For the first time since winning the NFL championship in 1957, the Detroit Lions are No. 1 – at least in my NFL Power Rankings Week 7.
I'm not sure the Lions have ever ranked atop anything in my lifetime. Maybe in my “Most Exciting Run of 78 Yards to Net a 4-Yard Gain Behind Abysmal Blocking” rankings the entirety of the Barry Sanders era, but that's about it. Outside of that, the Detroit Lions have spent 40 years of my lifetime as an NFL punchline.
Not anymore.
The Lions tallied their fourth consecutive win by margin of 14 or more points, three of them over potential NFC playoff teams, all four weirdly confident and comfortable. Detroit is tied for the league' s best record at 5-1 and has the only win over the 5-1 defending champs. The Lions are the only team yet to lose in regulation, falling to a good Seattle squad in overtime.