NFL Week 11 power rankings: ‘Are the Lions putting it together?’

The Detroit Lions (3-6) secured their second win in a row—the first road win of the coach Dan Campbell era in Week 10—coming back from down 14 in the fourth quarter and beating the Chicago Bears 31-30.

The Lions gained ground in every national ranking this week, sometimes moving up just a spot while making some big jumps in others. NFL.com’s Dan Hanzus moved the Lions up eight spots, and asked a question everyone in Detroit is wondering: “Are the Lions putting it together?”

Let’s take a look at this week’s NFL power rankings.

NFL.com: 21 (Previous: 29)

From Dan Hanzus:

“Are the Lions putting it together? Detroit did something unprecedented in the Dan Campbell era on Sunday — it won a game outside of Ford Field. The 31-30 victory over the Bears — the Lions’ second straight after a five-game skid — was especially encouraging because it was the struggling defense that really stepped up: Jeff Okudah pulled Detroit even with a dramatic pick-six in the fourth quarter, and a host of defenders swarmed a red-hot Justin Fields for the decisive sack on fourth down in the final minutes. ‘You want to learn to win in close games, you win in close games,’ Campbell said. ‘That’s two now.’”

USA Today: 22 (Previous: 26)

From Nate Davis:

“For the first time in 29 years, they won a game they trailed by at least 14 points after three quarters. For the first time under head coach Dan Campbell, they won on the road.”

MMQB: 22 (Previous: 27)

From Connor Orr:

“The Lions are now winners of two straight. Sticking it to the Giants, who are winning games in similarly gritty fashion, would bring Dan Campbell’s team full circle, from forgettable Hard Knocks sideshow to missile looking to upend everyone’s dream season.”

The Athletic: 23 (Previous: 27)

From Bo Wulf:

“Detroit had lost 98 games in a row when trailing by at least 14 points heading into the fourth quarter, and Dan Campbell had never won a road game. Then Jeff Okudah’s pick six spurred the Lions’ unlikely comeback, giving them their first two-game winning streak since October 2020.

You have to wind the clock all the way back to November 2017 to find the last time they won three in a row. Detroit is 2-0 since firing defensive backs coach Aubrey Pleasant, who was hired Monday by the rival Packers. That sets things up for a rather, uh, unpleasant showdown between the two teams in the regular-season finale. Sorry.”

Sporting News: 24 (Previous: 28)

From Vinnie Iyer:

“The Lions are on a winning streak with Dan Campbell as their young defense has made timely big plays to lift the offense’s run-heavy effort. After a midseason hiccup, the promising rebuild is back on track, save for Jared Goff.”

CBS Sports: 26 (Previous: 27)

From Pete Prisco:

“Dan Campbell finally won a road game in the division by beating the Bears. They will be a tough out the rest of the way.”

The Ringer: 27 (Previous: 30)

From Austin Gayle:

“Back-to-back wins over division rivals should ease rumors swirling about Dan Campbell’s future in Detroit and is good enough to bump Detroit up a few spots in these rankings, but the Lions are still far away from postseason contention. Jared Goff ranks fourth in EPA per dropback over the two-week stretch but just 29th in average depth of target. His success is still largely dependent on the supporting cast making plays after the catch, and he has specifically struggled in obvious passing situations. A question now is if they’ll be drafting high enough to get one of the top two QB prospects (C.J. Stroud and Bryce Young), or if Detroit’s front office will have to be aggressive in trading up in the draft or for a veteran quarterback this offseason.”

Yahoo Sports: 27 (Previous: 30)

From Frank Schwab:

“Jeff Okudah made the biggest play of Sunday’s game, a pick-six in the fourth quarter. Okudah hasn’t become the cornerback the Lions were hoping when they made him the third pick of the 2020 draft (passing on Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert), but he is having his best season. After dealing with a lot of adversity, it was good to see him make such a big play in a win.”

ESPN: 29 (Previous: 30)

From Eric Woodyard:

“Who was on the hot seat in preseason: QB Jared Goff
“Temperature of seat right now: Hot

“Not much has changed since the offseason. Goff is aware this is a huge year for his career, as he’s trying to prove he’s still a starter in the league in case the Lions decide to go in another direction come the offseason. Goff and the Lions’ offense got off to a hot start, leading the league in points per game through the first four weeks, before going cold with five straight losses. But they have recently turned it around with back-to-back wins for the first time since Weeks 6-7 of the 2020 season.”

Touchdown Wire: 25 (Previous: 27)

From Mark Lane:

“Detroit had a decent win coming back in the fourth quarter on the road. The Lions have moments where they can put it together and get a nice win. Even with the Lions’ record as lopsided as it is, a winning streak at this point would be a validation of the Dan Campbell Way that fans want to see.”