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Before the season begins, SB Nation gathered all of the NFL bloggers together to create one, master power rankings list. The Detroit Lions came in 12th, while the Green Bay Packers came in 2nd. You can check out all of the rankings here. Here are some questions the rankings bring up.
Are the Lions a playoff team?
In the NFL, the top 12 teams make the playoffs. With the Lions perceived as the 12th best team, that puts them directly on the bubble to make the postseason for the second year in a row. It's worth noting that there are only five NFC teams ahead of the Lions in the rankings, so that would mean the Lions are lined up for the six-seed, the same positioning they had in last year's playoffs.
Do the Lions belong in the top-10 discussion?
With Detroit so close to the top 10, it's pretty easy to envision them as one of the best 10 teams in the NFL. But which teams would they jump? The Cowboys? The Chiefs?
Will the surging Vikings replace the Lions as Green Bay's biggest division threat?
Minnesota comes in at 14th in the power rankings, just two spots behind the Lions. Many analysts are expecting the Vikings to turn heads this season, and it's easy to forget Minnesota was a respectable 7-9 last year. They gave Detroit a run for their money in both games last season, losing the games by a combined 16 points. With Teddy Bridgewater improving, Adrian Peterson returning and their defense continuing to look good, there's plenty of reasons to be high on the Vikings this year.
Are the Packers really that good?
Green Bay has been a fixture at the top of the NFC North for the past four seasons, but is their time coming to an end? The Packers have had an awfully misfortunate preseason, losing Jordy Nelson for the season in addition to a handful of other injuries. However, the national perception is if Aaron Rodgers is healthy, nothing else matters. But, Chicago aside, this division seems to be improving, and the NFC North race is likely to be even tighter this year than it was in 2014. Is it fair to pencil in the Packers as the division winner already?
Here are my preseason rankings. Please be gentle: