Michael Rothstein, ESPN Staff Writer 11y

Power Rankings: No. 18 Detroit Lions

A weekly examination of the Lions' ESPN.com Power Ranking:

Preseason: 24 | Last Week: 21 | ESPN.com Power Ranking since 2002

Can Reggie Bush maintain this level of productivity (191 total yards) weekly? Can the defense continue to force turnovers after producing four Sunday? Were the miscues in the first half of the Lions’ win over Minnesota an aberration or a sign of the future? These are still questions with Detroit. Yet this is the highest the Lions have been in the ESPN.com Power Rankings since Week 11 of last season, when they were 4-5 and starting their eight-game slide to end the regular season.

Detroit is trending up from that collapse and in many ways look like a team capable of pushing up the rankings a bit more in the next few weeks. The Lions have already moved up six spots from their preseason ranking of No. 24. They have shown promise with a young offensive line breaking in three new starters. Add a dominant defensive line and that they won a game with just 37 receiving yards from Calvin Johnson, and there is potential in Detroit.

^ Back to Top ^