NFL Week 2 power rankings: Detroit Lions see slight bump in rankings

The Detroit Lions came up eight points short against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1, and while a spirited effort down the stretch earned them a slight bump in most rankings, their spotty play over the course of the entire game will still keep them near the bottom of the league.

Let’s take a look at where the Lions sit in the national eye.

NFL.com, rank: 31 (Previous: 31)

“The Lions deserve credit for clawing their way back against a superior 49ers team — no small feat considering Detroit trailed by as many as 28 points in the second half. But the Lions were also overmatched enough to fall behind by four touchdowns in their own building, as sure a sign as any that this will be the developmental year in Detroit that we all expect. That trust-the-process outlook took an ugly hit in the fourth quarter, when cornerback Jeff Okudah suffered a season-ending Achilles injury. Okudah, the third overall pick in the 2020 draft, never got his feet under him as a rookie, and now sees his second season wiped away before it ever really began. Trying times in the Motor City.” — Dan Hanzus

ESPN: 30 (Previous: 31)

“Top rookie: OT Penei Sewell, With an injury to LT Taylor Decker, the seventh overall pick was moved back to his college position, offering solid protection for QB Jared Goff. He had an 88.1% pass block win rate in Sunday’s loss to the 49ers. That was 23rd among 61 qualified offensive linemen in Week 1. 49ers DE Nick Bosa was very open about how Sewell looked at left tackle compared to the right. ‘He’s more comfortable on the left and I could tell,’ Bosa said.” — Eric Woodyard

USAT: 29 (Previous: 31)

“Dan Campbell’s charges showed there’d be no quit in them ... hard as it must be to stay engaged when you’ve surrendered at least 30 points in seven consecutive games.” — Nate Davis

Yahoo Sports: 30 (Previous: 31)

“If you just look at the score and see “41-33,” you might think the Lions kept it close against San Francisco. They did not. There was a late rally and shockingly they had a chance to tie the game at the end, but it was a blowout for 58 minutes. Losing cornerback Jeff Okudah, a potential building block, to a ruptured Achilles is a more important blow.” — Frank Schwab

MMQB: 25 (Previous: 31)

“While it may not have been the way we expected, the Detroit Lions showed some foundational promise on Sunday against the 49ers. Jared Goff was hitting passes to all levels of the field. Anthony Lynn did a phenomenal job of scheming open the team’s best offensive weapons, like T.J. Hockenson. The running game lagged, but Detroit will end up a thorn in plenty of sides this year simply by virtue of being well-coached.” — MMQB Staff rotating rankings

CBS Sports: 30 (Previous: 30)

“They made it interesting against the 49ers, but they are still an undermanned team. The fact they fought back is a good sign for first-year coach Dan Campbell.” — Pete Prisco

Sporting News: 28 (Previous: 31)

“Hokey nature aside, Dan Campbell was pretty good coaching in his first game for the Lions, too. The constant offensive and defensive mistakes are residue of having a rather bare cupboard of reliable talent. but at least Campbell’s team didn’t quit when down big and almost caught up to the 49ers. The effort and talent was maximized.” — Vinnie Iyer

Washington Post: 30 (Previous: 31)

“The Lions managed to make it interesting at the end against the 49ers. But for most of the day, they were awful.” — Mark Maske ($ubscription required)