NFL Power Ranking Week 9: Lions or Chiefs – who is No. 1?

Are the Detroit Lions the best team in football? Advanced analytics seems to think so, but what about the NFL analysts who are paid to explain such topics?

Well, for the first time this year, the Lions are unanimously ranked in the top two in the nine NFL Power Rankings articles we collect each week. However, the jury is split: Are the 6-1 Lions the top team in the NFL or are the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs at the top?

The Chiefs have a compelling case based on three factors: They're the only undefeated team remaining, they have the best quarterback in football (even if Patrick Mahomes is currently struggling), and they're winning two straight Super Bowls. We can trust their legitimacy.

However, if you judge teams based solely on their performance in 2024, it's hard not to see the Lions as the best team right now. They rank first in DVOA while the Chiefs rank fourth. Detroit has scored the most points per game in football, while Kansas City is ninth. The Lions rank higher in both Offensive EPA (fourth vs. 10th) and Defensive EPA (fifth vs. 10th).

Here's what other NFL analysts have to say on the subject in our Week 9 NFL Power Rankings recap:

MMQB: 1 (Last week: 1)

By Conor Orr:

One thing I love about Dan Campbell is that when he walks up to the podium for a press conference, he grabs it by the shoulders like someone he bullied in high school. When he wants to start talking, he does There. When I covered Campbell and the Lions for the magazine for our football preview issue, there was a comment about the beauty in the way he meanders through talking points – sometimes without conclusion or meaning. This is why his weekly “Game Balls” section is a must for me. This team has to keep winning.

The Ringer: 1 (Last week: 1)

By Diane Lee:

You know a team is maxed out when they score 52 points on a subpar offensive day.

If you only watched highlights from Sunday's Lions-Titans game on NFL RedZone, you might have thought Detroit delivered a masterclass in offensive performance. In fact, Detroit finished Sunday's game with just 61 net passing yards due to a handful of sacks, but still sailed through three quarters en route to a 38-point win. This team can beat you however it wants, and against Tennessee it did so by forcing turnovers and turning in the best special teams performance we've seen in the NFL this season (Detroit's special teams gained over 250 yards on their punts). and kick returns). .

The Athletic: 1 (Last week: 1)

By Josh Kendall:

Something scary: Are you climaxing too early?

That's about the only thing the Lions have to worry about right now. Detroit has averaged 43 points per game since Week 4 and its average margin of victory over that span is 22.8 points. Jared Goff passed for 85 yards on Sunday and the Lions scored 51 points. The Lions lead the league in rushing success rate this season (47.5 percent) and are second in expected points scored from the running game (0.12 per carry), according to TruMedia.

NFL.com: 1 (Last week: 3)

By Eric Edholm:

The Lions take over the top spot because they continue to win not just impressively, but in a different way seemingly every week. Late in the third quarter on Sunday, the Lions had 49 points and Jared Goff had 57 passing yards. Goff had some difficult moments early in the game behind a surprisingly leaky Lions offensive line, but the defense, special teams and running game took care of business in impressive fashion. Five of Detroit's first 10 possessions started in Tennessee territory, thanks largely to forced turnovers and long special teams returns, and the Lions scored touchdowns on all five of those drives. That's what good teams do. Detroit once again showed a good defensive performance without Aidan Hutchinson, and the offense did not ignore the suspended Jameson Williams in this game either. This Sunday's test in Green Bay will be much tougher, but the Lions can do as well as any team in the league right now. Dan Campbell's group is a real Super Bowl threat in a choppy NFC field.

Sports News: 2 (Last Week: 2)

By Vinnie Iyer:

The Lions looked sharp again offensively by distributing the ball differently to keep Jared Goff hyper-efficient. They should be considered strong NFC favorites after beating Minnesota and losing by 50 points to Tennessee in back-to-back weeks.

Yahoo Sports: 2 (Last week: 2)

By Frank Schwab:

According to CBS, they have scored more touchdowns (25) than incompletions (20) in Detroit's last five games, becoming the first team since the merger in 1970 to do so over a five-game span. Yes, this team is fun to watch.

CBS Sports: 2 (Last week: 2)

By Pete Prisco:

They scored 52 points against the Titans and didn't have to do much on offense. The special teams came up big heading into a gigantic divisional game against the Packers.

The 33rd team: 2 (Last week: 2)

By Marcus Mosher:

The Detroit Lions had nine net passing yards in the first half against the Titans. For any other team in the league, that would mean they would be behind by double digits.

But for the Lions, it just shows how dominant they are on offense as the ground attack took over. Detroit scored 35 points in the first half as Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery both found the end zone. The Lions have the best offense in the NFL, but they're not really close either.

USA Today: 2 (Last week: 3)

By Nate Davis:

Their 172 points in the last four games represent a franchise record, the most scored by a team over a four-game stretch in five years, and are on pace to become the 30th team in league history to do so who has scored at least 500 points.