NFL Power Rankings, Week 8: Biggest risers and fallers after Week 7

2. Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions are just so much fun to watch. Jared Goff is barely throwing any incomplete passes. This team has weapons galore offensively. They can win in dominating blowout fashion or they can show resilience in back-and-forth games. The Lions have the clutch gene. They find different ways to win. Different guys step up in big ways for this team.

They are poised for a big run this season, but the absence of Aidan Hutchinson does loom large for them. I believe the Lions are the best team in the NFC right now, and a road victory over the Minnesota Vikings with the Vikings having had the bye week to prepare is not a small deal. 

The Lions are tough. We will have to wait and find out how much the loss of Hutchinson affects their margin for error as the year progresses, but what else is there not to like about this team?

We’ll see if Lions GM Brad Holmes can pull off some type of trade for a pass rusher at this year’s deadline. It seems like there is always at least one impact rusher available each year at the deadline and we saw the Bears acquire one last year in Montez Sweat. What can the Lions pull off in 2024?

1. Kansas City Chiefs

Patrick Mahomes had multiple interceptions and threw his shoulder into a 49ers defender on a rushing touchdown as the Chiefs kind of blew out the 49ers in Week 7.

What kind of world is this?

The Chiefs just find so many different ways to win and they are the NFL’s lone unbeaten team after Week 7 action. They stand alone at the top right now and it’s just tough to see this team really facing too much adversity before the stakes are higher.

The Chiefs could very easily be 14-3 by season’s end – or better – and when it comes down to it, who is going to be able to put this team away when it matters and keep them from a three-peat?

The Chiefs came out last season a little bit flat. They lost a number of games and were even allowing teams like the Broncos to stick around (just one game out of first place) into the month of December. But this team has built in the biggest margin for error out of any team in the league. They are a force.