Week 4 NFL power rankings: ESPN moves Lions up three spots after loss

You’d think after a horrific half of football that saw the Detroit Lions down 31-3 at one point, the team would plummet down most power rankings. However, the near-comeback must have given most analysts some glimmer of hope for the Lions because despite another loss, the team hardly moved at all in this week’s power ranking roundup. The most they fell in any power ranking is just three places, and ESPN continued their nonsensical streak by actually moving the Lions up. That leaves Detroit out of the bottom 10 in five of seven rankings.

• SB Nation: 27th (down 1)
• NFL.com: 20th (down 2)
• Yahoo! Sports: 19th (down 1)
• CBS Sports: 27th (down 3)
• Mile High Report: 11-22 (they cheated and stuck 12 teams together)
• USA Today: 20th (no change)
• ESPN: 17th (up 3)

Here’s your weekly recap of “What the Hell is ESPN Doing with their Power Rankings?” The Worldwide Leader in Sports has once again moved the Lions up after a loss. Here’s how their power rankings have worked so far this year:

Lions beat Colts: Lions fall two spots to 22nd
Lions lose to Titans: Lions jump to 20th
Lions lose to Packers: Lions jump to 17th

Never change, ESPN.

Detroit has a golden opportunity to win this week, despite playing on the road. The Chicago Bears are a consensus bottom two team. Every power ranking listed above has the Bears either as the 31st ranked team or the very bottom ranked team.

Chicago ranks 32nd (SB Nation), 32nd (NFL.com), 31st (Yahoo!), 30th (CBS), 32nd (Mile High Report), 31st (USA Today) and 31st (ESPN) in the above sites.

If the Lions don’t pick up a win this week, you can expect Detroit to be in free fall in these rankings next week. Except for ESPN. They’ll probably jump into the top 10 there.