NFL Week 4 power rankings: Lions move up after gritty road win

Since October 2022, the Detroit Lions haven't had back-to-back losses, and they continued that trend Sunday with a bounce-back victory over the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium.

Heading into Week 3, the Lions were ranked in the top five by most NFL experts across the country, with a few placing them in the top 10. After a dominant performance by their defense, the Lions have climbed slightly, now ranked as high as No. 3. Their rise is largely attributed to the running back duo of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, who asserted themselves in a physical road win.

However, some outlets remain unconvinced. CBS Sports, for instance, had them outside the top 10 last week and only barely cracking it this week, criticizing how they've fared in matchups so far.

Here's a look at power rankings from around the NFL heading into Week 4:

The Athletic

We've wondered about this for a while. Watch the play below and you will, too. Amon-Ra St. Brown caught seven passes for 75 yards Sunday, one of which he flipped back to Jahmyr Gibbs for a 21-yard touchdown. It was beautiful. It resulted in a touchdown with less than 30 seconds left in the half, and the day's weirdest stat line: Gibbs, zero targets, zero catches, 20 receiving yards and a 21-yard receiving touchdown.

"Even after a Week 3 win, receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown acknowledged that the Lions' offense could step up more. The main statistic that jumps out is that the Lions are 5-of-13 (38.5 %) scoring touchdowns on red zone opportunities. For context, through three games in 2023, the Lions were 5-of-9 (55.6%) in red zone scoring. When it was upset by Tampa Bay in Week 2, the Lions had six red zone drives without a touchdown, their most in a game since 1981, per ESPN Research."

The Sporting News

"The Lions flexed more defensively when needed in Arizona to help a slumping Jared Goff, and they also re-established their dominance in the running game. That familiar formula for Dan Campbell helped Detroit look more like last year's NFC runner-up."

CBS Sports

"After losing to the Bucs, they bounced back against the Cardinals with a victory. But they still don't quite look like the team we expect to see."

Sports Illustrated

Through three weeks, the Lions have looked alternately fierce and surprisingly beatable. I wonder what would have happened if Jared Goff's pick six would not have been blown dead. Having watched it numerous times, the ball is clearly in motion before the two minute warning and I think Cardinals fans have some grounds for a grievance. If you want answers directly from the officiating crew, here's a pool report. While I can see the crew's point—the first time I watched it I wondered what everyone was complaining about because I thought I saw the clock hit zero before the snap—a second review clearly shows a second still on the clock. Human error is fun when there's not so much gambling involved!

Yahoo Sports

"Sunday's win vs. the Cardinals was costly for the Lions. They lost defensive end Marcus Davenport for the season with an elbow injury and center Frank Ragnow will miss time with a pectoral injury. Ragnow is a huge part of the Lions' stellar offensive line and Aidan Hutchinson will get more attention without Davenport on the other side."

USA Today

"DE Aidan Hutchinson is still on fire, (prematurely) paced toward 37 sacks. His team will need that kind of pressure against this week's opponent, Seattle, which has beaten the Lions six straight times – the average score of the past three meetings 45-35."

NY Post

"Jared Goff completed his first 14 passes — a streak that covered the entire first half when the Lions did all their scoring in a 20-13 win against the Cardinals. Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jahmyr Gibbs connected on a hook-and-ladder touchdown. David Montgomery ran for 105 yards and a touchdown and chewed up the final four minutes of clock."

The Bleacher Report

On some level, the Detroit Lions posted an impressive victory over the Arizona Cardinals Sunday. The Lions piled up 373 yards of offense, held the Arizona Cardinals to 277 yards of offense and piled up over 180 yards on the ground. However, after moving the ball at will in the first half, the Lions didn't score after intermission. Head coach Dan Campbell tried to paint it as a positive while addressing the media—saying that is shows the Lions can win in different ways.

Pro Football Network

"The Lions still haven't hit their stride. But they earned a sneaky-good road win over the Cardinals on Sunday, and now are set for an intriguing matchup with the equally physical Seahawks. That game should be a blast to watch."

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