

Chances are there will be more of a consensus on both the Panthers and Lions next week after they meet on Sunday. The Lions could jump into the top 10 across the board with a big road win against the Panthers, but a loss could see them drop out of the top 15 in all six of these rankings.